Air hockey players glide to Durham for state championship tournament

The North Carolina Air Hockey State Championship is happening in Durham, blending a different skill set of hand-eye coordination and lightning-quick reflexes to simulate the speed of ice hockey.

The championship is from Friday through Sunday at Durham Food Hall and bringing in folks from all over in a celebration of the sport.

A room full of regulation-size tables and 96 competitors will be part of one of the biggest state air hockey tournaments in the country.

"This is actually the largest state tournament that's ever been played for air hockey," Creely said. "We're super excited about that."

Colorado, Idaho, Texas and North Carolina are some of the states in which air hockey is most popular. Some are coming in from other states to watch.

Folks can come and watch players for free or view the tournament livestream on YouTube and the group's social media accounts.

There will be doubles and singles competitions as doubles play begins Friday with singles play starting on Saturday.

Sarah Mann, an NC State graduate and Raleigh resident, helped put the tournament together. She got into air hockey by going to tournaments at Boxcar Bar & Arcade.

"It's a pretty competitive sport and it's a lot of fun," Mann said. "The competitive spirit - everybody seems to want to get better."