Stefano Pelinga
Encyclopedia
Stefano Pelinga is an Italian
professional pool (pocket billiards) player from Rome
. He is best known as a multi-year international artistic pool
champion, as both an individual and team captain. He has also served as an officer for the Polizia di Stato
(Italy's Federal Police) for 27 years. Pelinga has served as a board member of the International Artistic Poolplayers Association (IAPA). He was the featured player on the cover of the May 2010 issue of Billiards Digest magazine, which named him one of the world's best trick shot artists. He has been nicknamed "Mr. Trick Shots" and "the Master". Aside from competition, Pelinga performs exhibitions
, organizes competitions and raises funds for a variety of charitable organizations with his personal appearances. He has been featured for over ten years in ESPN
's televised Trick Shot Magic tournaments, which he won in 2005 and 2007, after a few second places.
In addition to having won several international titles, Stefano has also produced a series of instructional videos, and he was appointed official instructor of cue sports by the Italian Federation of Billiard Sports (FIBiS) and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). He was also awarded the honorary title of Professor of Sport Games by the University of Kharkov (Ukraine).
Stefano has a large repertoire of trick shots and is able to execute over 1,000 unique and "fancy" shots. Stefano is recognized as one of the greatest trick shot champions in the history of the sport, and has earned a spot in ESPN's Trick Shot Magic Hall of Fame.
Pelinga is represented by (and in turn represents, as co-founder and Western & International Executive Manager) the booking agent Billiards Superstars Promotions, who also represent Allison Fisher
, Mike Massey
, Ewa Laurance and a number of other top pool pros.
, whom he emulates in various parts of his life. He has also stated and exhibited his Dean Martin memorabilia collection, which includes "every applicable book and record album, plus publicity photos, newspaper and magazine clippings, novelty statuettes, comic books, and even a copy of Dino’s death certificate." He also cites world champions Paul Gerni, Mike Massey
and Yoshikazu Kimura as influences. While he was a teenager, he "became a black belt in Kung Fu and then...switched to boxing...for several years." During his years in university
, he focused his studies on foreign languages, specifically English.
Pelinga began serving as a police officer in the beginning of 1985. He became a member of the Polizia di Stato
(Italian Federal Police) for the Calabria
region after six months of police training. A part of the Reparto volanti
group, he continued to serve even while pursuing his billiards career until 2010, when he retired from police work with pension
.
and nine-ball throughout the late 1970s and 1980s and began traveling around Italy giving exhibitions under the sponsorship of Longoni Cues
. In 1990, he chanced to meet Paul Gerni, whose TV documentary first got Pelinga interested in artistic pool, the formalized practice of trick shot
s. After speaking with Gerni and acting as his translator, Pelinga explained his interest in learning how to become a professional trick shot artist. Gerni, in response, had Pelinga accompany him on a tour throughout the United States as a pseudo-apprenticeship. In 2003, he won the U.S. Open of Artistic Pool in New Bedford, Massachusetts, followed by another major title, the EPBF European Artistic Pool Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2004.
In 2006, he competed in the first annual trans-Atlantic World Cup of Trick Shots, as captain of Team Europe, who lost to Team USA that year; his team won in 2007. In 2008, Pelinga competed in the second annual Showdown in Seoul, playing against World Three-cushion Billiards Champion from Turkey, Semih Saygıner
in both artistic pool and artistic billiards
. On October 29, 2009, he was a part of the fourth World Cup of Trick Shots on Team Europe, in which he and his team lost to their American counterparts. His European team won again in 2010.
He organized a "Legends of Artistic Pool" event" in Kiev
in 2006 to showcase trick shots, with the participation of some of the greatest contemporary trick shot champions.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
professional pool (pocket billiards) player from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He is best known as a multi-year international artistic pool
Trick shot
A trick shot is a shot played on a billiards table , which seems unlikely, impossible, or requires significant skill...
champion, as both an individual and team captain. He has also served as an officer for the Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
(Italy's Federal Police) for 27 years. Pelinga has served as a board member of the International Artistic Poolplayers Association (IAPA). He was the featured player on the cover of the May 2010 issue of Billiards Digest magazine, which named him one of the world's best trick shot artists. He has been nicknamed "Mr. Trick Shots" and "the Master". Aside from competition, Pelinga performs exhibitions
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
, organizes competitions and raises funds for a variety of charitable organizations with his personal appearances. He has been featured for over ten years in ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's televised Trick Shot Magic tournaments, which he won in 2005 and 2007, after a few second places.
In addition to having won several international titles, Stefano has also produced a series of instructional videos, and he was appointed official instructor of cue sports by the Italian Federation of Billiard Sports (FIBiS) and the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). He was also awarded the honorary title of Professor of Sport Games by the University of Kharkov (Ukraine).
Stefano has a large repertoire of trick shots and is able to execute over 1,000 unique and "fancy" shots. Stefano is recognized as one of the greatest trick shot champions in the history of the sport, and has earned a spot in ESPN's Trick Shot Magic Hall of Fame.
Pelinga is represented by (and in turn represents, as co-founder and Western & International Executive Manager) the booking agent Billiards Superstars Promotions, who also represent Allison Fisher
Allison Fisher
Allison Fisher is an English professional pool player.-Biography:Fisher grew up in Hadlow, Kent. She won her first world title at the age of 17. To date, she has won over 80 national titles and 11 world titles in total. She even entered the men's snooker rankings, but never progressed into the...
, Mike Massey
Mike Massey
Michael "Mike" Massey is an American professional pocket billiards player, best known as a trick shot artist since the late 1970s, and has given substantial visibility to the sport by traveling the globe to perform exhibitions and compete in a variety of disciplines...
, Ewa Laurance and a number of other top pool pros.
Early life
Pelinga began to play pool at age 12, drawing inspiration from his favorite singer and actor, Dean MartinDean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, whom he emulates in various parts of his life. He has also stated and exhibited his Dean Martin memorabilia collection, which includes "every applicable book and record album, plus publicity photos, newspaper and magazine clippings, novelty statuettes, comic books, and even a copy of Dino’s death certificate." He also cites world champions Paul Gerni, Mike Massey
Mike Massey
Michael "Mike" Massey is an American professional pocket billiards player, best known as a trick shot artist since the late 1970s, and has given substantial visibility to the sport by traveling the globe to perform exhibitions and compete in a variety of disciplines...
and Yoshikazu Kimura as influences. While he was a teenager, he "became a black belt in Kung Fu and then...switched to boxing...for several years." During his years in university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, he focused his studies on foreign languages, specifically English.
Pelinga began serving as a police officer in the beginning of 1985. He became a member of the Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
(Italian Federal Police) for the Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
region after six months of police training. A part of the Reparto volanti
Reparto volanti
The Reparto volanti controls the various Squadra Volante , is a section of the Ufficio Prevenzione Generale e Soccorso Pubblico of the Italian State Police, headed by an official of the State Police, they are present in every police station...
group, he continued to serve even while pursuing his billiards career until 2010, when he retired from police work with pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
.
Pro pool career
Pelinga won several national titles in Italy in straight poolStraight Pool
Straight pool, also called 14.1 continuous or simply 14.1, is a pocket billiards game, and was the common sport of championship competition until overtaken by faster-playing games like nine-ball...
and nine-ball throughout the late 1970s and 1980s and began traveling around Italy giving exhibitions under the sponsorship of Longoni Cues
Longoni
Longoni SRL is one of the most prominent European manufacturers of high-end cue sticks. The company, founded by Alessandro Longoni in 1945, is based in Mariano Comense, Italy...
. In 1990, he chanced to meet Paul Gerni, whose TV documentary first got Pelinga interested in artistic pool, the formalized practice of trick shot
Trick shot
A trick shot is a shot played on a billiards table , which seems unlikely, impossible, or requires significant skill...
s. After speaking with Gerni and acting as his translator, Pelinga explained his interest in learning how to become a professional trick shot artist. Gerni, in response, had Pelinga accompany him on a tour throughout the United States as a pseudo-apprenticeship. In 2003, he won the U.S. Open of Artistic Pool in New Bedford, Massachusetts, followed by another major title, the EPBF European Artistic Pool Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2004.
In 2006, he competed in the first annual trans-Atlantic World Cup of Trick Shots, as captain of Team Europe, who lost to Team USA that year; his team won in 2007. In 2008, Pelinga competed in the second annual Showdown in Seoul, playing against World Three-cushion Billiards Champion from Turkey, Semih Saygıner
Semih Sayginer
Semih Saygıner nicknamed Mr. Magic and the Turkish Prince, is a Turkish professional carom billiards player....
in both artistic pool and artistic billiards
Artistic billiards
Artistic billiards, sometimes called fantasy billiards or fantaisie classique, is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty...
. On October 29, 2009, he was a part of the fourth World Cup of Trick Shots on Team Europe, in which he and his team lost to their American counterparts. His European team won again in 2010.
He organized a "Legends of Artistic Pool" event" in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 2006 to showcase trick shots, with the participation of some of the greatest contemporary trick shot champions.
Titles and achievements
- 2011 ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Champions, Team Europe (Captain)
- 2010 ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Champions, Team Europe (Captain)
- 2009 ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Runner-ups, Team Europe (Captain)
- 2007 ESPN World Cup of Trick Shots Champions, Team Europe (Captain)
- 2007 ESPN Trick Shot Magic Champion
- 2005 ESPN Trick Shot Magic Champion
- 2004 European Artistic Pool Champion
- 2003 U.S. Open Champion, Trick Shot Division
- 2003 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship Runner-up
- 2002 World Champion, Massé Shots
- 2002 World Champion, Jump Shots
- 2002 World Champion, Prop & Novelty Shots
- 2002 ESPN Trick Shot Magic Runner-up
- 2001 ESPN Trick Shot Magic Runner-up
- 2001 European Artistic Pool Runner-up
- 2000 ESPN Trick Shot Magic 3rd Place
- 1984 of 179 balls in straight pool
- 18 times National Trick Shot Champion, Italy (1991–2010)
Works
- The Magic of Trick Shots Instructional Video, 1999
- Ultimate Trick Shots Instructional DVD, Volumes I & II, 2005
- Amazing Trick Shots Made Easy Instructional DVD, 2007
- More Amazing Trick Shots Made Easy Instructional DVD, 2007
- Even More Amazing Trick Shots Made Easy Instructional DVD, 2007