West Coast Challenge

History of the West Coast Challenge

Beginnings

The origins of the West Coast Challenge date to a challenge match between Los Angeles’ Hum team and San Francisco’s Rainbow Cattle Company at Trouper’s Hall in LA on August 18, 1978. At that time the event was known as the Inter-city Challenge, a single match race to nine games, which Los Angeles won 9-2. A traveling trophy was engraved to memorialize the event.

The second Inter-city Challenge was held at San Francisco’s Mocambo on June 9-10, 1979. In a best 2 of 3 matches, Los Angeles’ Pure Trash defeated San Francisco’s White Swallows 9-3, 9-7. The following month, San Diego’s Brass Rail hosted Pure Trash for a challenge match and introduced an individual competition, which was won in a race to 3 games format by Los Angeles’ Don Carrier.

Becoming the West Coast Challenge

Shortly after this third event, a meeting was held in Los Angeles with board members from the Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco leagues. An agreement was made to expand the competition to a tri-city playoff. The contest was named the West Coast Challenge and given the Roman Numeral “I” to indicate a continuing event. The first WCC was again held at Trouper’s Hall and featured LA’s Four Star Saloon, San Francisco’s Luby’s, and San Diego’s Club San Francisco. Luby’s won this event in a double elimination format in which San Francisco defeated LA twice in the finals to take the trophy. San Francisco individuals took the top 3 trophies in a race to 3 games format.

Over the next few years, some additional changes were made:

  • At WCC XII, Long Beach was added to the league roster, making its first appearance with the team representing Mike’s Corral.
  • At WCC XVI, a women’s competition was introduced.
  • At WCC XXI, the WCC adopted the rules of the Billiard Congress of America (BCA).
  • At WCC XXV, a scotch doubles tournament called the Hi-Lo was added.

A 48-Year History

Since the late 1980s, the WCC format has been largely stable and features the following competitions, all with a double elimination format:

  • Teams: 4 teams of up to 6 players (1 team from each city), race to 9.
  • Open Individuals: 8 players from each city, race to 3.
  • Women’s Individuals: 4 women players from each city, race to 3.
  • Hi-Lo: One team of 2 individuals from each city, race to 3.

The West Coast Challenge is hosted, on a rotating basis, by the four participating leagues. Until 2019, the WCC was contested every six months, after which it transitioned to a yearly competition.