Record Setting Match

You’ve come a long way,
baby! Ewa’s 1988 black
and white promo pic for
Brunswick Billiards, vs.
2010’s slick color glossy...
Record
Setting
Match:
Ewa Mataya
Laurance and
Brunswick
Billiards
Team Up for
25 Years!
By Shari Stauch
Whether entertaining our troops in Bosnia (above) or crazed
fans at a Cleveland Cavaliers halftime show (below), Ewa has
earned her reputation as a consummate professional entertainer!
Ewa often combines
her two favorite sports:
pool and golf, to bring
added attention to
the cue sports...
And as you can see,
the cameras love it!
A
the reality of the historic pool table manufacturer:
general public over the next several years, my
9-Ball Championships, to name a few) as
the most versatile commodities our sport has
Expo, none was more exciting to
and values in this regard,” explained Rothbard.
about performing at openings of poolrooms.
women’s pro billiard tour. “Being able to assist
of America and the Women’s Professional
youngsters to the game as she is entertaining
room opened every few weeks somewhere in
peers. Her presence as a Brunswick representative
popularity grew, I also started to do a lot of
of our sport, from people playing in their homes, to
media, largely on Brunswick’s behalf.”
professionals, setting an example as a pro athlete.”
that now officially spans a remarkable four
“I have always tried to represent Brunswick
Brunswick player representative in 1988, under
that Brunswick tables were featured in hundreds
Ewa has become a force to be reckoned with in
me. I have been together with this company
sponsorship was a godsend for the young player
industry, from the Game Show Network (GSN)
board member and member of the Billiard
working through the details, but expect
rigors of a pro career in a not-so-lucrative sport,
Hose commercial, to exhibitions at the Women’s
is also an ESPN commentator; author of three
change to become more aligned with
years old. “When I first started, the industry was
of golf celebrity events, a sprinkling of national
still believed in, and supported the game, by
many more corporate meetings and trade shows.
Besides playing on the then struggling tour, I
pool table manufacturer with international
place during this year’s BCA Trade
agreement to re-sign the veteran champion to
a multi-year agreement. That will make Ewa
Mataya Laurance a Brunswick Billiards pro player
representative for a whopping 25 years, a record
relationship that won’t be broken any time soon!
“It’s meant the world to me, being able to be
connected to a company and product I believe
in,” said Ewa on learning of the announcement.
well and they have also been very good to
long enough to feel like we’re family.”
According to Brunswick Billiards president
Austin Rothbard, “Ewa is a wealth of knowledge
in regards to how the sport is played, as well
as understanding design elements and testing
new products. Her level of professionalism
is very aligned with Brunswick.”
34
P&B August 2010
At right: Ewa
insures the
Brunswick name
is prominent on
an ABC set.
mong the exciting events taking
one Hall of Fame player than her sponsor’s
Latest sighting: Ewa is now
featured on the new SportKings
autographed collector card series!
Above: Playing with
celebs at charity
pro-ams, from l-r:
actor Paul Sorvino,
golf legend Arnold
Palmer, and actor
Michael Keaton.
Brunswick Billiards, now celebrating its 165th
anniversary as one of the oldest companies in our
industry, has embarked on a campaign that ref lects
connecting generations. “Ewa embodies our vision
role as Brunswick’s spokesperson became mostly
“She’s as comfortable playing with and introducing
In the early to mid nineties, a Brunswick
with celebrities or competing against professional
the country. It was amazing! As the game’s
therefore allows us to better connect with all facets
corporate events, TV appearances and print
casual players in the billiard clubs, to the sport’s top
Ewa Mataya Laurance first became a
Indeed, through a career with Brunswick
decades (80s, 90s, 00s and 10s), Ewa made sure
the reign of then president, James Bakula. The
of high exposure events in outside the billiards
from Sweden, who was trying to manage the
show, Ballbreakers, to a No Nonsense Panty
while raising her daughter Nikki, then just four
Sports Foundation banquets, along with dozens
not in great shape,” admitted Ewa. “Brunswick
infomercials, several NBA half-time shows, and
sponsoring both men’s and women’s pro events.
did a lot of Brunswick dealer appearances.
“As the game enjoyed an upswing with the
www.poolmag.com
Within the sport, she connected the
events (Brunswick Munich Masters,
Sweden’s Challenge Cup and the World
well as solidified their relationship with the
with bringing the WPBA and Brunswick
together for most of the past 23 years - both
of whom are so close to my heart - has also
been great,” said Ewa. “I think that’s an
ever produced, and both the Billiard Congress
Billiard Association bestowed on her the
highest honor a player can achieve, induction
into each organization’s Hall of Fame.
While terms of the multi-year deal with
important part of being a player representative
Brunswick have not yet been revealed,
media, PR and marketing opportunities to
will continue to working to evolve their
in our sport; to always try to bring quality
your sponsor when you get the chance.”
Since those early days as a struggling player,
the industry. A multi-term WPBA president,
Education Foundation board of trustees, she
pool instruction books; producer of several
Brunswick pool DVDs and most recently
Facebook instructional videos; and of course a
regular instructional columnist for P&B. That,
it’s evident that both Brunswick and Ewa
relationship. “We have both realized the
importance of being willing to change
with the times, good or bad,” says Ewa.
Austin Rothbard agrees: “We’re still
that as the components of our marketing
today’s interactive and social media outlets,
Ewa will play a key role in our efforts to
continue connecting generations in pool.”
Congratulations to Ewa and Brunswick
combined with national, international and
on their record-setting match! For
14.1, 8-Ball, 9-Ball and even a world trick
Brunswickbilliards.com; for more on Ewa
world titles in a variety of disciplines including
shot title, made Ewa Mataya Laurance one of
more info on Brunswick Billiards, visit
Mataya Laurance, visit strikingviking.com.
P&B August 2010 35