Tailgating Ideas

Many times when we post about a product or a game that is currently undergoing a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign, we do not have the opportunity to test the product. Normally these entrepreneurs are seeking funding because they do not have the upfront capital to have samples available for testing and review. We mention this because we were lucky enough to personally sample the game Pounce before they started their Kickstarter campaign.

Pounce is a simple and fun, fast-paced skill-based game involving hand eye coordination, team work and can be played by anyone of all ages. Combining elements of the drinking games quarters and beer pong, the simple object is to bounce a ping pong ball into a cup before your opponent can block you. Before we get into the nuance of the game Pounce, take a look at their Kickstarter video.

As you can see in their Kickstarter video they have been producing Pounce on their own and funding will help take it to the next level. If their desired funding level is reached, the game specifics will not change but will be easier to mass produce. Take a look at the “How to Play Pounce” instructional video to understand the pace and game play of Pounce.

As you can see from the video, even with three players, the game is rather fast-paced and is quite fun. If you were to take Pounce tailgating, all you would need is a flat surface and you are playing Pounce. Any utility table or even a Beer Pong table you would take tailgating would be the prefect surface to play Pounce.

Prior to the makers of Pounce getting on Kickstarter, we tried out Pounce for ourselves. We found we had to channel our days of playing quarters back in college to gain some skill in the game of pounce. Unlike in beer pong where you bounce the ball harder to reach the cups at the other end, Pounce bounces are shorter and require a little more finesse.

Another aspect of Pounce we enjoyed is that all ages can play. Obviously beer pong excludes the under 21 crowd but we played pounce with my six year old and eight year old kids. Lastly, we also tailgate with Jeremy McGhee who is in a wheelchair. Although Jeremy has overcome incredible odds and participates in numerous sports, some tailgating games can be exclusionary to people with disabilities. Pounce is a great game for someone like Jeremy.

After testing and playing Pounce for ourselves in a real tailgating environment, we are going to give pounce the Tailgating Ideas “Tailgate Approved” stamp of approval. The compact size makes it perfect to place in your tailgating kit and the opportunity for many people of all ages and skill levels to play it, makes it a great tailgating game.

We would encourage anyone who is interested in playing this game for yourself to visit the Pounce Kickstarter campaign page and contribute to the effort. As of post time they have 28 days left in their funding campaign and they are already off to a good start.

We know that in the SEC, or all over the college football landscape, indoctrinating the next generation into the traditions and the culture of your favorite college football team is the main reason for having kids. So why would it be any surprise that this group of young tailgaters appear to be playing a game of beer pong at an LSU tailgate? Maybe because the oldest one in the photo looks to be about 11 years old.

After a closer look, it appears that the two bottles of water and the Sprite are the ones being used for the refills. But at first glance, it looks to be a bit jarring. But that’s how they do it down in Baton Rouge.

Regular old beer pong gotten boring? Are you a player that doesn’t take the game too seriously and wants to add a new wrinkle to the game of beer pong? If you answered yes, then you might be interested in this new way to play beer pong.

They are calling this new way to play beer pong the Tabletop Tailgate Beer Pong Card Game. Of course they are looking for funds via Kickstarter in order to get their cards mass produced and distributed. Take a look at their video.

If this looks like something you would like to be a part of and take to your next tailgate, check out the Tabletop Tailgate Beer Pong Cards Kickstarter page and drop them some funds.

Some say “Bigger is Better”. And in most cases they are right. But when it comes to tailgating, smaller is normally better because of size constraints placed on getting everything you need into your tailgating vehicle. Sometimes not only smaller, but something that is mini, may be the best choice for tailgating.

Recently we had the chance to test and review Mini Beer Pong.

(Disclaimer: We did receive a sample of Mini Beer Pong for free. The fact this sample was provided to us free of charge in no way influenced our opinion of the product nor did it impact our ability to test and review the product fairly and objectively.)

As you can see in the above photo, Mini Beer Pong is a smaller wooden game that is roughly 24 inches long. A “regulation” beer pong table is 2′ wide, 8′ long and 27 1/2″ high. Mini Beer Pong is four times smaller than a standard beer pong table making it more portable and can fit into the tightest spaces within your tailgating vehicle. (Click images for larger view)

Mini Beer Pong comes with plastic mini cups and the wooden balls are launched using spring loaded launchers. The wooden balls are tethered to the center of the board via a magnet to avoid chasing after misfired balls. The cups can be configured for a complete game of 10 or can be scaled down to 6 and the recessed holders keep the cups steady even with the most direct of a direct hit. Re-racking is simple and easy and the configuration allows for any number of popular re-rack configurations including straight line re-racks, “Gentlemen’s” or “the Flower”.

The three holes in the back behind the cup racks are the launcher positions. Looking a little like a catapult, the launchers have strong springs to launch the wooden balls at your opponent’s cups rack and can be moved to one of three positions and can pivot within each location.

Upon receiving the sample, I first noticed the quality craftsmanship of the game. The wood is beautifully milled and professionally handcrafted and stained. Take a look at their video of how Mini Beer Pong units are made.

As you can see in the photo galleries, we chose to fill the one oz. cups with beer, splitting a 12 oz. can between all 20 cups. Each cup holds about an ounce of liquid and if you are feeling bold, you could substitute liquor for beer.

(I would highly suggest using smaller levels of liquor if you so choose based on 1 oz. of liquor in a short amount of time could at the very least contribute to a large level of intoxication and could result in alcohol poising. I don’t need to tell you that is not good so make sure to use moderation as your guide if using liquor in your Mini Beer Pong.)

Take a look at the detail and the craftsmanship of Mini Beer Pong.

After testing out the Deluxe Mini Beer Pong Kit, we are going to label Mini Beer Pong “Tailgate Approved”. It is light and highly portable and has the overall “wow factor” of playing beer pong on a playing surface that is one-quarter the size of a regular beer pong table.

Mini Beer Pong comes in a variety of sizes and prices. The Deluxe Mini Beer Pong Kit is priced at $60. The Premium Mini Beer Pong Kit is more of a self-contained unit where the balls and launchers are stored in an underneath compartment and folds up for easy carrying. The most affordable Mini Beer Pong is the Classic Mini Beer Pong Kit costing $25.

If you would like more information or to buy a Mini Beer Pong for yourself or possibly someone on your holiday gift giving list, visit: playmbp.com.