It's that time of year again...time to polish your ping pong paddles in attempt to win the acceptance of your peers and complete that plan for world domination! It's the French Open!
What is the French Open? It was started by my wonderful friend, Chris French, and it allows a bunch of old friends to get together and get their "pong on." Essentially, when RSVPing, you select a number. The number corresponds to a randomized list of the nations of the world. Your job then is to dress the part, bring a themed snack, and represent your assigned country in the tournament.
Lawn flags welcome the participating countries.
Paddle in Peace, yo.
The winner's trophy. Alas, I don't think I'll be bringing this bad boy home once again.
All participants receive a trophy so you don't have to feel bad about your lack of hand/eye coordination.
The totally legit bracket. It's huge!
Upon registration, each country receives a plastic name tag holder filled with copies of their country's flag to place upon the bracket using push-pins. Much easier than trying to keep moving your flag from place to place. Cleverly, the host provided a list of each country and the participant's name. This was key for trying to find your next opponent when a table opened up.
The Opening Ceremony always starts with a blessing from the Vatican. This year it was in Italian, no joke. I need to brush up on my Latin to make it even more authentic.
Them be the rules. I just say, "O.K." when I've been told I lost.
David rocked my favorite costume of the year.
The host and ponger extraordinaire, Chris.
Since it was a trillion degrees, most traditional clothing was substituted for breezier attire.
French Open Champion 2027.
Looking for a little more inspiration? Check out last year.
