Ralf Souquet
Mansing, Germany
Ralf started playing pool in his parents pub in 1974 when he was 6 years old. He practiced pool 5 hours every day for more than 8 years. At the age of 14, he won the German pupils 8-ball championships
for the first time as well as the German Open. In 1985 he won his
first European team title followed up by the first individual title in 1986. In 1989 he was elected European Player of the Year for the first time by the readers of the European Pocket Billiard News. Since 1981 he’s won more than 250 tournaments, including 41 German titles
and 36 European titles. In 1996 he had one of his most successful years including 4 big wins. They were: The World 9 Ball Team Champions, The International Challenge of Champions 9 Ball Champion, the World Pool Masters 9 Ball Champion, and the World 9 Ball Champion.
In 1997, Ralf received the "Silver Laurel Leave", the highest distinction for sportsmen in Germany, presented by the German President Roman Herzog, represented by the Minister of Domestic Affairs Manfred Kanther, in Bonn - Bad Godesberg Germany.
Ralf Souquet is one of the most successful professional pool players of all time. He is sponsored by Simonis Cloth, Brunswick Tables, Kamui Tips and Chalk, Universal Cues, and Predator Products. Besides being a perfect gentleman and great ambassador of our great sport, Ralf’s solid fundamentals and knowledge of how to win will make him an invaluable asset to the PSIP team. You will find Ralf very approachable, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and determined to help you become a better player.
For more information about Ralf visit his web site at www.souquet.de
Ewa Mataya Laurance
South Carolina, USA
Ewa is one of the best known superstars in the Pocket Billiard world. Not only because of her many accomplishments but also as a wonderful representative of our great sport. Her nickname is “The Striking Viking”, as she is from Sweden and her looks and personality says the rest. She has won most major titles in Europe, Asia and America in her career, including the World, US Open and International Championship, and she is a Member of both the Billiard Congress of America and WPBA Halls of Fame. Ewa has held the #1 ranking on the WPBA Tour more than once in her illustrious career and she is also an International Trick Shot Champion. Most recently, she captured the 2012 Masters 9-Ball Championship on ESPN.
Ewa's early dedication to the sport was evident as she shot to fame quickly by winning championship after championship, even as a teenager in Europe. At 17 she moved to America to pursue a career in Pocket Billiards and has never looked back. Few athletes have had the career that Ewa has and there is no indication that she is slowing down.
Ewa is on the Board of Trustees of the Billiard Education Foundation and the South Carolina chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. On tour Ewa is sponsored by Brunswick Billiards. She is a frequent commentator on ESPN, has appeared on many popular national talk shows, and is an author of 3 instructional books on pool. You can also watch Ewa's Brunswick instructional video series on Youtube and Facebook.
We are truly blessed and extremely excited to welcome Ewa Mataya Laurance, “The Striking Viking”, to our prestigious team of instructors at Pool School in Paradise 2013.
Please visit her web site www.strikingviking.com
Jerry Briesath
Madison, WI, USA
Jerry is one of the world's most popular and best known Pocket Billiard teachers. He is best known for setting up the Billiard Congress of America instructor program over 30 years ago. In fact hundreds of instructors today have qualified through Jerry's program and guidance. He has literally taught hundreds of pool enthusiasts, and been instrumental in helping thousands of others by teaching others to teach. If there was one person in America who we could refer to as “The Pool Guru”, that would be Jerry Briesath. He is the PBIA Master Instructor and is an internationally recognized authority on Pool and Billiards who was named by the BCA as "The Dean of Master Instructor's" and for more than three decades has been recognized as the nation's top instructor. He also helped set up two very successful pool schools in Europe. Jerry is an ACS Level 4 Instructor. Jerry's style of teaching and knowledge of the game coupled with his endless enthusiasm has led to his success not only in the U.S. and Canada, but Europe as well.
Some of the great professional players Jerry has coached include Jeanette Lee, otherwise known as "The Black Widow". Another is Mark Wilson, who is also a very talented instructor and has a successful Pool school in the St. Louis area. Others include; Tony Robles, Jeff Carter, Jimmy Wetch, Angelina Paglia, and Danny Harriman, to name a few. Jerry's Pool School is the longest running and most successful school in the USA.
Jerry's knowledge and experience in helping pool players is a great asset to PSIP. We are thrilled to include him in our team of instructors at Pool School in Paradise 2013.
Please check out Jerry's web site at www.poollessons.com
Paul Potier
Calgary, Canada
Paul started playing Pocket Billiards at age 13 in Manitoba, Canada. His first passion was Snooker. In the mid 80’s his attention turned to 8-ball and then 9-ball, where he has been a force on the World Professional Tournament scene since 1991. Paul is the 1997 Canadian Professional Billiards Tour “Player of the Year” and finished the year ranked #1. He is the 1999 Dufferin Billiard’s Tour Canadian 9-Ball Champion and the 2000 Canadian Billiard’s and Snooker Association (CBSA) Canadian 9-Ball Champion. Throughout most of 2004 Paul was ranked #1 on The Pechaur Tour and finished the season ranked #2.
Although he is an outstanding player, Paul is actually better known for his teaching and consulting work. Since 1983 Paul has given hundreds of personal and group lessons. Paul has also helped several professionals, both men and women, in better developing their games.
In conjunction with Canada’s largest billiard product manufacturer, Paul was instrumental in assisting entrepreneurs open sixty billiard rooms between 1993 and 1996. His insight was also utilized as a consultant to over seventy billiard clubs in British Columbia and the rest of Canada. Paul was also “League Operator of the Year” in 1989 for the CPA, the Canadian version of the APA in the US.
A very entertaining and talented professional, Paul has performed hundreds of Trick Shot shows in Canada, Wales, Taiwan, Japan and the US. Somewhere, Paul Potier also finds time for golf, travel, cooking, and studying Japanese.
For more information about Paul visit his web site at www.paulpotier.com