Take a regular game of ping pong, add beers, karaoke and a large group of players at one table, and you’ve got American Tripps, a ping pong event inspired by parties in Berlin named after a bar in Germany.
During a trip to Germany, event organizer Allan Hough discovered the game and liked it so much that he decided to organize a ping pong party for his 30th birthday in San Francisco two years ago. It was such a success that a few months later, American Tripps was born and quickly became a regular — and packed — event at the Secret Alley, an arts cooperative and event space on Capp Street. So packed in fact that Hough had to find larger venues around the city. He also created a weekly ping pong league.
This summer, in addition to hosting a two-year anniversary celebration at Rickshaw Stop, Hough will take American Tripps to Outside Lands. Hough is also working on bringing American Tripps to other cities.