Dordt Students Win "Domino Masters" in Season Finale

On Wednesday, May 11, Dordt University juniors Alex and Derek Koops won Fox’s Domino Masters as part of team Dominerds. The team received $100,000 in winnings for their amazing domino art.

Last spring, Derek and Alex jetted off to Hollywood to participate in the Fox television series Domino Masters, a show where “teams of domino enthusiasts go head-to-head in a toppling tournament to create mind-blowing masterpieces, with infinite possibilities and thousands of tiles and unique kinetic devices.” The show is set up in a bracket format; 16 teams participate in the show, but only four compete at a time.

“Fox found us through our YouTube videos and thought we would be a good fit for the competition,” explains Derek. “We went through many casting interviews, and eventually they took us out to L.A. for the shoot.”

With over 200,000 YouTube subscribers and 40,000,000 total video views, DaksDominos – Derek and Alex’s YouTube channel dedicated to domino art – is YouTube verified, highlighting the legitimacy of their brand. They are proud owners of a YouTube Silver Creator Award, which is given to YouTubers with 100,000 subscribers. They have also had several videos that have gone viral, including one themed around Dude Perfect, a sports and comedy group, that currently has 9.7 million views.

It’s always a risk when a network like Fox makes a new type of show; viewers know what cooking or singing shows are, but a domino show? That’s new territory.

“Fox was willing to take a risk to give domino artists from around the country a chance to show off their skills to a larger audience than just YouTube,” says Derek.

What Alex appreciated most about being on the show was the unlimited materials to build their displays. The brothers own about 20,000 dominoes, but nothing compared to the many dominoes and gizmos that they had available during filming.

How has their Dordt education influenced how they’ve approached DaksDominos?

“I’m a business major, and there’s definitely a business side to our YouTube videos and creating projects for companies as well,” says Alex.

“I think one of the reasons why digital media captured my attention was because I was making this kind of stuff before I came to college. Being involved in that medium got me interested in doing that at Dordt,” adds Derek.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Dordt, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review. To learn more, visit dordt.edu.