Little known fact, table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 but that did little to elevate the sport from its unfinished basement origins we all know to well from our childhoods. It wasn’t until, 2009 when table tennis social clubs started popping up across the globe thanks to places like Spin and one of its founders, Susan Sarandon. If you don’t live in cities like New York, Toronto or Belgium, you may not have access to this latest trend in social clubs. But fear not, if you have the space, you can create your own table tennis club at home.
Designers have been inspired by the latest this table tennis trend and have upped the ante on table design; the above tables are a far cry from the generic green tables of your youth (and all those Craigslist’s listings). These new tables are constructed more like high quality pieces of furniture than what we have come to expect in table tennis equipment; wood finishes include sustainable teak and that generic green has been replaced with matte black and high gloss white playing surface. One of the tables, designed by POPP, is even made of high-grade steel and is designed to stand up to all the elements the outdoors can throw at it.
Of course, all these upgrades will cost you – anywhere from a $2,000 or more. These prices may seem high but this is table tennis after all, not Ping-Pong. And besides, just think about all the hours of table tennis tournament fun, over cocktails of course, with your friends you could enjoy. Remember, nothing loosens people up like a cocktail and a little table tennis action.
