Shane Van Boening
The impetus for the Don Weir Memorial Tournament held annually every year at Golden Fleece Billiards in Everett, WA had its origins in an original and ongoing set of conversations between Don Weir himself (who passed away in 2019) and his son, Jason Weir. Oddly enough, the conversations were as much about golf as they were about pool.
“I grew up around golf,” said Jason in an interview with Molina Mike (Mike Ortiz) on his ‘Doggin’ It’ podcast last year, “and learned that golf is a special game (in regards to the) manners and respect that its players have for the game. When I started to transition to pool, I spoke to my Dad about the differences.”
That’s why the idea(s) emanating from the first Don Weir Memorial in 2022, which hosted 16 competitors that first year, were focused on “bringing people into the event who were good people and by invitation only” and why, at the heart of the invitations, was an attempt to assure that the details were taken care of; like taking care of transportation from an airport that was 50 miles away and assuring that the hotel nearest the tournament was 50 yards from the venue.
“We respect the time and effort that (the invited players) bring to the game,” said Jason. “We raised money from private sponsorship and have been trying to make it bigger and better every year.”
“It takes a lot of money to make these big tournaments happen,” he added, “and let’s face it, it’s a business, so I’m not trying to ‘bash’ (others who put these big tournaments on). But there are people out there who do have money that can put up a significant amount of money and raise purses to get these players taken care of.
“It’s something that my Dad always wanted to see, so I guess that’s why I’ve been pushing for it.”
Mission accomplished, in no small measure by the pool players who’ve been in attendance for the Don Weir Memorial over the past three years, to include (among others) its first and still-champion Shane Van Boening, as well as Corey Deuel, Robb Saez, Tony Chohan, LoreeJon Brown, John Morra, Oscar Dominguez, Stan Tourangeau, Chris Reinhold, and last year’s runner-up, Spencer Ladin, who was double-dipped by Boening in the finals last year. Many of those who’ve come, and continue to come, knew Don Weir personally. All on that list with the exception of Oscar Dominguez and LoreeJon Brown, were present for this year’s event.
On Saturday, there was a two-hour player break during which players (and guests for a minimal $20 fee) were invited to attend a private dinner, two blocks away from the Golden Fleece. In addition to a meal, the players witnessed the presentation of an annual award, instituted last year. The award was named after and in its first year, awarded to Richard Geiler, a known “standout player” in the Northwest. The 72-year-old competitor and future recipients were chosen on the basis of their support for the game of pool and their standing as a good role model for the sport. This year’s recipient is known by one and all as just ‘Ford.’ Enough so that it took a minute or two for someone who’s known the man for years to recall that his given name is Henry Ford Rice, Jr. Chosen by the award’s namesake and original recipient, Richard Geiler, ‘Ford’ served in the Everett Police Department, was a promoter of pool events in the Northwest, has run multiple events in the area, had a ‘hand’ in the development of the Reno Open and was a good friend of Don Weir. He was awarded his trophy amidst a standing ovation.
Don Weir’s friend, Shane Van Boening, wins 3rd straight memorial tournament held in his honor
This year, it was John Morra, who had the privilege of facing Van Boening twice and finished as the 3rd Annual Don Weir Memorial’s runner-up. Though he competed this year, Spencer Ladin was defeated on the winners’ side early (by Chris Reinhold) and eliminated by Lut Ganief.
In races to 7, Van Boening’s path to the winners’ circle took him by Cody Clark (3), Stephen Weakly (4), Jeffrey Jimenez (2), and Robb Saez in a winners’ side quarterfinal (1) to set him up against James Davee in one of the winners’ side semifinals (Davee had previously defeated Corey Deuel). Morra, in the meantime, sent Jason Froehling (2), Jeff Beckley (5), Ben Kleinfelter (1), and Steve Lingelbach (5) to the loss side and faced Tony Chohan in the other winners’ side semifinal (Chohan had previously survived a double-hill bout versus Chris Reinhold).
Van Boening defeated Davee 7-3 and advanced to the hot seat. Morra joined him after sending Chohan west 7-4. As he had failed to do last year against Spencer Ladin, Van Boening claimed the hot seat over Morra 7-5.
On the loss side, Davee and Chohan picked up the two competitors who’d sent them over, although not the same ones. Davee drew Reinhold, who’d followed his loss to Chohan with victories over Tyrel Blowers 7-4 and then survived a double-hill match against Lingelbach. Chohan picked up Deuel, who’d followed his loss to Davee with victories over Froehling 7-2 and then (like Davee) survived a double-hill match, against Robb Saez.
Deuel advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-4 victory over Chohan and was met by Reinhold, who’d defeated Davee 7-3. It was a very familiar ‘family final four’ that faced off against each other in the 3rd Annual Don Weir Memorial.
Reinhold reduced the ‘family’ down to three with a 7-4 victory over Deuel. Morra brought it down to two by eliminating Reinhold 7-5 in the semifinals.
It became a single-set final and something of a mirror-image of the hot seat match that had preceded it. Van Boening and Morra battled back and forth, flirting with a double-hill finale and the possibility of a second set, until Van Boening pulled ahead near the end to win the only set necessary by the same score as the hot seat match 7-5.
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