Trying out Terraball: Napa artist creates a new game played on a work of art

JOHN HENRY MARTIN
Dec 8, 2021 Updated Dec 8, 2021

Acumen Wine Gallery, the tasting room on First Street, has organized the first presentation to the public of Vincent Thomas Connors’ “Terraball” - an original, billiard-like game played on a customizable table.

It is easy to learn and fascinating to play. I haven’t come across a more engaging thing to do while drinking a bottle of wine in quite some time.

The table itself is a work of art and will cement Connors’ reputation as not just a fine artist (which I will discuss later), but a detailed and ingenious craftsman.

About the size of a dining room table that could seat 12, the table is a green felt field with walls about 6 inches tall on either side. Set on the green field are sleek wooden obstacles that Connors calls "terraforms," whose elegant curves create a series of valleys -- or a kind of terrain.

It is from terrain, or “terra,” meaning earth that Terraball gets its name. He considered calling it Valleyball, because of the valleys created by the terraforms, but he thought that was “terraball.” (Pun on “terrible.” Connors is fond of bad jokes.) The terraforms are removable and come in varying sizes and shapes so that one can create a custom course…