photo: International championship at the World Rock Paper Scissors Society

Paper, Scissors: Rock

Many of life's choices come in pairs: Hot or cold? Yes or No? Boxers or briefs?

photo: RPS competitor wearing a t-shirt showing his favorite: paper

When asked for his occupation, Ring writes he's a "Rock Paper Scissors Professional."

But for 29-year-old Philadelphian Shawn Ring, every problem has three possible solutions: rock, paper, or scissors. Ring has been obsessed with the children's hand game since he was 9. He recently gave up his job as a temp in order to focus on the game - known to fanatics as "RPS" - full time.

"You think you're all grown up, but when you play [rock paper scissors], you're right back in the schoolyard," says Ring, who plays under the moniker "C. Urbanus." "Everybody knows how to play. You just need to be able to pump your fists in rhythm and release at the right moment."

Ring's mission? To become world champion. He currently trains 7 days a week, but he's going to have to step it up a notch to get the gold - at the fourth annual Rock Paper Scissors International World Championships held in Toronto last year, he came in 15^th out of 500.

When asked for his occupation, Ring writes he's a "Rock Paper Scissors Professional." He is looking to organize tournaments in the Philadelphia area and earn a living off the sport in which he has gained a cult following.

He's not alone in his fixation: The number of people addicted to the game grows every year. There's even an Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide on the market, and next month, A&E will televise a tournament with a grand prize of $50,000 at Las Vegas's Mandalay Bay.

"People refer to it as the next poker, [but] I certainly hope it's not," says Douglas Walker, 34, the managing director of the World RPS Society. "Poker is not a spectator sport, it's about as exciting as watching paint dry."

For their part, A&E is certainly betting that people will tune in to watch, but ultimately, that may depend on who wins the rock-paper-scissors match for the remote.

Posted on March 20, 2006