Shaun "Get Some" Wilkie of Havre de Grace, Maryland, recently picked up a sponsor that looks to be nothing less than the start of a great relationship - custom cuemakers Lucasi Hybrid. Wilkie, known by many in the mid-Atlantic region as one of the hottest up-and-coming players on the east coast, met up with his new sponsor at the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, this past March and shortly thereafter (April 2009) struck a deal for Wilkie to become a Player Representative for the company.
Lucasi Hybrid saw nothing but potential in their latest player representative acquisition as Wilkie has recently been spotted playing at a number of the east coast events, making a name for himself. Starting in 2006 as the Carolina Open Champion, the past couple of years he has found himself in the role of 2007 Tiger Tour Player of the Year, runner-up at the 2008 UPA Pro Players Championship in Valley Forge, with multiple wins on both the Tiger Tour and Blaze Tours. On an international scale, Wilkie posted a 17th place finish at the 2008 World Ten Ball Championships in Manila, Philippines (his only trip out of the country).
Wilkie relayed his thoughts on the collaboration, "first and foremost I want to thank Lucasi Hybrid for the enthusiasm they shared in working with me. In addition, the company has provided me with fantastic equipment to play my best including Lucasi's Hybrid equipment and patches (Lucasi Hybrid Fusion LHF40, Big Beulah Break Cue, Air Hog Jump Cue, 3x5 Pro Series Sport Case), and Sport Polo shirts. The technology intertwined with the comfortable material of the shirts is not only soothing, it is refreshing."
It is obvious Wilkie is excited about teaming up with his new sponsor as he notes, "a blessing has been placed upon me and I am determined to make the best of it. My love and passion for pool has always been there and having Lucasi Hybrid by my side, I have no doubt my game will hit new levels of greatness. I look forward to giving all I can to them."
Wes Bond (Sales Manager) of Lucasi Hybrid noted, "We here at Lucasi are very pleased to have Shaun playing with our products. He is a great pool player with incredible upside and we feel he will be at the top of the rankings for many years to come. On top of being a great pool player he is one of the nicest guys you can meet and truly a gentleman of the sport.
When we heard he wanted to play with a Lucasi Hybrid we let him choose the model he wanted which ultimately ended up being the new Lucasi Hybrid Fusion LHF40 which is made from ebony and cocabola wood. In addition, it has real metal inlays with a four piece butt and a patented X-Shox dampening wrap with grip control. We just sent Shaun the new Big Beulah II break cue which hits a ton and he jumps with the Air Hog Jump Cue. The home for his equipment is a design patented Pro Series Sports case. We look forward to seeing Shaun play in the US Open next month."
The Big Beulah II has already made a splash on the scene as Shaun took second place at the Championships Series Ten Ball National Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, recently. That second place finish granted him a paid entry into the NCS 2010 US Open 10 Ball Championships, which is to be held at the Riviera Casino in May 2010. If you are interested in taking this break cue for a whirl, it will be available at the end of 2009.
For more information on Shaun's new sponsor, visit www.lucasihybrid.com and keep an eye out for Shaun at upcoming events such as the TEAM DMIRO Tour at Break Time Billiards in Salisbury, Maryland October 10th-11th ; 2009 US Open 9-Ball Championships in Chesapeake, Virginia, October 18th-24th; Seminole Pro Tour Steve Mizerak Championship in Hollywood, Florida, November 11th-15th; US 8-Ball Invitational in Palm Harbor, Florida, November 18th-22nd; and then during November 25th-30th a quick trip to Manila, Philippines to represent the USA in the World 10-Ball Championships. In addition, there are numerous regional tours that Shaun is a regular at: Joss Northeast 9 Ball Tour, Predator 9-Ball Tour; and Blaze 9-Ball Tour.
