Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour Expands Junior Billiards Tour Program

Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour Expands Junior Billiards Tour Program

The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour, the largest and longest-running open regional billiard tour in the U.S., with over $90,000 in added prize money each year, announced today an expansion to the Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour and has now added additional events to its schedule for junior players wishing to qualify for the BEF Junior Nationals.
Barry Hart, vice president of Viking Cues Mfg., Inc., stated, “Viking Cues has always supported junior programs through out the country and is proud to be associated with Mike Janis and the Viking Nine-Ball tour. Viking believes investing with juniors is the future of pool.”
Mike Janis, the founder of the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour, added, “Having the junior players at the Viking Tour events has been an extreme pleasure. Everyone enjoys watching the fresh new talent at our events. The junior players are the future of our great sport, and we hope to encourage many young players to become regular participants. Our plans for the 2008 season will be to add up to fifty Viking Cue Junior Nine-Ball Tour events to our schedule, with all of them being qualifiers for the 2008 BEF Junior Nationals.”
The Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour caters to all players in four divisions (19 under boys, 14 under boys, 19 under girls, and 14 under girls). It is sanctioned by the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF). All events are qualifiers for the BEF’s Junior National 9-Ball Championships, into which each winner will receive an entry.
There are no Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour card fees for the junior division; however, all participants must be members of the BEF, which has an annual membership of only $15. Participants can purchase their BEF membership cards at any of the Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour events. Additional fees will only be $5 for table time per player at each event.
The Viking Cue Open 9-Ball Tour also offers another benefit to junior players age 17 and under: Junior and non-professional women players receive free entries and tour cards into all of the Open Tour events. The new Junior Tour events have been strategically scheduled to coincide with Viking Tour Open events so that all participants can take advantage of both programs.
Benefits for 2007 BEF JUNIOR BILLIARDS
1. Annual Membership Fee: $15
2. Junior Billiards Membership Card
Upon completing and returning the application form, each new member will receive a Junior Billiards membership card. Payment must be directed to: Billiard Education Foundation, PO Box 818, Lafayette, CO 80026. Membership applications must be filled out completely to ensure prompt processing.
3. BEF Academic All-American Awards Increased Scholarship Opportunities
Junior billiards members can apply for the BEF Academic All-American Awards (3.5 GPA) and be the first to receive the BEF Academic Scholarship Program application for the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in college scholarships.
4. Eligibility
a. All BEF junior billiards members are eligible to compete in any BEF Junior National Qualifier throughout the year.
b. Members who place first at the Junior National Qualifier will earn entry to the 2007 BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships.
c. Junior National finalists will compete for a position on Team USA to represent the U.S. at the 2007 World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Junior World Championships. To be eligible, players must not turn 19 prior to December 31, 2006.
d. All Junior billiards members are eligible to compete in any junior league.
e. All junior billiards members competing in a junior league and completing four weeks of play are eligible to compete in the BEF Junior Nationals through a league operator appointment.
f. All players, other than registered league winners, must qualify through a local BEF Junior National Qualifier in order to earn entry into the BEF Junior National Championships and must become members of the BEF Junior Billiards Program.
g. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to be junior billiards members and compete in the junior billiards events, including the Junior National 9-Ball Championships, if they reside permanently in North America. They are not eligible to be members of Team USA or to compete in the WPA Junior World Championships supported by the Billiard Congress of America.
Remember: Only members in good standing can compete in junior billiard events, including the Junior Nationals.

For additional information about the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF), please visit their website at Billiard Education Foundation (http://www.billiardeducation.org/).

Players interested in participating in the events should contact Mike Janis by e-mail at vikingtour2@yahoo.com (mailto:vikingtour2@yahoo.com) or just come and play at any of the Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour events.

For the full Viking Cue 9-Ball Tours schedule of events, please visit their website at http://www.vikingcue.com/pages/9ball/2007tour.html (http://www.vikingcue.com/pages/9ball/2007tour.html).

The Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour schedule is below:

Fees for participating in the Viking Cue Junior 9-Ball Tour are:
$15 for the BEF’s Junior Billiards Membership Card and $5 for table time.
If you already have your 2007 BEF Junior Membership Card, your fee at each event is only the $5.
April 22th at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
PLAY 2 WIN BILLIARDS
415 CHAPANOKE RD – RALEIGH, NC – 919-662-3888
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
$750 in Viking Cues will be given away as prizes at this event.

April 29th at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
((( GRAND OPENING TOURNAMENT )))
THE BILLIARD DEN
580 W. ARAPHO RD – RICHARDSON, TX – 972-792-7665
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
$750 in Viking Cues will be given away as prizes at this event.

***NEW EVENT
May 6 at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
BREAKERS SPORTS BAR AND GRILLE
5000 CLINTON HWY – KNOXVILLE, TN – 865-688-6475
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
This event is a qualifier for the Junior Nationals Only – NO Additional Prizes

***NEW EVENT
May 6 at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
FIDDLESTIX BILLIARD CAFE
5350 FULTON DR. NW – CANTON, OH – 330-498-8422
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
This event is a qualifier for the Junior Nationals Only – NO Additional Prizes

***NEW Event
May 20th at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
RANDOLPH’S BILLIARDS
16 2ND ST NW – KICKORY, NC – 828-326-7005
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
This event is a qualifier for the Junior Nationals Only – NO Additional Prizes

***NEW EVENT
June 3rd at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
CORNFED RED’S BILLIARD CAFE
5005 CHATTERTON, RD – COLUMBUS, OH – 614-834-1000
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
This event is a qualifier for the Junior Nationals Only – NO Additional Prizes

June 10th at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
BABINEAU’S BILLIARDS
1102 BUCK JONES RD – RALEIGH, NC – 919-467-5411
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
$750 in Viking Cues will be given away as prizes at this event.

June 17TH at 2pm (Sunday Only – 1 Day Event)
JUNIOR Event – JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFIER
MR CUES 2
3541 CHAMBLEE-TUCKER RD – ATLANTA, GA 770-454-7665
4 Divisions – 19 Under Boys, 14 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls and 14 Under Girls
$750 in Viking Cues will be given away as prizes at this event.
Mike Janis
The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour
1-800-200-POOL (7665)
vikingtour2@yahoo.com (mailto:vikingtour2@yahoo.com)
Viking Tour Information – link
World Standardized Rules – link
MySpace Viking Tour (http://www.myspace.com/thevikingcue9balltour)