King of the Rock brings battle back to Bliss

  • Published
  • By Heather Wilburn
  • Fort Bliss Family and MWR Marketing
Fort Biss, Texas --  For the third straight year, Red Bull will bring its worldwide King of the Rock one-on-one basketball tournament to Fort Bliss. Registration is now open for the qualifier, which is set for 8 p.m. May 31 at Stout Physical Fitness Center's outdoor basketball courts.

The event is open to active-duty military, family members 16 years of age and older, retirees, and Department of Defense and Department of the Army civilians from the Fort Bliss, White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. Foreign military stationed at these installations are also invited to join. Registration is free and requires a DoD/DA-issued identification card.

"In years past, the tournament was open to active-duty military stationed at Fort Bliss only," said Kris Brown, the event's coordinator and a member of the Family and MWR Special Events team. "This year, we've decided to open it up to all ID card holders who live and work in the El Paso area, including those at White Sands and Holloman. We want to give all of our military community members the chance to compete for the title of King of the Rock."

Red Bull hosts King of the Rock qualifiers in more than 20 different countries; however, the Fort Bliss qualifier is unique because the local winner will skip the regional qualifier and head directly to the finals on the island of Alcatraz ... better known as "The Rock." The finals will take place September 28.
In addition to a trip to "The Rock," the local winner will take home a $1,000 cash prize, which will be paid when the finalist arrives at Alcatraz.

The local qualifier is also unique because in 2011, Fort Bliss became the first military installation selected to host a King of the Rock qualifier. The program was expanded in 2012, when Red Bull hosted seven tournaments for active-duty service members at
installations across the nation.

Applications can be picked up at Soto Physical Fitness Center, 20751 Constitution Ave. on East Fort Bliss, or Stout Physical Fitness Center, 2930 Cassidy Road on West Fort Bliss. The field is limited to 64 players and sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. Players from the communities of Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range may register via email; call (915) 569-6774 for details.

Players may also register on the day of the tournament, but only as long as there are still slots available. On-site registration begins at 7 p.m.

Both the qualifiers and finals will incorporate a regular one-on-one basketball set-up where players go head-to-head on an outdoor court using a single elimination tournament bracket. There are only two options: win and continue on, or lose and go home. Games will last five minutes and be subject to regulation hoops rules and scoring (two and three pointers). Winners must immediately hop to the next court to face another player, so while pure hoops ability is essential, strategy and endurance will also play a major role in overall victory. Qualifiers will consist of four intense half-court games occurring simultaneously, until all eyes are on the final game. Players have to be tough to make it to The Rock, but must also play smart - five fouls equals an automatic loss.
Learn more about King of the Rock at www.redbull.com/kingoftherock.
For more information on the local qualifier, call (915) 569-6774.