logo
logo
Sign in

A Quick and Exciting History of Viking Pool Cues

avatar
Paul Walker
A Quick and Exciting History of Viking Pool Cues

Viking pool cues first appeared about fifty years ago in Wisconsin. Gordon Hart, who produced the meticulously planned cues, had no idea how popular they would become. He ran a successful business out of the basement of his pool room, earning widespread respect for the superior quality of his Viking cues.


Hart's modest company grew steadily on its own merits throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Viking cultural references were formerly taboo, but with 1986's "The Color of Money," they became impossible to ignore due to the film's commercial success. As with many other billiards manufacturers, Viking was caught off guard by the wave of change that "The Color of Money" caused in American pool rooms. People quickly found out how much joy and excitement there was in playing pool. In a few days, the pool was recognized as a serious sport.


A herald of the Viking pool cue's vast distribution. In the 1980s, viking drinking horn had become a cultural phenomenon that everyone had heard about, and Hart knew he had to cash in. He and his wife, Nancy, launched a massive promotional campaign to get Viking cue sticks into the hands of every person who owned a pool table. However, the dissemination of information was only part of their plan.


And a new eye for ingenuity and detail was being used in the building of Viking cues. They were designed to stand out from the crowd. Now in the twenty-first century with the cutting-edge F-series, Viking cue owners can be confident that their cue is unlike anything else on the market. The reason is, it's constructed otherwise. Metal and steel are commonly used to join the wooden segments of pool cues. However, Viking uses finger joints to attach the parts, so they can move in any direction.


And because the wood is seasoned for up to 24 months, Viking cues are of course as straight and sturdy as the best in the industry. The craftsmanship that goes into each Viking cue is a testament to the company's commitment to excellence over the years. A billiard cue that looks as good as it shoots is what you get with these Viking cues. Although Viking cues are designed with the professional player and skilled craftsman in mind, that doesn't mean you have to wait until you've saved a small fortune to buy one. As part of their marketing campaign, the Harts focused on making high-quality cues accessible to the everyday billiards player. You can see that the history of Viking cues is full of high drama and has a lot in common with the American dream.


Five Things You May Not Know About the Minnesota Vikings


The National Football League is home to many excellent teams. The Minnesota Vikings are an intriguing NFL team. The Vikings entered the NFL as a new expansion team in 1961 and rapidly rose to prominence as a tough contender. On the field, the 1970s Vikings teams achieved legendary status. Even though many facts about the Minnesota Vikings are common knowledge, here are five details you might not know.


1. From 1967 to 1983 and again in 1985, Bud Grant led the Minnesota Vikings as their head coach. Grant almost became the first head coach in Vikings history in 1961, when he was up for the position that went to former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin.


2. Randall McDaniel, the future Hall of Fame guard for the Minnesota Vikings, set a franchise record by attending the Pro Bowl every year from 1989 through 1999.


3. In 1961, the team's inaugural season in the NFL, they won their debut game by a score of 37-13 over the Chicago Bears. Two additional victories, against the Baltimore Colts in week nine and the Los Angeles Rams in week twelve, were all that remained of that debut season's winning streak.


4. Ole Haugsrud was an early investor in the Minnesota Vikings. In the 1920s, Haugsrud owned the Duluth Eskimos, a National Football League team. Haugsrud was granted first rights to any future NFL team in Minnesota as part of the deal in which he sold the Eskimos team back to the league in the late 1920s. Haugsrud exercised his right from the earlier transaction by purchasing a 10% stake in the Vikings when the ownership group was formed in 1960.


5. Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota is the site of the Minnesota Vikings' summer training camp. This practice dates back to 1966. In its first five years of existence, from 1961 to 1965, the team trained at the relatively small Bemidji State University, located on the banks of Lake Bemidji.


For many years, the Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most recognizable names in the National Football League. Famous Vikings players like Fran Tarkenton, Paul Krause, Chuck Foreman, Mick Tingelhoff, Randall McDaniel, Jim Marshall, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, John Randle, Adrian Peterson, and Randy Moss have all played for the team at one point or another. The Vikings have been a part of some of the most iconic games in NFL history throughout those decades. The Minnesota Vikings are among the best teams in professional football and have played a significant part in shaping the modern NFL.


collect
0
avatar
Paul Walker
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more