I just read where Allen Hopkins was honored with the 2006 Industry Service Award from the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America.
The award was presented at the 63rd annual BBIA Convention on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California.
Congratulations Allen!.., I hope the long overdue induction into the BCA Hall of Fame comes next!
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The following is from the Billiard & Bowling Institute's site;
Three-time world pocket billiard champion Allen Hopkins will become the 53rd recipient of the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America Industry Service Award, the trade association announced today. Hopkins, 54, of Port Republic, N.J., earned his world titles in three different billiard disciplines - winning the 1977 World Straight-Pool Championship, the 1983 Meucci World 9-Ball Championship and the 1990 World One-Pocket Championship. Hopkins was also a two-time winner of the prestigious U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.
Each year, BBIA presents its Industry Service Award to one of the leading personalities in the billiard and bowling industry in recognition of his or her contribution to the promotion of these sports. Previous recipients have included great bowlers and billiard players, leaders of various organizations; and show business personalities, including Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman. The award will be presented at the 63rd annual BBIA Convention on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California.
Hank Hayes, president elect of BBIA, affirmed the selection saying, "Allen is a great asset to the billiard industry and has contributed significantly to the positive image, growth and awareness of the sport among the general public from his involvement as a professional player, producer of the Super Billiard Expo the industry's largest consumer product/trade show and the Super Expo professional and amateur billiard tournaments, as well as, co-producer and on-air announcer for many of the most popular and highly viewed ESPN-TV televised billiard events."
At the age of 10, Hopkins began playing pool. At 12, he ran more than 100 ten balls in straight pool. By 1990, he was the number one player in the world of billiards. Allen Hopkins, has had a multi-faceted career that has seen him promote the sport as a player (including numerous television appearances), a television commentator, the co-promoter/co-producer/co-creator of numerous televised tournaments (including the long-running Challenge of Champions, Sudden-Death 7-Ball and Trick Shot Magic), and creator/owner/producer of the industry's largest consumer pool festival/trade show: the Super Billiards Expo, now in its 14th year.
Allen currently lives in Port Republic, NJ with his wife, Dawn, two sons, Allen and Beau, and stepson, Billy.
Previous Industry Service Award Recipients
2005 - John Sommer (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
2004 - Henry W. Hayes, III (San Diego, CA)
2003 (50th year and 53rd recipient) - Joyce Deitch (Naples, FL)
2002 - Jeanette Lee (Tucson, AZ)
2001 - Bob Gudorf (San Antonio, TX)
2000 - Don Shimel (Incline Village, NV)
1999 - George Bradner (Hilton Head Island, SC)
1998 - Jorgen Sandman (Scottsdale, AZ)
1997 - Fred Borden (Longboat Key, FL)
1996 - Mike Shamos (Monterey, CA)
1995 - Roger Tessman (New Orleans, LA)
1994 - Robert Byrne (Hilton Head Island, SC)
1993 - Ewa Mataya & Sam Weinstein (Incline Village, NV)
1992 - Frederick H. Krommes (Rancho Mirage, CA)
1991 - Chuck Milhem (St. Louis, MO)
1990 - Jack Reichert (Jupiter, FL)
1989 - Robert Froeschle (Napa, California)
1988 - Roger L. Zeller (St. Petersburg Beach, FL)
1987 - Paul Newman (San Diego, CA)
1986 - Dick Evans (Orlando, FL)
1985 - Robert F. Bensinger (Scottsdale, AZ)
1984 - Raymond “Woody” Woodruff (San Antonio, TX)
1983 - Steve Mizerak (St. Petersburg Beach, FL)
1982 - Mort Luby, Jr. (Las Vegas, NV)
1981 - Dick Weber (New Orleans, LA)
1980 - Roy Gandy (Savannah, GA)
1979 - Sam Levine (Reno, NV)
1978 - Paul Lucchesi, Sr. (Nashville, TN)
1977 - Earl Anthony (San Francisco, CA)
1976 - “Whispering” Joe Wilson (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
1975 - Remo Picchietti (San Diego, CA)
1974 - Chris Schenkel (Atlanta, GA)
1973 - Milt Rudo & Michael Geiger (New Orleans, LA)
1972 - Dorothy Wise (Denver, CO)
1971 - Arville L. Ebersole (Bal Harbour, FL)
1970 - Rudolph Wanderone, Minn. Fats (Las Vegas, NV)
1969 - Jimmy Caras & Don Carter (Chiago, IL)
1968 - Alberta Crowe (Dallas, TX)
1967 - Oscar H. Tweeten (Miami Beach, FL)
1966 - J. Edgar Hoover (San Francisco, CA)
1965 - Eddie Elias (New York, NY)
1964 - Howard Seehausen (Denver, CO)
1963 - Walt Ditzen (St. Petersburg, FL)
1962 - Willie Mosconi (New Orleans, LA)
1961 - Jeanette Knepprath (Washington D.C.)
1960 - John Canelli (Phoenix, AZ)
1959 - Joe Wilman (Chicago, IL)
1958 - Frank Baker (New York, NY)
1957 - Milton Raymer(Detroit, MI)
1956 - Mort Luby (Buffalo, NY)
1955 - Peter DeMet (St. Louis, MO)
1954 - Jackie Gleason (Chicago, IL)
The award was presented at the 63rd annual BBIA Convention on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California.
Congratulations Allen!.., I hope the long overdue induction into the BCA Hall of Fame comes next!
--------------------------------------------------------
The following is from the Billiard & Bowling Institute's site;
Three-time world pocket billiard champion Allen Hopkins will become the 53rd recipient of the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America Industry Service Award, the trade association announced today. Hopkins, 54, of Port Republic, N.J., earned his world titles in three different billiard disciplines - winning the 1977 World Straight-Pool Championship, the 1983 Meucci World 9-Ball Championship and the 1990 World One-Pocket Championship. Hopkins was also a two-time winner of the prestigious U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.
Each year, BBIA presents its Industry Service Award to one of the leading personalities in the billiard and bowling industry in recognition of his or her contribution to the promotion of these sports. Previous recipients have included great bowlers and billiard players, leaders of various organizations; and show business personalities, including Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman. The award will be presented at the 63rd annual BBIA Convention on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California.
Hank Hayes, president elect of BBIA, affirmed the selection saying, "Allen is a great asset to the billiard industry and has contributed significantly to the positive image, growth and awareness of the sport among the general public from his involvement as a professional player, producer of the Super Billiard Expo the industry's largest consumer product/trade show and the Super Expo professional and amateur billiard tournaments, as well as, co-producer and on-air announcer for many of the most popular and highly viewed ESPN-TV televised billiard events."
At the age of 10, Hopkins began playing pool. At 12, he ran more than 100 ten balls in straight pool. By 1990, he was the number one player in the world of billiards. Allen Hopkins, has had a multi-faceted career that has seen him promote the sport as a player (including numerous television appearances), a television commentator, the co-promoter/co-producer/co-creator of numerous televised tournaments (including the long-running Challenge of Champions, Sudden-Death 7-Ball and Trick Shot Magic), and creator/owner/producer of the industry's largest consumer pool festival/trade show: the Super Billiards Expo, now in its 14th year.
Allen currently lives in Port Republic, NJ with his wife, Dawn, two sons, Allen and Beau, and stepson, Billy.
Previous Industry Service Award Recipients
2005 - John Sommer (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
2004 - Henry W. Hayes, III (San Diego, CA)
2003 (50th year and 53rd recipient) - Joyce Deitch (Naples, FL)
2002 - Jeanette Lee (Tucson, AZ)
2001 - Bob Gudorf (San Antonio, TX)
2000 - Don Shimel (Incline Village, NV)
1999 - George Bradner (Hilton Head Island, SC)
1998 - Jorgen Sandman (Scottsdale, AZ)
1997 - Fred Borden (Longboat Key, FL)
1996 - Mike Shamos (Monterey, CA)
1995 - Roger Tessman (New Orleans, LA)
1994 - Robert Byrne (Hilton Head Island, SC)
1993 - Ewa Mataya & Sam Weinstein (Incline Village, NV)
1992 - Frederick H. Krommes (Rancho Mirage, CA)
1991 - Chuck Milhem (St. Louis, MO)
1990 - Jack Reichert (Jupiter, FL)
1989 - Robert Froeschle (Napa, California)
1988 - Roger L. Zeller (St. Petersburg Beach, FL)
1987 - Paul Newman (San Diego, CA)
1986 - Dick Evans (Orlando, FL)
1985 - Robert F. Bensinger (Scottsdale, AZ)
1984 - Raymond “Woody” Woodruff (San Antonio, TX)
1983 - Steve Mizerak (St. Petersburg Beach, FL)
1982 - Mort Luby, Jr. (Las Vegas, NV)
1981 - Dick Weber (New Orleans, LA)
1980 - Roy Gandy (Savannah, GA)
1979 - Sam Levine (Reno, NV)
1978 - Paul Lucchesi, Sr. (Nashville, TN)
1977 - Earl Anthony (San Francisco, CA)
1976 - “Whispering” Joe Wilson (Lake Buena Vista, FL)
1975 - Remo Picchietti (San Diego, CA)
1974 - Chris Schenkel (Atlanta, GA)
1973 - Milt Rudo & Michael Geiger (New Orleans, LA)
1972 - Dorothy Wise (Denver, CO)
1971 - Arville L. Ebersole (Bal Harbour, FL)
1970 - Rudolph Wanderone, Minn. Fats (Las Vegas, NV)
1969 - Jimmy Caras & Don Carter (Chiago, IL)
1968 - Alberta Crowe (Dallas, TX)
1967 - Oscar H. Tweeten (Miami Beach, FL)
1966 - J. Edgar Hoover (San Francisco, CA)
1965 - Eddie Elias (New York, NY)
1964 - Howard Seehausen (Denver, CO)
1963 - Walt Ditzen (St. Petersburg, FL)
1962 - Willie Mosconi (New Orleans, LA)
1961 - Jeanette Knepprath (Washington D.C.)
1960 - John Canelli (Phoenix, AZ)
1959 - Joe Wilman (Chicago, IL)
1958 - Frank Baker (New York, NY)
1957 - Milton Raymer(Detroit, MI)
1956 - Mort Luby (Buffalo, NY)
1955 - Peter DeMet (St. Louis, MO)
1954 - Jackie Gleason (Chicago, IL)
