For ASU students, “beer pong” probably evokes images of crowded, sweaty house parties and drinking binges that inevitably lead to throbbing headaches and stinging regret.

However, two Tempe entrepreneurs who celebrated the grand opening of their beer pong business Thursday, said they want to change it into a fun, wholesome activity students can enjoy without the dreaded day-after hangover or the risk of underage drinking.

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The business, located near South Forest Avenue and East Fifth Street in Tempe, is called Brewing Rivalry, but the only intoxication customers will get from this beer pong store is from the thrill of beating their peers in battle.

“When you come here to play, whether [or not] you’re 21, the key is to be drunk with competition rather than drunk with alcohol,” said co-owner James Curtis.

That is because the new business, co-owned by Curtis and former ASU student Andrew Reyner, operates without actual beer — instead, customers compete in games where the cups are filled with water.

Though beer pong sans the beer may seem like an odd idea, it’s not a new one. Jarred Sams, a Phoenix banquet server who moonlights as a player on the competitive beer pong circuit, said most tournaments are non-alcoholic.

“Even at the bars, during the tournaments, you can’t have beer in the cups,” he said. In competitive beer pong, participants aren’t forced to drink as part of the game, which could lead to overdrinking or spreading of germs.

After honing their skills during the day — practicing is free — customers can compete in tournaments for cash prizes.

Reyner said he hopes to provide students, particularly underage students, with a fun, safe entertainment outlet that doesn’t involve breaking the law.

“When [underage students] leave campus, from what we understand, there’s really nothing to do,” Reyner said. “So we really want this to become a place where they can come and hang out somewhere away from their dorms.”

Reyner and Curtis said they came up with the idea around 2006 when Reyner was attending ASU as a secondary education major and Curtis was working in business consulting.

The two men wanted to start a business that would incorporate their love of party games into their careers, Curtis said. They later decided to create an establishment where underage students and people who don’t like to drink could relax.

“We wanted to do something where, [whether] people wanted to drink or didn’t want to drink, they could still have fun,” Curtis said.

Reyner said he was also interested in helping put beer pong on the map as a sport, such as darts or billiards. The men are working on organizing tournaments outside of the store, including a more traditional form of the game for the 21-and-over crowd, Reyner said.
“We want to make it a legit sport,” he said. “You can play with water and it’s still a fun game.”

The store will also sell and rent beer pong equipment, including balls, cups and tables, Curtis said. Reyner added the store will be holding special promotions, such as pizza night, where customers can enter a tournament and get unlimited pizza for five dollars.

Sams, who competes in tournaments across the state, said Brewing Rivalry could help make competitive beer pong popular and allow serious players to hone their skills.

“It could definitely bring in the mainstream,” Sams said. “Imagine [Mill Avenue] Cue Club with beer pong tables instead of pool tables. That’d be awesome.”