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Will Skins Be Must-See TV?

Imagine a more fitting leading man than steely Niels Feijen, who sank a $35,000 shot to win the first title in a new fan-friendly format.

By Mason King

Camera-friendly Feijen filled the role of Skins champ.

The closing moments of the fledgling Skins Billiard Championship were so dramatic, so telegenic, so perfectly pitched to a particular demographic, that one might wonder whether a member of the Screenwriters Guild was furiously scribbling between racks and beaming instructions to the players as the cameras rolled.

In this made-for-TV scenario, things looked dark for our hero, Niels Feijen of Holland, as the event wound down to the last racks. Despite his wealth of leading-man qualities - tall, blond, young, muscular - he trailed his fellow contestants in the final foursome with a paltry $7,500 in winnings. But $41,000 was still out on the table, and Feijen had the next break. The 27-year-old Feijen had flown to Atlantic City, N.J., from Copenhagen expressly for the Skins championship, held at the Hilton Casino Resort on Nov. 19-20. The event was patterned after the golf's big-money format of the same name and designed to tap the public's recent fascination with high-stakes games of chance. But Feijen still felt jetlagged. He missed easy balls. Waiting for his next turn at the table, he implored himself: "C'mon, let's go!"

Could he pull off a comeback and grab the biggest pot of the tournament? And would promoters Allen Hopkins and Billiards International get the stirring climax they needed to establish the Skins as pool's answer to TV poker? Cue the theme to "Chariots of Fire."

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Since 1978, Billiards Digest magazine has been the pool world’s best source for news, tournament coverage, player profiles, bold editorials, and advice on how to play pool. Our instructors include superstars Nick Varner and Jeanette Lee. Every issue features the pool accessories and equipment you love — pool cues, pool tables, instruction aids and more. Columnists Mike Shamos and R.A. Dyer examine legends like Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats, and dig deep into the histories of pool games like 8-ball, 9-ball and straight pool.