Brian always brings his A game to Waynesville. I'm glad to see him take it off. I think it is his second Smokey Mountain victory.
That should also be good publicity for Mike Gulyassy. Brian has used one of Mike's cues for a while now. And Brian told me that he just started using one of Mike's new break cues, and that he is making a ball and squatting the cue ball in the middle of the table almost every time he breaks.
It was another great event this year, and although I played less than stellar, it was still alot of fun.
I went up a little early and watched quite a bit of the Wheelchair Event. One thing I would like to mention is that I got to meet Hydred Makabali. She is a female wheelchair player from San Diego, California. The pool magazines or TV shows should do a story on her. She is a great player. In fact, she was the first female player in a wheelchair to compete in a Women's Pro Event. Hydred is very down to earth and friendly considering that she has tons of charisma and is one of the most well spoken and attractive women that I've had the pleasure to meet. She was also out after the matches practicing at the Crooked Cue, and her game is definitely top level. I think everyone will be hearing much more about her in the future.
I caught most of the action at the Crooked Cue after the tournament matches. You never know what to expct there, and this year was no exception. There were several unexpected things that happened there (as usual), and there were some good money matches to watch.
I also got to talk with Stevie Moore for a while. We are both from Upstate SC, and I have known Stevie for most of out pool lives. In fact we were roomates for a while when we were younger, but I don't get to talk to him much anymore since he moved to Atlanta. He is playing great as well. He said that he is looking for sponsorship for his endeavors in pro pool now, and I think that he would be a great person for a sponsor to consider. He definitely has the game and persona to appeal to many who enjoy pool, and he is developing quite a fan base. He is also a stand-up person. Watching him sign autographs, and watching the response from fans this week, shows that he is well known to most in the pool community. I think that his victories at the Derby and and at the Pro Events in Florida are just the beginning of his accomplishments.
Congratulations again to Brian White. He is a deserving champion. It was good to see everyone, and I can't wait until next year.
Mike