By Maryam Louise If you think that beer pong is solely about alcohol, think again. The World Series of Beer Pong will take place in Las Vegas from January 1-5, 2012. World Series of Beer Pong In an interview with Beer Pong staff that manage the World Series of Beer Pong Championships, I soon learned that there was a sober version of this game. On top of this shocking sobriety, there are also other weird facts about this table tennis-related sport that will surprise many that overlook it due to its alcohol origins. Sobriety is in the rules Contrary to popular belief, there are some great angles to beer pong that do not involve alcohol consumption. For instance, World Series of Beer Pong rules allow for substitution. If carbonated beverages are not your style, consider that many players will opt to consume water instead of alcohol during the event. For example, satellite events broadcast on the air use water. This is also great for anyone that likes to play beer pong that has decided to become part of Alcoholics Anonymous. Not just for college kids Are you curious about who is watching and playing at the World Series of Beer Pong Championships? According to beer pong officials, there are the many mothers, aunts, uncles, sisters, girlfriends and fiancés that come out to the event to root for their loved ones. After all, this sport has gone far beyond a drinking game for college kids and has moved on to become one of skill and camaraderie. Is beer pong male dominated? This year, the Seventh Annual World Series of Beer Pong Championships (WSOBP) will take place in Las Vegas Jan. 1-5, 2012. Beer pong officials also mention that the real anticipation will be to see if the female or co-ed team will win this year. While the WSOBP draws men and women from virtually all 50 U.S. states and nearly a dozen countries, it is still a male-dominated sport. Currently, only about 15 percent of the WSOBP players are female. Yet, no female or co-ed team has ever won the $50,000 grand prize and bragging rights as the best beer pong player in the world. Concerning the lack of female players, beer pong officials say that the jury is still out on why no female team has ever won the World Series of Beer Pong. For the officials, they think it would be great to empower gals from across the country to come out and prove they can hang with the guys by breaking the glass beer pong ceiling. Bizarre beer pong romance With or without beer, this weird sport has plenty of great gossip. While discussing the sport, beer pong officials mention that several romances, engagements, and even marriages have begun over the game. In particular, Robert and Amy Awrey of the Florida-based team “Justin Cider Gloria Stits” met at the WSOBP three years ago and now compete as a co-ed married team. Evidently, even one of the directors of WSOBP met his fiancé playing beer pong and recently became engaged. Beer-less pong just got better The exciting news is that during the WSOBP championships in Las Vegas, BPong.com will release a new feature. In particular, this soft launch includes an international beer pong ranking system. For the first time ever, players will now be able to see how they stack up against other players across the globe. They will also be able to log games from restaurants, backyards, fraternities and major events—whether they play them with root beer, water, or beer. Keep in mind; the official ranking system will debut during opening ceremonies of the 2012 World Series of Beer Pong sponsored by NuVo Condoms. This will be announced starting Jan. 1 on their registration day and Jan. 2 when the games actually begin. For anyone who wants to check out this wacky sport in person, sign-ups have been extended through December 30 and are available at the website. Spectator tickets are also available at the door. In the meantime, remember that safety is always a part of the official beer pong mission. For this reason, try your hand at beer-less beer pong and be sure to post the videos. Read the article here.