What is a Sportcraft air hockey table?


Quick Answer

The Sportcraft air hockey table is an indoor recreational game where two players stand, one at each end of a table, and using specially designed handheld paddles, try to push a circular disc into the opponent’s goal. It is known as air hockey because the disc is floating on air that is being forced out through holes in the table top.

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Full Answer

The purpose of the forced air is to create a frictionless surface for a disc, or puck, to slide across in a manner similar to a hockey puck gliding over ice on a hockey rink. Sportcraft, which is a registered trademark of ABG-Sportcraft, LLC in the USA, is one of the many companies that manufactures and sells air hockey tables.

Air Hockey was first invented by a group of Brunswick Billiards employees from 1969 to 1972 when they were experimenting with the development of games utilizing a fiction free surface. Upon its creation, the air hockey game gained immediate popularity and became a staple of college game rooms and carnivals across the country. However, Brunswick was not happy with the game's "party" image and tried to turn it into a serious sport by organizing a world championship in 1974. In the 1980s, the popularity of the game waned due to the rapid onslaught of video games.

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