There's actually an annual tournament that rewards the best Big Buck Hunter arcade players from around the country -- both male and female -- with cash. The event moved to New York City this year and crowned the best virtual shooters with $50,000 in prize money.
The fifth annual Big Buck World Championship closed with a bang tonight, with two Minnesotans going head to head. In the end, it was underdog Chris Fream, of Minneapolis, who beat out reigning champion Nick Robbins in the final round. With the win, Fream takes home Pappy’s Jug trophy and a $15,000 top prize. Returning women’s champion Sara Erlandson of Beldenville, Wisc., took the top prize again in the second annual Ladies Tournament.
Losing early to Robbins in the quarterfinals of the double-elimination tournament, Fream had to defeat Robbins in two Big Buck adventures in the finals. Nearly 100 of the best Big Buck players from around the country and Australia gathered at the Altman Building in New York to compete for more than $50,000 in prize money.
Big Buck Hunter 2012 Champion
Fream, 29, spent the past year training for the World Championship and snuck up on the competition with his sharp shooting. A sales manager for Crispin Cider Company in the Minneapolis area, Fream placed second at the World Championship in 2010, but was unable to participate in the 2011 tournament. He came back with a vengeance, taking home $15,000.
Erlandson, 29, took home $5,000 and the Jugs of Destiny trophy in the second annual Ladies Tournament. A strong year for female participation in the World Championship tournament, Erlandson also finished fourth overall in the World Championship, taking home a total of $7,000 for the weekend. Erlandson and her husband Jerad, who also participated in the World Championship, own Clyde’s Corner bar in Beldenville, Wisc., where they have a Big Buck HD game. A freelance graphic designer by day, Erlandson spends nights honing her Big Buck skills.
