Lens Blog

Len's Hawaii & Table Tennis Blog

9/13/2024 8:54am

Had a great time in my short trip to Denver for my grandson's Bar Mitzvah. My son and his family came in from Phoenix and we got to spend time together. We celebrated Deb's birthday when we arrived on Thursday, had a dress rehearsal on Friday morning, and then an out of towners dinner for all. Saturday morning was the big event, followed by some short rest, then the big party at night. Sunday morning was a big brnch at my daughter's home for all the out of towners and we spent lots of time eating and talking together. Weather was always good in Denver during this trip. I even got to play some ping pong with Debbie on my daughter's table in her basement. The airplane back and forth went well, although there was a slight delay coming back but the pilot made up most of the delay time. I came home Tuesday night and MR O & Tuxxie were VERY VERY VERY VERY happy to see us. I think they thought we were never coming back. I was happy to see them also. Kimi stayed with them while we were gone and took very good care of them...but of course, not the same to them as mommy & daddy. Wednesday, went to Waimea to coach and Thursday had 2 students to coach during the day and played at Kohala Club at nioght. Today we have a guy coming to check on our garage air conditioner and I get some much needed rest. Hope all of you are doing well. Aloha!

8/23/2024 11:00am

Aloha All. We have Tropical Storm Hone and Hurricane Gilma headed towards us. Hone supposed to make itself known to us Saturday night and Gilma Thursday or so of next week. Both should be major rain events but winds shouldn't go over 39mph. We are somewhat prepared and hope they pass without any serious incidents. We scheduled our next USATT Sanctioned Tournament for Saturday, November 16. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2024hawaiiislandopen.html We now have a bunch of chickens that have moved onto our property. About 6 adult hens and one had 9 babies. If only we could find the eggs they lay. They sleep in our Mango tree at night, flying up into it. MR O not too happy about this but he hasn't chased them and they haven't really bothered him. Leaving for Denver soon for my grandson's Bar Mitzvah. Will be a short and fun trip. Aloha for now....

7/16/2024 10:09am

Aloha! Well, in June I had my 1st covid illness. I ran a fever, up to 100.3. I had the fever for 3 days, no cough, slight headache, and initially I had muscle aches. The headache and muscle aches went away after less than a full day and had a slight sore throat. That was the extent of my covid. Debbie got it also and hers was worse as she had a very bad cough for about 6 weeks, higher fever, and didn't feel good for weeks. She had 3 vaccine shots of multiple companies. I did have 2 Johnson & Johnson vaccine shots as I traveled to the Mainland but that was long ago. We had a cat lanai (catio) built. MR O and Tuxxie seem to like it. We have a cat tree inside for them to sit on and they use the doggie door to get in and out of it.

I am still loving my new BMW X3. It's amller than what I was driving, but it drives so easily...lots of pep and easy to handle. I like the gas mileage of 27.9 which is an increase of almost 10mpg. I also like the Android Auto features. It's pineapple season and I have around 70 this year.

5/21/2024 9:31am

Returned from a great trip to Denver to see my daughter and grandkids.

The trip was very nice with excellent plane flights. Many have complaints regarding United Airlines but I must say the flight attendants in 1st class on both flights were fantastic; especially on the flight back to Kona from Denver. They were always smiling, seemed very attentive, always asking if we want something, and actually appeared happy to be there and take care of us. I must say also, the food on the return flight was very good, ordered the eggplant in advance. My daughter got her Master's Degree

while I was there, 20 years after her getting her Bachelor's; very proud of her. My granddaughter "graduated" from religious school which was a special occasion. We went out for some great dinners

and I enjoyed my time in Denver; weather cooperated also. I got to play table tennis with a few friends of my grandson which was fun. I got to meet their new dog, Penelope; she is a great family member.

. I was also able to see a good friend of mine from many years ago. Last time I saw her was back in 1983. It was really good to see her again. Happy to be back home but enjoyed my time in Denver. I hope all well with everyone. Aloha!

4/24/2024 8:05am

Aloha Everyone! WOW, it has been a long long time since I entered a daily post. Time really does fly as we age. My external hard drive died with lots of old files on it. So, I've been trying to find old old photos and videos I had and now I have a triple backup system and have been sorting so many of the photos....1000's...We just had a really fun 2024 Big Island Open Tournament this past weekend. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2024bigislandopen.html

Results are there along with photos and videos. Leaving for Denver in less than 2 weeks to see my daughter and grandkids which should be fun. Still coaching students here and really enjoy watching their progress. Many of my students had good success at the tournament. MR O and Tuxxie are doing well as is Debbie, although she has a bad cold currently. I'm taking extra Vitamin C and other supplements so I don't catch it. So far, so good. Pineapple season is almost here and I have over 50 pineapples to harvest this season; looking forward to eating them. My daughter gets her master's degree in a couple weeks, Congratulations Lauri. I'm really enjoying my new car; fun to drive. I hope you're all doing well. Aloha!

1/19/2024 4:09pm

Happy new year to everyone. Enjoying my trip. I'm now in cold Denver with my daughter and grandkids and enjoyed Phoenix first, getting to meet my just born new grandson, Ryan. I'll be here another week, trying to stay warm...but enjoying my family here. I even got to play table tennis at Matt's club in Gilbert, playing with some of my old friends and some new players I just met. Here in Denver I have played with my grandson, on the table in the basement. Just need to stay warm.

12/3/2023 7:58am

Lots of snow fell on Mauna Kea. Beautiful. Many people still don't realize that yes, we get snow in Hawai'i. True, it's at a 13000 foot elevation, but still Hawai'i. Table tennis is going strong here on the North/West side of Hawai'i Island (The Big Island). The Waimea Club had 6 tables going strong last week and the North Kohala Club has had 4 tables going almost the entire 2 hours for the past 3 weeks! A great group of players, mostly beginners are showing up and playing. It's great exposin more and more players to this great sport. I am still using Butterfly Super Viscaria blade with Dignics 09C and still really like it. Finally got some decent rain here and the grass is starting to turn green again. Pineapple and avocado season is over for now, still have plenty of bananas. Going to make a few trips to the Mainland in 2024. Medically, Deb & I are doing OK. We eat well, lots of great home meals. I do have shipped in some great gold label wagyu beef and NY bagels. Yummy. Have a great Holiday season. Aloha!

10/12/2023 12:59pm

Lots of time has passed and so much has happened since my last entry. Sadly, with the devastating Maui fires; Noah's 808pingpong club was burned to the ground. Noah is fine and he will be going to play in the US Open, but I can only imagine the pain he is feeling. My son and his wife are expecting a new child, end of January. My daughter will be hgetting her master's degree in May. Obviously, a few trips coming up for me. The local table tennis clubs are still open and have players. We have had some new players in Kohala and a few new players in Waimea. I heard a few new players also have been going to Captain Cook and there are 2 new places to play; one in South Point area and the other in Laupahoehoe. MR O, our beautiful cat had a birthday 2 days ago. He is just a real joy to have; a real lover. Our Island has a few new players that are good players from years ago and that is great for our playing community. We could use some rain as it's been extremely dry with drought conditions in many areas. What's happening in Israel is horrible. Stay well. Aloha!

6/20/2023 8:39am

Went to Maui last weekend to help run a table tennis tournament for Noah and his club, 808 ping pong. It was a success. The 1st USATT Sanctioned tournament on the Island of Maui. We had 24 players, some seniors and some juniors included. Lunch was provided on Saturday & Sunday. It was a fun time for all. About 4 weeks ago I went to an absolutely fantastic table tennis camp in Gilbert Az, sponsored by my son Matt's Club, Table Tennis & More AZ. Former 1971 World Champion Stellan Bengssten and his wife Angie ran the camp. It was 5 training full days of table tennis. Being that I was a middle lower level player of those participating, I took a little time to get up to the level and learned quite a lot. Actually, what this camp did for me personally, is refresh much of what I learned long ago, taught me some new techniques, and helped me to help coach my current students. It was my first training for 20+ years. I really enjoyed it. I recommend anytime you can go to a training camp run by Stellan, do it! Matt's Club is fantastic also and he is currently close to 100 members! Good going Matt!

4/24/2023 7:28am

Our last tournament was a success, albeit with a small turnout. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2023bigislandopen.html We had a player from Oregon, a few from Oahu, 1 from Maui and the rest from The Big Island. 1 Player coming from Alaska had to cancel due to a volcano eruption that halted all airplane takeoffs for 2 days. In a little over a week I get to go to Arizona and barticipate in a table tennis training camp. It will be the first real training for me in 25 years! It will be grueling, 5+ hours a day for 5 consecutive days. But, I am looking very forward to going, plus I get to see my son, family, and granddaughter. I am sure I will learn a lot and also get lots of exercise. I may need lots of rest when I return. In june, 9-11th, 808pingpong is having a tournament on Maui that I will help run. Keeping life exciting. We just bought a big new freezer and stocked it with so much food, after a trip to Costco. I hope you are all doing well. Aloha

4/5/2023 8:38am

Aloha All. We have the 2023 Big Island Open the following weekend, 15 & 16th. http://tabletennisandmore.com/2023bigislandopen.html A smaller than normal turnout but still OK with players happy to be able to play in a USATT Sanctioned event in Hawai'i. I'm looking forward to going to my son's club in early May for a week of table tennis training camp, run by former World Champion, Stellan Bengssten. I expect to learn a lot and get plenty (too much) exercise. I hope to be able to make it through the entire camp and actually improve my limited skills. Mr O and Tuxxie are becoming friendlier to each other. Our new neighbors moved in below us and I sold my red truck. Other than that, life is good. Aloha!

3/15/2023 8:32am

Aloha all. Enjoyed my trip to Denver to see my daughter and grandchildren. We had a good tournament in Waimea in February http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2023bigislandclosed.html I'm really enjoying using the Butterfly Dignics 09C and the Super Viscaria blade. I'm still doing my Bowfle everyday and have a few muscles. Wrestlemania is coming up April 1 & 2. I know you will watch it. Mr O is doing great, a real love bug. Tuxxie is good too. Deb is still tutoring at school although it is Spring Break this week. We have our next tournament coming up soon in April. http://tabletennisandmore.com/2023bigislandopen.html I am VERY MUCH looking forward to going again to Phoenix in May for a table tennis camp at my son's Club, run by former World Champion, Stellan Bengtssen. He has won three World championships, seven European championships and 65 International championships.

1/31/2023 8:27am

Aloha and a late Happy New Year to all. Enjoying life on The Big Island. Playing lots of table tennis, coaching some new players, and have a 1 day Big Island Only tournament coming up in a few weeks. Right after the tournament, I'll go to Denver for a little over a week to see my daughter and grandkids. I reserved my space in May for a table tennis camp hosted by my son, Matt's club, Table Tennis & More AZ. It will have Stellan Bengssten and his wife running it. I am really looking forward to the 5 day event. I'll be exhausted but should be fun. Also, our annual 2023 Big Island Open will be April 15 & 16. So, lots going on. Mr O has been a very good boy and Tuxxie still hates him. Debbie is still tutoring in school and they gave her a special group of her own. I'm trying a new blade and will seee if I like it, suggested by Matt. Everyone, stay well.

12/23/2022 9:16am

Aloha All. Happy holidays to everyone and wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2023. I recently returned from a fantastic week in Arizona, visiting my son, daughter-in=-law and granddaughter. Matt opened a new 10 table "state of the art" table tennis club. It is super to see and play at. I can tell you the playing conditions are ideal. The lighting and flooring is p/henomenal. If you are in Arizona, you need to stop by; located in Gilbert, Arizona. Things are going well here in Hawaii with new players showing up at the Kohala Club, Waimea Club going strong, and a successful November tournament. 2023 should be a good year. I hope it is for everyone. Stay well. Aloha!

10/21/2022 10:37am

Aloha All. I cannot believe that in less than 2 weeks, I'm going to have another birthday, actually a milestone. I don't really feel that old, but time flies I guess. I am looking forward to all my family coming to visit. My son and family from Phoenix and my daughter & family from Denver. It will be a fun time for all. It's simply amazing how fast the grandkids are growing up...14, 11, and 7+ months! I have some activities planned for when they visit and I think we should all be eating too good while they are here. Then, after they leave, we have the 2022 Hawaii Open Table Tennis Tournament. It's kind of funny as Matt is also having a oturnament same weekend as me, but in Gilbert Arizona, new location for his huge 10 table full time club. So, it'll be a busy end of October, and November. I hope you are all well. Debbie is still tutoring at the school and the cats are becoming better, but not good, friends. Aloha!

5/13/2022 10:44am

Aloha and yes, I am still here. I recently went to Phoenix and visited my son and daughter in law along with new daughter, Kara. I then went to Denver and visited my daughter and son in law along with their 2 kids. It was a really good trip. We have a table tennis tournament in Waimea starting tomorrow, first one in over 2 years, due to Covid. We have a good signup and it should be a fun tournament for all. The Waimea Club & Kohala Clubs are both open and going well. Noah, on Maui, opened up a full time club, 808pingpong.com. Our cats, Tuxxie & Mr. O are doing well, still not loving each other; but tolerating each other better & better. I'm still coaching and training and trying to stay in shape...harder and harder as we age. Looks like I'll have more than 100 pineapples this season which will mean many friends will get some. I still am enjoying the Dignics 09C and I like the new Viscaria blade that just came out and is hard to get. Appears all my kids and grandkids will be visiting me end of October so I definitely am looking forward to that. Stay well and aloha.

1/21/2022 8:39am

Aloha & Happy New Year. All going well here. I truly enjoyed my trip to Houston to watch the Table Tennis World Championships, and then to Denver to see my kids and grandkids. Matt & Sara will be having a baby end of March, their first. Omicron is everywhere but life goes on. My cats, Mr. O and Tuxxie are now able to stay in the same room together for hours at a time. Mr O likes Tuxxie but not vice versa. She tolerates him, at best. We love them both. Table tennis is going strong again and a former student and very good player on Maui, Noah Clark, is opening a new table tennis club within the next 2 weeks, http://www.808pingpong.com It will be open daily, so if you visit Maui, be sure to go. I am still very much enjoying using Dignics 09C. The spin is incredible. A bit slower than some others but more spin which I like and seemingly, it gives me a bit more control. The Waimea, Kohala, Captain Cook, and Hilo Clubs are all open at this time. HowzitKohala is still growing with more than 2000 followers now, available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and https://howzitkohala.com

10/18/2021 8:21am

It's hard to believe so much time has passed with no entries into my blog. MR. O has taken to our home and he is a HUGE part of our family now. Check out our animal family page with him and Tuxxie and our others from the past. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm Table tennis clubs on Island, except for YMCA in Hilo are still closed. They were to open a few months back bvut the Delta variant showed up and closed them again. We are hoping to open again, come November, but awaiting official word. I still coach at home as well as train and open play with students. Our fruit is growing great. We got delicious mangoes this year as well as many white pineapples. YUMMY. We have so many avocados; we think 5 or 6 species. Our apple bananas are yummy too. We cannot eat all the fruit, so I freeze lots of it for smoothies as well as give lots away. I plan on going to Houston and Denver next month. Houston is for the World Championships of Table Tennis that has never been in the USA before. Then I'll go to my daughter's home to celebrate her birthday and my son and his wife will also be there for another day to see before they return to Phoenix. Watching lots of movies and trying to exercise and keep busy. Life moves at a fast pace. The Covid virus hasn't been a big problem up where I live but, Hawaii in general, has closed most things because of it. It has definitely caused major business problems, tourism problems, and employment problems. I hope each of you is well. Stay that way. Will try to update much more often. Aloha

4/14/2021 9:22am

Aloha All...Our new cat, Mr. O is so sweet. He found us and we love him. He is a devil and bothers all the neighbors and their cats, but he is so sweet here. However, our other cat, Tuxxie does not like him at all. It is a real challenge, but he's so loving to us. As far as table tennis goes; we have been getting many visitors of late, since Hawaii opened up tourism a little from the Pandemic. It's good that I have got to hit with players of many skill levels from the Mainland. I am still coaching a lot, training myself, and keeping active. We are still awaiting the opening of our County Recreational Centers so we can start the Clubs back up. I still have play here on Thursday n ights but it is limited to students I currently coach. I am enjoying using the Dignics 09C rubber. Great spin and teaching me to go more forward rather than too much up. Ruths Chris is still closed. Me and a friend or 2 go to Seafood Bar most Tuesdays for lunch as they have a really delicious steak burrito special then. I had 42 pineapples eaten about a year ago by pigs and planted new ones. I counted yesterday and have more than 40 that should be ready this season. We have had new fencing built ALL AROUND our property so the pigs won't be able to get in this time. Avocado season is over for us but we still have oranges and bananas. The views of Maui lately have been fantastic and the air is so clear and clean. Aloha for now....

1/30/2021 8:23am

I just posted an update on our page of Audi & Koa. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm We will never ever forget our great dogs; they were simply wonderful members of our family. I also posted a video on that page of the first time Mr. O went inside our home. He is now a resident although Tuxxie hates him. He sleeps in the middle bedroom at night. During the day, he goes in and outside and Tuxxie stays gated in our bedroom. At night, Tuxxie has the run of the home and Mr. O is locked in his bedroom. He likes her but she hates him. Hopefully, time will change that.

1/9/2021 7:05am

The update today is not as good as the last one. We had to send Koa off to the great beyond yesterday. Sadly, he had cancer, tumors in his spleen and heart. With every possible assistance; it would only give him an extra 1-3 months at most and the pain to go through it for him and us really is not worth it. This is so sad as it's so close to Audi's passing. I do believe the fact that Audi was gone played havoc on Koa and he may have lost his will to live, missing his brother so much. I was actually prepared for Audi to go, being 14+ years old and bled from his nose a couple times; but Koa...this caught me way off guard and I wasn't prepared and miss him a lot. I will say this. I think Koa actually knew how sick he was. As I wrote on 1/2/2021, we were ready to put him down then, but a minor miracle brought him back. He reached down and gave us a fantastic wonderful extra week, where he acted like he always was....playful, loving, happy, eating everything in sight and wanting more, licking us nonstop, licking Tuxxie and Mr O, and just being a great member of our family. We will always cherish, more than cherish, the last week of absolute pleasure he gave us. He went as far as he could, even waking me to take him out to poop his last time, at 2:30am the night before his going. He was a great great dog and member of our family. Koa should now be with his brother Audi, playing, kissing, hugging, and enjoying themselves forever. More info, photos at http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm If it wasn't for the pandemic and hassle to travel, Deb & I would be going on a long trip right now. Aloha All.

1/2/2021 12:18pm

Quick update on Koa. We were ready to bring him to the Vet to....well, when we woke up this morning, he began wagging his tail. I gave him something to eat and he gobbled it down. Since then he has not stopped eating. LOL..Debbie has given him his normal breakfast and much more plus I gave him some treats and more. He has walked outside 4 or 5 times, peeing and doing his stuff. He is still extremely weak and cannot walk fast and has a problem with balance at times...but we are very positive and his actions are extremely encouraging.

1/1/2021 9:27am

Happy New Year to all. It sure hasn't been a good December for us and 2021 is not starting off too well either. I guess life goes in cycles and we are still alive and kicking. Sadly, that's not the case with our beloved Audi. We had to let him go on December 18th. He had a tremendous life and we gave each other so much pleasure. In the end, we believe Audi had a tumor in his nasal cavity and was bleeding and then we think he had a stroke or seizure; so it was time. This is the animal page I created for Audi MANY years ago. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm Please view it and see how his life went, from rescue puppy, to school graduate and so much more. We miss him greatly. And, now, our Koa is very sick and will not eat. We believe he may have cancer, or hurt his back or neck so much that the pain is overwhelming. He is not eating, can hardly walk at all, without us holding him up front and back. He is not peeing, moving, etc. If he doesn't change this by tomorrow, we will have no other choice. Losing 2 family members within 3 weeks is very hard for us to take, but this is real life and many have it far far worse. We have a new arrival that found us, a cat, Mr O. His photo is also on Audi's page. And, Tuxxie is still here also. We shall see what else 2021 brings. Aloha to all and stay well.

12/4/2020 8:37am

Aloha! Well, the virus is still around. All the Island Club locations are still closed by the County. We shall see what happens when our new Mayor, Roth, takes office on Monday. He says he is a very pro-business Mayor; to open things up safely and healthy. We shall see what happens. For now, I am still giving lessons at my place and I'm happily training more often than previously, so I'm staying healthy. Deb & I went out to Roy's a week ago as they reopened and it was very good. We are told that Ruth Chris should open by end of January. The hotels are back open on Island and tourists are coming, albeit on a much reduced pace. I am definitely enjoying my new table tennis rubber. We got a larger TV recently since my eyesight could use some improvement and a new Denon receiver to decode all the new digital sound modes...fantastic with HDR10, DolbyVision, and DTS-X, Atmos, etc. We have a new cat, Mr. O, that found us...he was a stray. Really cute orange tabby and so loveable, affectionate, and talkative. I'd love to have a tournament as soon as we are allowed. Everyone, happy holidays and stay well.

7/25/2020 12:30pm

ALOHA and WOW, I cannot even believe it's been 7+ months since I entered anything in this blog. Time is flying by so quickly. We have a totally new world these days with the Virus, politics, and more. Let's see what has happened with me here in Hawaii in 2020 and with table tennis. When the pandemic began and things began to close in Hawaii, all our facilities on the Island closed so all our table tennis clubs had to close. Within the past month, the Hilo Group is playing again, with new procedures, at the WMCA in Hilo. I am giving more lessons than I was as people have so much free time and are getting pudgy and need exercise. I have been training twice per week with my friend and, like I said, giving quite a few lessons each week, including a very promising 8 year old. The avocados are falling, delicious, and I have a crop of 42 pineapples coming ready this season. Bananas are still doing really well. Our dog Audi is doing well, and will be 14 years old August 10. He's amazing. His step-brother Koa is also doing well as is their step-sister, Tux the cat. We had our lanai rebuilt and is really nice. The air conditioning in the garage is fantastic and so too, is our solar system with Tesla battery. I put up mosquito netting in the garage so balls are easier to pick up during play or training. I personally have switched to a new rubber and the more I use it, the more I like it....increased spin and good control. Have sold a few tables to Hawaii as people have the time and looking to play. We have Hurricane Douglas very close now; with rain starting in about 4-6 hours and winds to heavily increase tonight after midnight. The good news for us is Douglas is veering slightly more North so the brunt may be felt in the Other Islands rather than by us, which was initially forecast. My health is good as is Debbie's. We went to Phoenix in March, right before the pandemic really hit hard, for Matt's marriage to Sara. Some invitees didn't show, but it was actually the last Sunday that they even had weddings so timing I guess, was perfect. We stayed a much shorter time in Phoenix due to the Covid19 than planned, and was happy to get back to Hawaii. We had our 1st Covid19 confirmed case in North Kohala last week, bringing it back from the mainland.That's about all superficially to discuss and glad I wrote it all down here. I started this Blog 1/24/2008. WOW! Been here a long time already. I'm still hosting http://www.howzitkohala.com , Howzitkohala on Facebook, and The Howzit Kohala Political Discourse Group on Facebook. Everybody stay healthy and stay in touch. ALOHA!

12/5/2019 8:25am

Aloha all....We had a really good 2019 Hawai'i Island Open Tournament. All participants seemed to enjoy it. Results, information, pictures, videos and more here: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2019hawaiiislandopen.htm I had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. My son and his fiancée' were here from Phoenix as was my daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids from Denver. We went on many sightseeing trips and Matt came to the Waimea Club on Wednesday and hit with and coached some of my students. They all enjoyed it a lot and said they learned new things from Matt. ALL GOOD. Let's see; they went horseback riding, ziplining, sunset cruise, hiking, Hawaii Shave Ice, and so much more. We are looking at another tournament in April. Keep playing, keep having fun, and don't hesitate to contact me if I can answer any of your questions.....Aloha!

10/26/2019 8:50am

Halloween is right around the corner as is our November 9 2019 Hawai'i Island Open Table Tennis Tournament. The procedure I had in Honolulu has been great and still getting used to some of the vast improvements. If you have any prostate problems and have any questions at all; feel free to contact me. So, my son is getting married in March and I need a suit for the wedding. I used to have so m\any suits & sport coats and dress slacks, but since moving here 11+ years ago, I have never bought any, wore any, or have any. So, I was looking for a suit to buy. Sadly, this Island is not the place to buy one. So, I went online and found 1 at Macys that looked decent. It was on sale. I figured I could order it and if it didn't fit; return it. Guess what! They wouldn't ship that to Hawaii. I had to go to Kona anyway yesterday so I figured I would stop at Macys just to see what they had. When I got there, the guy in the men's department said they never carry suit there.....however, just 2 or 3 days ago they got a special 1 style of suit in, which never happens and showed me where it was sitting. To my surprise, it was the exact suit I was going to order and at the exact online sale price! I bought the size that fit me immediately. Today, that suit is no longer on sale online...selling seriously for 4 times what I paid! I was so lucky. We here in North Kohala are currently in a severe drought conditions. In my years here, it has never been this dry that I can recall. Grass is turning brown. I hope we get some heavy rainfall soon. Aloha!

9/28/2019 9:00am

WOW! What a week I had....Took a flight for a doctor's appointment and special test to see if I am a candidate for a health issue I have. Was to come back home on Tuesday evening. Well, I came back home Friday morning instead and Debbie had to fly out Tuesday afternoon to assist me. You all know Murphy's Law? Yep, it's for real. All fine on Sunday till I started feeling strange (I am not going to go into specifics here. If you know me personally and wish to get details, definitely contact me); and at about midnight I took an Uber to the emergency room at the hospital. Service was really good and quick as my pain was getting intolerable. They took care of me, felt so much better and left Uber back to hotel within 2 hours. Slept for about 2 hours and woke up to, I'll just say....a not good situation and hurriedly went back to the ER. Ended up with same nurses and they fixed me up. Was there almost 4 hours this time and went to my doctor from there. When I got to see him, he said we may as well do the test today since I was there. OK. He said he wasn't sure I was a good candidate after the test, but after talking a bit, he said there is really no harm in trying it, as it may work. So I got to the doctor's office at around 8:30am Monday, and it was noon when we were talking about doing this procedure, and he wanted to do it Wednesday! I called Debbie to see if she could come as I had to have somebody there after the procedure and for the next day or 2. I then had to have blood tests and EKG so I could go though with the procedure on Wednesday. Deb came in Tuesday late afternoon and I had the procedure Wednesday morning under general anesthesia. Next I knew, I was getting dressed. Anyway, doctor says it went better than expected! That is the best thing. I cannot exercise or play ping pong for at least 1 week, but other things are working.....Looking forward to my kids, grandkids, son-in-law and soon to be daughter-in-law coming to visit for Thanksgiving. Should be a wonderful busy week. Tournament is November 9 in Waimea. Waimea Table Tennis Club Hours changed again and we went back to the original, Monday & Wednesdays, 3:30-6:30 as the evening experiment and even change of venue didn't help; actually harmed us I think. Everything else is good...a bumper crop of white & gold pineapples this year and should have 40+ next year! Avocados are still falling here and we have 3 or 4 varieties to eat. Also, our apple bananas are very tasty. Hope I feel better really fast and can get back to playing and exercising. Boredom is no fun. Aloha All....

9/3/2019 10:17am

Time now to make some entry into my blog. Jeesh, it wasn't that long ago that I updated this every week or more. I guess as I age I also have fewer things to write. I scheduled the next USATT Sanctioned Table Tennis Tournament for November 9, in Waimea. Just a 1 day event to keep it simple and easy. Information and online entry at: http://tabletennisandmore.com/2019hawaiiislandopen.htm School has started so Deb is there tutoring Tuesday thru Fridays. I'm still coaching and playing table tennis. We just had a table tennis party for Kohala & Waimea regular players this past weekend. It was a fun time.There are some pictures I posted. Here's 1 https://www.facebook.com/tabletennisandmore/photos/pcb.2636867576347487/2636867539680824/?type=3&theater I'm liking my new XIOM Ice Cream blade & rubber. Good feel, control, and spin. We got a new freezer so we can buy more at Costco..LOL...And, it's great with the solar panels and Tesla battery powering it and our air conditioning. Audi, my great doggie, just turned 13. He's still doing really well, runs and everything, but he's definitely getting older. He so great! WATCH A VIDEO OF OUR ANIMAL FAMILY Aloha for now...

7/17/2019 9:58am

Got back from a 3 week trip to the Mainland; Phoenix, Vegas, Denver. Saw my son and his fiance', saw many players in Vegas, saw my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids in Denver, ate at The Palm for 6 pound lobster twice (1 time in Denver & 1 time in Vegas), went to my favorite Pizza place, Oreganos, in Phoenix and their brand new one in Boulder, and at Nobu in Vegas & Matsuhisa in Denver. Here's a few pictures.....

Sadly, when I was on the plane coming back home, I had a medical condition causing me to spend 5+ hours on the flight in the bathroom and then rushing to the ER at Waimea Hospital. Thankfully, I am better now. No fun being ill as you all know. Now, back to table tennis, coaching & playing, and HowzitKohala Let me hear from you. We got our 18 new solar panels installed along with the Tesla Powerwall, so we are basically self-sufficient. It was turned on a few days ago and is working well. It's raining now but we are still generating some solar power. All in all, things are doing well. ALOHA!

5/22/2019 10:32am

Aloha! All great here as time flies by. It's been an amazing 11+ years already here. In fact, if you scroll down to the bottom of this page; you'll see where this Hawaii Blog began. Lots has changed. Today, we have solar people here installing solar panels on our new roof. When it's all done and turned on, we will be able to run on sun and Tesla battery power. This season, I have 36 white & golden pineapples that'll be ready to eat; my largest pineapple crop which is growing each year. My bananas are growing even though we lost many trees due to extremely strong winds a few months ago. Howzitkohala is going strong with increased followers daily. We have done a few live video streaming sessions and have more coming up. I'm still, of course, playing and coaching table tennis and Debbie is still tutoring at the Kohala Elementary School. I have my son's wedding coming up in March and he just won the Arizona State Championship for the 8th time! Koa, Audi & Tuxxie are all doing well and growing older. Hard to believe Audi is over 12. Check out our ANIMAL FAMILY page (Audi) and see how the family has grown over the years. Check out howzitkohala.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, for Hawaii information. Take care and stay in touch.

3/21/2019 10:23am

Well, I just returned from another trip to Phoenix. This was a great trip, although it was totally unexpected to happen. My son got engaged to be married and was having an engagement party. So, I wanted to be there and glad I went. Also, my daughter, son in law, and grandkids were there also. It was great being with all of them. So, I spent all day Monday & Tuesday with all of them and came back home Wednesday, late afternoon. Played table tennis at Matt's Club one day and had fun. I overate while there, of course; but, enjoyed the pizza, Mexican food, etc. Now I need to turn my attention back to www.howzitkohala.com and the upcoming 2019 Big Island Open tournament. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2019bigislandopen.htm Aloha for now....

2/14/2019 11:46am

Happy Valentines Day to all. I just returned this past Sunday from a trip to the Mainland, enjoyed seeing my son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. I ate well, froze a bit with -1f weather and snow, but all in all, a great trip and even better being home again. We have our next tournament upcoming in April, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2019bigislandopen.htm You can enter online or mail in the entry forms. Air conditioning is working again at the Kohala Table Tennis Club and that makes a huge difference. I will begin training with my friend again, starting tomorrow, to build up my endurance which has been slacking. HOWZITKOHALA website and Facebook feeds are going really well with so many good comments. Enjoyed having my friend Jim and his friend Summer here for 10 days a few weeks back. Getting the house painted, new solar power sys5taem being installed, and more. And, last but not least; my son Matt got engaged to a lovely lady, Sara, just yesterday. Aloha!

1/10/2019 10:51am

Aloha All and Happy New Year. Today is our cat, Tuxxie's birthday; she is 5 years old. Time is moving so quickly. Friends of mine from Phoenix are on Island visiting, exploring, and playing lots of table tennis. We have scheduled our next USATT Sanctioned Tournament for April 5-7, 2019 in Waimea, at a new beautiful facility. More information coming soon. I'll be visiting Phoenix & Denver end of this month and eager to see my kids and grandkids. We put a new roof on our house, metal. People mentioned they can be noisy; well, it is more quiet with the heavy rains than before. Also, we are exploring getting solar to power the entire house. With the Federal & State tax credits, it makes sense, plus with the power outages we have here in Kohala, this would add to protection and we'd be mostly off the grid. Another thing to consider is the high cost of electricity here and going up again soon. Hawaii has the highest rates in USA. I really am enjoying the new XIOM Omega 7 Tour rubber. The slightly harder sponge and the lower throw angle are really good for my shots..so far. I am also looking forward to XIOM's new IceCream blades, hopefully available by month end. Stay in touch. Aloha!

12/27/2018 8:19am

Aloha All and happy holidays. Happy New Year to all in just another few days. Hard to believe that 2019 is here already. If you scroll down to the beginning, you will see I started this blog in January, 2008, 11 years ago; WOW! times does fly by....We just had a new roof put on the house, replaced solar water panels and water heater and had a bunch of palm trees removed to clean up the yard a bit. My pineapples are doing well as are the bananas. Our avocado crop was huge this year and that helped Audi & Koa's stomachs to also be large....hahaha....we found that we have 4 different varieties of avocados; so yummy. Bad thing is we have pigs that roam and love our front yard, thus, digging it up. Our backyard is completely fenced so they cannot get there. Howzitkohala.com and my howzitkohala Facebook feed are doing well, growing almost daily. Ping pong is growing strong and on the Island and I am coaching some really improving players. We have a junior that has taken an interest and has talent. I am anxious to see his development...and he's a leftie. I'm using my Bowflex machine more and hoping to get back some muscle. 7 New restaurants have opened or are opening within next few weeks here on the West Side of the Island so that's a good thing also. Going to see my son in Phoenix and daughter and grandchildren and son-in-law in Denver, end of January. Air is so clear on the Island as volcano is still not errupting and that is another good thing. If there is any problem on the Island; it's lack of enough doctors and lack of people wanting to work as there are so many jobs openings. Everyone take care and have a great 2019. ALOHA!

11/17/2018 7:55am

I started a podcast that is a takeoff on the show I did on the radio here for past 3 years; I call the new show, BACK THEN WITH LEN. I upload it once a week, usually on Saturday or Sunday and it is for the coming week...history of events & birthdays from the upcoming week and then some old time radio shows. It will be anywhere from 2-3.5 hours in length. You can listen here: https://howzitkohala.com/2018/10/09/podcasts/ Enjoy & happy to hear your comments

11/16/2018 9:42am

Aloha. We had our 2018 Hawai'i Island Open Table Tennis Tournament this past weekend and it was a success. Information, results, pictures and video at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2018hawaiiislandopen.htm Within the past few weeks, wild pigs have found their way more and more onto our property and destroying our front yard area. They cannot get into the back due to fencing but the front is open. Koa & Audi bark when they smell them here, but they still do damage before getting scared away from the barking. So, a local guy brought a cage to catch them...and, it worked. We caught 2, then 1, then another that were picked up. Our neighbor also has the problem and he brought her a trap that caught 2 pigs last night. Hopefully, these pigs will find another area to eat at soon. We are still getting many avocados from a tree in the bottom of our property. These have a very dark, almost black skin but the avocado insides are delicious. And, our apple bananas are all ripening at the same time so I have 200+ to give away quickly. Table tennis is fun here in Kohala has all the players are improving. Happy Thanksgiving to all and keep in touch. Aloha!

10/7/2018 8:38am

Aloha everyone and thanks for the emails, texts and calls. My new non profit venture, https://howzitkohala.com has been doing great with over 200 likes in just a few weeks of existence! I also have a Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/howzitkohala/ and a Twitter account https://twitter.com/howzitkohala I have been adding more and more to my webpage for news, sports, humor and more. I plan to start podcasts and on demand video as well as live video feeds also. I'll be setting up Youtube and more. Plus, I haven't forgotten about table tennis. I'm giving lessons here in North Kohala Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and well as in Waimea on Mondays & Wednesdays. We have a USATT Sanctioned Tournament in November, in Hilo. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2018hawaiiislandopen.htm We have been getting many avocados this year, with 4 varieties growing on our property. Plus, we have plenty of bananas, freezing them for smoothies, as well as I had 16 white & golden pineapples that tasted delicious. I have 1 more almost ready to pick and another blooming. After having some trees removed, we are hoping for many mangos next year. Audi is now 12 years old, and Koa & Tuxxie are fine. Debbie is also good, still tutoring at school. Keep in touch...

9/24/2018 6:42am

Aloha All! Lots going on with me recently. I parted ways with Kohala Radio after almost 4 years of volunteering 24/7/365 for them, as we have a difference of opinion on ways to manage. That's actually fine as it gives me much more free time and so much less stress. It allows me to focus more on table tennis and other things I have not been able to get to do. I was able to take a trip to Phoenix, see my son and spend a week playing some table tennis and eating at my favorite places. I was able to start a new non profit venture; an online information website, https://howzitkohala.com where I post news, sports, emergency info, and other information important to the Kohala Community, commercial and non-commercial. If you get a chance click on the website, check it out, pass the site on to others, and let me know your thoughts. I hope to be able to take a few more trips, maybe even going to some table tennis camps, exercise more, and hopefully improve my endurance and strength again which has suffered during my overdoing for the radio station. Debbie and the animals are all doing well, with Audi turning 12 years old in August. Let me hear from you and take care.

7/18/2018 11:20am

WOW! I cannot even believe it has been such a long time since my last entry. Yep, I'm still alive and kicking; so no cheering yet.... The radio station, table tennis, my animals, my family, all doing great! Yes, a small portion of our Island is in trouble with the volcano eruption and over 700 homes and structures have been destroyed. Thankfully, that is the southeastern portion of the Island, about 100 miles from us in the North Western tip of the Island. We have very little VOG. You can check air quality on our island here: https://www.purpleair.com/map?&zoom=10&detailsshowing=11636&lat=20.029170184869653&lng=-155.89103633880615&clustersize=31&orderby=L&latr=1.1521604661476843&lngr=2.63671875 I just returned from a long fun eventful trip to the Mainland. I saw my daughter, soninlaw, grandchildren in Denver, saw my son in Arizona, and then went to Vegas to watch the 2018 US Nationals Table Tennis Tournament. I had the pleasured to watch my son Matt play and he did very well. He beat a few players with higher ratings than he and lost to nobody lower. Good going Matt! There's a tournament on Oahu this coming weekend and I hipe everyone has fun. I have a few students that will be playing there. Audi is doing well, although he is getting older, almost 12 now. Koa is doing fine as is Tuxxie. We just had air conditioning installed in our house and the garage. It is so much better giving lessons in the garage now. We also had insulation added to the attic which really helps and a few new fans installed. I had a health problem in Denver which landed me in the emergency room but thanks to my daughter and a neighbor doctor of hers, all is great now. I learned a lot from that experience. I'm still hosting my radio show each Saturday from 7am to 11am Hawaii time on 96.1FM, KNKR which is also streamed live at www.knkr.org so you can listen anywhere. I am loving my new HP Spectre laptop and my new travel bag for the plane. I will be more frequent on here and thanks for reading. Let me hear from you. ALOHA!

1/31/2018 8:50am

Happy New Year....LOL, I know a bit late. Been a fast 2+ months with KNKR Kohala Radio and table tennis taking up most of my time. .....which I thoroughly enjoy. Scheduled our next USATT Tournament for weekend of April 13-15. Information and entry at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2018bigislandopen.htm Also, our North Kohala Table Tennis Club has been growing lately, having as many as 5 tables going the entire night! But, never enough players, so come on down. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawittc.htm I'm coaching the full 3 hours each Monday & Wednesday in Waimea and still available for lessons at my home in North Kohala. I am looking forward to the new Samsung S9+ coming soon. I got a new cabinet in my small office and that really helped cleaning up my now spotless office! KNKR Radio is going strong with a few new shows coming on and hopefully, more new shows coming soon. We had that fake missile alert a few weeks ago and wouldn't you know it; I was live on air doing my show when it happened! That was a real experience that I have learned from. Of course, glad it was a false alarm and they finally fired the employee that did it...and he now says he did it intentionally, not an accident as he believed it to be real. Avocado season is over for our trees and we are now having some fresh bananas and a few more months pineapples will be ready again. We also have some oranges. Debbie is still tutoring at the local public elementary school 4 days a week. Hope everything is going great for you. Aloha till next time.

11/19/2017 12:58pm

Just uploaded the slideshow & video for my trip last week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NArzovCUcXk&t=25s It's also on my Facebook page.

11/11/2017 12:17pm

What a fantastic week I just had. I'm glad it's over but also would never want to have missed it. We had our 2017 Hawaii Island Open Table Tennis Tournament, results here http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2017hawaiiislandopen.htm last weekend which went very well. We had 32 adults and 16 juniors play and a good time was had by all, especially the winners. Then, I went to Oahu with Debbie on Monday. I had my son & daughter fly in from the Mainland and all of us arrived on Oahu within 45 minutes of each other, taxi waiting, and we were taken to the Kahala Resort where we enjoyed the next few days. We ate at some of my favorite places, celebrating my "big" birthday, at Nobu and Hy's and eating big buffets each morning. I think I gained 5+ pounds. Lauri went home on Thursday night and Matt is leaving tonight, Saturday. Deb came home Thursday as I went to Kauai. I met 2 friends of mine on the Island of Kauai 25 years ago, when they were on their honeymoon, from Belgium. We became good friends and have visited each other from time to time. They were here to celebrate 25 years of marriage and it was perfect. They came to dinner twice and then I met them on Kauai. We recreated our first meeting; AMAZING! I took 360 degree video with a camera my kids bought me for my birthday and the video is great. Posting it on YouTube and will put link here soon. Now trying to get back into my routine, just need to lose some weight. Aloha!

10/31/2017 6:19am

Long time between blogs...Busy at KNKR, our local community radio station. We have the 2017 Hawaii Island Open Table Tennis Tournament this coming weekend in Hilo. We have a smaller group than last year but still a good mix of players; 2 that are over 2350. It will be cozy and plenty of time to play so no delays. Then Monday I leave for Honolulu to celebrate a birthday. My son and daughter are flying in, also on Monday to Honolulu, and I'll get to see them both till Thursday. Should be a fun short trip with plenty of great food at my favorite Honolulu restaurants. And then I was treated to a real surprise. My European friends/family thay I met way way back in 1992 on the Island of Kauai, from Belgium, arrived today on Oahu to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary! Yes, I met them when they were on their honeymoon. So, what a hreat surprise for me to be able to spend a few dinners with them again and then they go back to Kauai before going back home to Belgium. Well, I am going to spend 1 day on Kauai with them to re-enact our first historic meeting. I am so much looking forward to it. I got in the new XIOM Feel blades. I have tested 1 of them and sold 2 others already. They are unique and really do allow you to feel the ball; if that helps your style of play. XIOM is really growing in their product line and innovations. You may want to check them out. Also, my kids gave me a new Samsung Gear 360 camera that is simply incredible in that it take fully 360 degree pictures and video. Online you can move around within the picture or video in real time. It is amazing. Aloha for now....and Happy Halloween.

8/29/2017 7:42am

SO many things happening all at once....Some new players have been playing in Waimea and Kohala recently which is great. The North Kohala Table Tennis Club has moved to a new facility that is fully AIR CONDITIONED, tile floor, good lighting, plenty of parking. Playing every Tuesday & Thursday, more info at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawittc.htm Some changes recently at our local radio station, KNKR, and now I have become the new Programming Director so busy busy. We have a few new shows starting up this week and a few more coming in next few weeks. We need more but it is exciting. Deb's birthday is next week. In November, my birthday this year brings with it Medicare...oy veh! So searching which insurance plan to go with. Also, I just got my Hawaii Drivers License after living here over 10 years. My thoughts and positive energy goes out to the people in Texas being hurt or worse from Hurricane Harvey. Hawaii is well aware of what bad storms can do. I hope the rest of you are all doing well. Aloha!

8/2/2017 9:28am

Home sweet home in Hawi. I loved my trip to the Mainland. I got to spend time and see my son, my daughter, my son in law, and my grandchildren. I also got to meet my son's dog Vega. I enjoyed Vegas and the table tennis tournament. I actually watched every match my son played in and some of his shot are incredible. Got to see old friends and make a few new ones. But coming back home is always a treat too. Going to dinner with Lauri in Denver to The Palm and Nobu's new place was also fun. I got to share my grandson's birthday briefly as I left Denver on the day he turned 6. I was able to watch him and his sister dive off diving boards and they are amazing kids. If you are interested in seeing some of my pictures from the trip, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRI8E0jB__A I also went the NFCB Conference in Denver and learned a few important things about radio, the law, and journalism. I met with XIOM people while in Vegas and they have some exciting new blades and rubber coming out later this year. I hope everyone is well and let me hear from you. Aloha!

7/12/2017 3pm

Sitting here in Denver enjoying the time with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. I had a great time in Phoenix with my son and then in Vegas with him. I got to watch him play and get into quarter finals in the U-2400's and get 3rd place in the Adult Team Event, Division 1. Congrats Matt! Had an excellent dinner at The Palm and Nobu. I really loved the Diamondbacks game Matt & I went to; watched a super exciting fast paced game, had fantastic 2nd row seats, and saw a victory and excellent fireworks show. I also got a free Tee shirt! Had some good meetings with a few suppliers of equipment and lots of great new items coming soon. I have been selling some tables to clients in Hawaii recently. I get the freight at a really good price and have fast delivery from the mainland. And, because I am located in Hawaii, the clients appreciate my personal touch. If you need equipment or a table, let me know....Having fun here in Denver, eating, talking, visiting, catching up, seeing things, and more. Next week is the Conference here in Denver for the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. I'll be there and hoping to learn a lot for KNKR. Aloha!

6/13/2017 7:12am

And you thought I forgot about this blog....I have been so busy with so many other things that honestly, table tennis has been somewhat on the back burner. KNKR radio is taking much of my time and energy. The station is doing really good, lots of music, news, sports and stuff on KNKR. We are doing live remotes and I still have my show Saturday mornings; SwapShop at 7am, then Those Were Da Days from 8-11am. We got a new TV here at the house this week. It truly is amazing how technology keeps improving. I recall 6 years ago getting the newest top of the line Sony Bravia TV and couldn't stop looking at it; how great the colors were as well as the picture clarity and sharpness. Well, we just got the new 2017 LG Oled 65" and it is just crazy great. 4K is amazing and all the colors are tremendous. These TV's are really smart...LOL. Anyway, I love this new toy; easy to set up and fun to watch. I have a Roku but with this TV, don't need it. Anybody use Roku and find a need after having a really smart TV? Let me know. I'm preparing for my ttrip to see my son in Phoenix, then head to Vegas for the US National Table Tennis Championships, then off to Denver to see my daughter and grandchildren and while there, attend a low power radio conference which should be fun and educational. I am very much looking forward to seeing my son and daughter and family; haven't seen them since December 2015. I have a huge crop of white pineapples this year. So yummy. Sadly, our mango and avocado crops are very small this year and our bananas are still going strong. Having fun playing table tennis every Thursday uip here at the Intergenerational Center and Mondays & Wednesdays in Waimea. I am still coaching close to 10 hours and enjoying it. Let me hear from you. Aloha!

4/24/2017 8:46am

Yep, its me again. Aloha! I have been pretty darn busy with the radio station KNKR, table tennis, and my back, etc. Thankfully, after trying massage, acupuncture, and the Chiropractor, my back has begun to get back to normal. I started lifting light weights again and hopefully will get back some of the muscle I have lost. We had a nice tournament in Waimea and I want to thank all the clubs that had club members enter and participate making it a very enjoyable experience for all. The next USATT Sanctioned Tournament on the Big Island will be in November in Hilo and also be the Aloha State USATT Championships. The exact date isn't set yet but will be announced as soon as it is confirmed. Some people are working on getting sponsorships and increasing the prize money significantly which would increase the likeliness of more Mainland players coming and playing. I am giving more and more lessons these days to some new players which is great as I love seeing new players get involved in our sport, and see their continued improvement. I plan to go to Las Vegas & Denver this July to see my kids, family, and the USATT US Open. It's always great to see family and old friends and also to go to my favorite places to eat! I am excited as this year I have currently 22 pineapples growing in my patch, most are white pineapples, a bit smaller and sweeter than the golden ones. Last year I had 16. Our avocados are starting to grow and some should be ready soon, then comes fighting with the dogs over who eat them. LOL...The dogs love them and add about 10 pounds during the season. Debbie then puts them on a diet, so funny. Thanks for reading and staying in touch, Aloha!

3/8/2017 6:20am

Been awhile I know. Sadly, my back went out on me and that was almost a month ago and I am not really able to get around very well still. Getting older is no fun and not for the faint of heart. haha I have had to cancel my coaching lessons and have not played. Also, this has prevented me from exercising so no fun. My muscles and body in general are definitely feeling the bad effects and I need to refocus and start some strength exercises and weight lifting as soon as I can. And, I have tried a few new things recently. But first, very sad here past 2 weeks as Deb's nephew tragically died in St Louis causing her to spend a week back there at this difficult time for her family. My sincere condolences to all involved. It was such a shame. She returned Sunday. So, last week due to my injury/soreness, I went to get acupuncture for first time in my life. I did enjoy the experience but cannot say I got any relief or change in pain from it so I had a very experienced and very qualified massage therapist come to my home. He was super, 1 of the most thorough therapeutic massages I ever got; however, I think he relieved some muscle tension and exposed and inflamed my sciatic nerve (I do not in any way at all blame him and will DEFINITELY use him for massages in the future), and since then, I have trouble even walking or putting weight on my left leg and the pain is absolutely excruciating at times. So, Monday I went to the chiropractor. I enjoyed that experience and going again later today. I am hopeful this will help. I guess there are a myriad of things going on with my body and I just have to learn. Our radio station is moving along very nicely. We just started Underwriting and have a few reps selling spots. In just a little over a month, we have 8 accounts and I believe many more coming very soon. Next week will begin our first week of all the spots. This will help KNKR pay its annual obligations and continue our equipment maintenance program and upgrade. Our April tournament is coming soon so get your entries in and expect a fun event. Aloha!

1/29/2017 9:52am

Aloha All. We have received final approval from the State and USATT so our 2017 Big Island Open, a 2 Star USATT Sanctioned Tournament has been finalized and officially scheduled. It takes place Saturday & Sunday April 8 & 9, 2017. Many of the events have entry limits so please enter early to avoid disappointment. Online entry and other tournament information is at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2017bigislandopen.htm A few new players have been showing up at the clubs on the Island and welcome to Brandon from Florida, a 2000+ rated player that recently moved here and will be going to Hilo on Sundays and Waimea on Wednesdays soon. He was lots of fun to hit with last week. He has some good serves and a unique style. It hasn't stopped raining here in Kohala! Our driveway is so muddy as is most places in Kohala. I guess we should be thankful, no drought here! KNKR Radio is alive and kicking it...on 7 days a week till 10pm, most Saturdays till midnight. I'm still having fun hosting SwapShop Saturday mornings and then Those Were Da Days. You can listen online live, www.knkr.org, and my shows start Saturday morning at 7am Hawaii Time. Yep, I still watch the funny wrestling shows that I was a part of years ago; escape entertainment! And, today is my 2nd favorite of the year; The Royal Rumble. See you all soon. Aloha!

1/22/2017 8:34am

Where do we start! So much has happened in the past 2 months. I have learned so much about the human body and explored many new things. We have a new US President, the US Open Table Tennis Tournament is history, KNKR continues to grow and new programs are being added as well as new opportunities. The Waimea & Kohala Table Tennis Clubs have experienced more players showing up to play of late and some visitors from the Mainland have come to play there as well as players from other islands that are visiting. We will hopefully have our annual 2017 USATT Sanctioned 2 Star Big Island Open in Waimea in April at the Thelma Parker Gym, awaiting final approval as some scheduling procedures have changed lately. I personally continue to train when I can and do normal weight lifting exercises, etc. I have gone to the doctor a few times recently as things are good for now. I am really liking my new XIOM shoes and a lot of their other items. John R and I were just talking last Wednesday on how great our XIOM tables are looking and that we have had them about 2 years now and they are as good as new. Well, I looked and today is actually 3 years from the day we assembled them and they are as good as new; amazing tables for the price! Audi is 10+ years old now and Koa 4 as well as Tuxxie. Time sure does fly by quicker and quicker. Tuesday will be 9 years since I started this blog and we actually bought this house back in July, 2007, almost a full decade ago; simply amazing; where has the time gone! I hope everyone has a great 2017 and keep in touch. Aloha!

11/17/2016 6:54am

Some great news yesterday as my medical test and biopsy came back negative; so, you will have to put up with me a bit longer! I think I'm going to discuss this episode on my early show this Saturday, 7am, KNKR radio, www.knkr.org streamed. Aloha!

11/13/2016 12:23pm

So many things are changed from 30 days ago! The Chicago Cubs have actually really won The World Series; FANTASTIC. I still want my Diamondbacks to win, but The Cubs have a place in my heart, of course, and they are definitely my 2nd favorite team and so happy they won a world series in my lifetime. Donald Trump was elected President. The 2016 Hawaii Island Open/Aloha State Championship was a great success in Hilo last weekend with close to 70 total players participating. Results are online at RESULTS. KNKR Radio, 96.1FM Kohala, is going strong with live shows till midnight 2 days a week, till 10pm on others, and starting 7 days a week at 7am. I have been back and forth to Oahu 3 times in past few weeks for medical tests. I took an MRI test that is on the cutting edge of technology, in a T3 (Tesla 3). Tim is back playing and starting in January, we will train a few times each week, starting early in the morning; training I really like for table tennis, lots of multi-ball and footwork. The North Kohala Club is steadily growing with a new couple showing up to play last week and even 2 school students showed up to play. We had all tables going from 6-8:10pm. A very happy Thanksgiving to all. Aloha!

10/9/2016 8:37am

So many things have been going on here of late, some of which I won't discuss at this time. We have the 2016 Hawaii Island Open/Aloha State Championships coming soon to Hilo, November 4-6. Enter now at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016hawaiiislandopen.htm Debbie has been making some great Chicago Pan pizza lately, delicious; along with super tasting hot wings. More players have been showing up of late at the Thursday night Kohala Table Tennis Club gatherings. Still going to Waimea and slowly building up there also. KNKR Radio is moving along faster and faster, now on till midnight Saturdays and at least 10pm, all other days except Mondays. The Ironman World Championships took place on our Island yesterday. Our volcano is overly active with beautiful lava flow sightings. The Cubs are hopefully on their way to their first World Series Win since 1908; would be amazing. Another Presidential debate today. Public schools on fall break this coming week. Stay tuned for more stuff soon. Aloha

8/25/2016 9:52am

The 2016 Kona Tournament is over and on to the biggest tournament on The Big Island, The 2016 Hawaii Island Open & Aloha State Championships, November 4-6, 2016. The Hilo Club always goes way out to host all the players and the Hilo Club players participate heavily making it a great event. Players will be coming from Oahu, Kauai, Maui, The Mainland to play. I know of a player also coming from Australia. Get your entries in early to insure your spot as some events will fill up. It was fun and a learning experience spending a few days with Carlos Ko from Oahu, a great player and very friendly guy. Today is my granddaughter's 8th birthday; boy does time fly. This past week also brought anniversaries of the deaths of both my mom in 2003 and my dad 2007. I have to go to the doctor in Hilo tomorrow, definitely not looking forward to this one...hoping it goes well. It isn't easy getting old; definitely not for the faint of heart. Audi (our dog son) turned 10 years old a week or so ago, he is so great! Yes, still hosting my weekly radio show available online at, www.knkr.org 8-11am Hawaii Time Saturdays, as well as hosting with Maggie, SwapShop from 7-8am. Aloha for now

8/11/2016 10:43am

This Saturday is Primary Election in Hawaii. We have had almost all 13 candidates for Mayor on our station, KNKR, and many candidates for other office. I hope the local residents get out the vote. During my Those Were Da Days Radio Show this Saturday, we will have a special live remote broadcast from the local polling place, getting some incite on how the vote is proceeding along, number of voters, issues that are important, and why voters voted the way they did. Lisa E will be our reporter on scene along with on site engineer, Pete S. Then, Sunday, 10am, we will present a special show recapping the results of the election with host Bob Martin, 3 special guests, and I'll also be there. Listen in at 96.1FM or online at knkr.org. Next Saturday, August 20, is the 2016 Kona Open USATT Sanctioned 2 Star Tournament. We have players coming from Maui and Oahu. We still have room and you can enter at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016konaopen.htm Audi turned 10 years old yesterday. Boy, do I love that dog and he loves me. He is always at my feet and follows me like a shadow. It really saddens me as he ages. Although he is still very active and extremely healthy; you know what I am thinking and it saddens me. He is amazing. Of course, we all have dogs or cats that know everything we think and feel. I wish dogs would have a lifespan of 50+ years! The Olympics are ongoing and we have, what a surprise (NOT!), a Chinese women's champion in Ding Ning and wew will have a Chinese Men's Champ in the next 4 hours, either Zhang Jike or Ma Long. This is their 3rd match in a short time, each winning one. It will be a special match. The Team events begin tomorrow. Good luck to USA. Aloha for now.

7/27/2016 10:00am

Went to Honolulu with Deb for a few days. We stayed at the beautiful Kahala Resort. Enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfasts; lots of lox and bagels! YUMMY. We had a great room with a view and all the employees there were great. I would definitely stay there again; quiet, beautiful, yet very close to everything. I was able to stop by for the Aloha Table Tennis Association Tournament and got to see some old friends, some good table tennis action, and watch a few of the Hawaii Island players that were there. Great to see all the players having fun with table tennis; over 70 players entered. I heard the food was nonstop also and everybody loved the experience. Had the pleasure of eating at a couple of great Honolulu Restaurants, Hy's Steak House and Nobu, and only gained another 3 pounds! Tropical Storm Darby has passed us by now and Mauna Loa & Mauna Kea were great, again, by deflecting the worst of it off Island. We did have some gusts around 35mph and a couple inches of rain, but were spared the worst. Darby then went to Maui and Oahu causing some major damage on Oahu. Our next tournament is August 20 in Kona. Enter now online. We received our shipment direct from South Korea for XIOM tables, 3 going to Maui, 4 to Hilo, and 3 to Waimea. They are fantastic tables, especially for the price. XIOM is a high quality brand, as is Butterfly, and others that we distribute. See you all soon. Aloha!

7/4/2016 9:47am

Aloha and Happy 4th of July to all! Lots has been going on here. We just celebrated a full 1 year anniversary of KNKR, 96.1FM being on the air! Amazing, when you scroll to the bottom of this page; we are over 8.5 years doing this Blog, already! WOW, where really does the time go? Leaving soon for a few exciting days in Honolulu. We'll be staying at a nice little resort on the beach, off the beaten path so it's not too crowded. We'll be able to stop by and watch a bit of the table tennis tournament there, enjoy the beach, the delicious daily buffet, and go to some of my favorite restaurants, including Nobu, Hy's, and more. The US Nationals are taking place now in Vegas and I know Matt is on his way there. Good luck to him and all his students as well as good luck to all the Hawaii players that are going. I have my new Samsung Gear VR that came free with my Galaxy S7 Edge. These 3d VR games, videos, pictures are simply amazing. One can only think how it will be in the next couple years. You will feel queasy with some, especially if you are afraid of heights! I started to push myself lately to do more elliptical exercise as well as more bowflex. Harder to keep fit as we age. Been to the doctor more than I want recently, and will see another one when in Honolulu. As my dad always said, "getting old is not for the faint of heart." We have our next USATT Sanctioned Tournament here in Kona August 20. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016konaopen.htm Aloha for now

5/12/2016 9:19am

Aloha All....KNKR Radio is doing very nicely, growing by leaps and bounds. Speaking of leaps & bounds, I play old episodes of Superman almost every week on my Those Were Da Days Show You can listen online at knkr.org or on your smartphone via the TuneIn App. We are live every Saturday, 7-10am Hawaii Time. Our April tournament in Waimea was a great success. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2016bigislandopen.htm And the next Hawaii USATT Sanctioned Tournament is in August. Info and entry online at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016konaopen.htm I am loving my new Samsung Galaxy S7Edge phone. It is fast, speaker is decent, and has good battery life with a fabulous camera. Deb is driving her new BMW X5 and loving it; allowing me to drive the "hand-me-down" Z4; and still have the truck to take the trash to the dump and other chores. Since I have been driving the Z4 lately, no room for a ham radio to be installed, so I purchased a dirt cheap BaoFeng DualBander. It is hard to program but once done, it has so many features...plus it is so cheap and small, so fits nicely in the Z. In Kohala, we now play at the Intergenerational Center instead of the large gym. We can use the gym if we want, but most of us actually prefer the smaller Center. It has good lightning, bathrooms, we are the only group at the time, and it is much quieter with good new tile floor. Only negative is the white everywhere, so takes awhile to get used to it. Come on Thursdays at 6pm for some fun. Aloha!

4/10/2016 7:43am

Another few weeks. We lost a great lady in the past 2 weeks on Island, Karen Fujiyama, Don's wife. She was one great lady! She helped the kids in Hilo, helped Don keep the Club in Hilo clean and neat, was loved by everyone, came to Kohala for training with Don, and was a pillar in the community. I went to her funeral in Hilo, glad I did and Karen will always be remembered. Our 2016 Big Island Open is this coming Saturday & Sunday in Waimea. If you are not playing, come by and cheer on the players. And, if you still would like to enter, let me know as we have some spaces available. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016bigislandopen.htm Debbie got a new car, a beautiful X5. It is so much fun to drive, great pep and so many fun options. And, the best part, I get to drive the Z4 more! I am also loving my new S7 Edge phone, but finding the best holster case with kickstand is causing me a bit of grief. LOL I have tried like 6 cases so far. The one I liked the best is no good as the phone is not stable within the holster; the cases I don't like as much fit more snug and thus safer to have. I just ordered another $7.95 case and hope this one does it all. But, the phone itself is great! Now, back to work....Aloha!

3/16/2016 9:30am

Aloha! If you're reading this, you know I have been away from my blog for almost 2 full months. I have really been busy with KNKR Radio as well as a number of other things. We have the 2016 Big Island Open coming in April http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2016bigislandopen.htm and there are now 3 other tournaments scheduled in Hawaii on our Tournament Page http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawaiiupcomingtournaments.htm Bananas have been ripening quickly with 7 bunches in the past 2 weeks. Each bunch has around 70-120 bananas, so I have been cutting many up to freeze for smoothies and giving many away. My pineapple field is doing well with 8 new pineapples starting to grow and another 8-10 to start soon. We have had our yard cleared of some old trees that were getting too large and unsightly, so soon we will be able to plant there; hopefully, tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, and more. It is baseball season now and KNKR is broadcasting all the home games of Kohala High School, softball and baseball. This is really keeping me busy, assisting our broadcasting crew led by Donovan & Sammie. Last week, we broadcast games on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday! Plus, still coaching and playing ping pong that also keeps me busy. This week and next is spring break for the schools, so Debbie is home resting & doing household projects. I ordered a new phone, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I should get it later today. Then, the long process of transferring everything over from my old phone starts! I am really loving my Lenovo Yoga 900; works great, fast and convenient. I'm looking forward to the DVD release April 1 of the new Star Wars movie. Congratulations to my son Matt for success in his new club in Phoenix, open everyday. Matt was also selected USATT Para Coach of the Year! Let me hear from you...Aloha!

1/21/2016 12:32pm

Been a long time since my last posting....LOL, as you know. My son, Matt has a new cute doggie, named Vega. I have been to the Mainland, was able to visit my daughter, son in law, and grandchildren, then enjoy the US Nationals in Vegas, and see Matt's new home, club, and spend some time in Phoenix. We are in 2016; boy, time flies these days. Our radio station, KNKR, 96.1fm, is growing as we are now broadcasting 7 days a week, from 7am to 8pm or later. Also, we have been broadcasting live many Kohala High School Sports, including football, boys & girls basketball, girls volleyball, and even soccer. We'll be broadcasting live baseball and softball when that season begins. The station is definitely keeping me busy. Also, table tennis is still going strong on the Island. The Kona Club is growing, Captain Cook Club is growing, as is Hilo, Waimea, & Kohala. I still do private lessons and get to play for myself a bit more than I used to. Tuxxie, our cat is doing well and bigger than ever. She is getting along very well with Audi & Koa. Lately, we have had many pigs roaming the neighborhood and are causing much barking from the neighborhood dogs. Sooner, rather than later, these pigs will be featured at luaus. Deb still tutors at the local public elementary school. Oranges are growing on our property, as are avacados, pineapples, passion fruit, bananas, and more. I love my new lawnmower, goes twice as fast as old one and cuts so much better. I'm on a new vitamin routine, hoping to gain a bit more endurance and become younger; LOL. We hope to have 2 USATT Sanctioned tournaments soon, one in April, Waimea, other in August, Kona. I've been using my Bowflex a bit more lately and no back pain so that is great. Ham radio continues and I wish we had a Kohala located repeater....still just a hope. Has been a bit dry here in Kohala until today; raining all day and we can use it. Deb & I have watched so many movies of late; many really good ones. We liked the new Star Wars, Out of Compton, Joy, The Reverant, Crimson Peak, and more. Looking forward to the new season of the Walking Dead, starting in 3 weeks. What do you think about the 2016 election politics? We now have Dengue Fever Outbreak on our Island, but thankfully, not yet in Kohala area, and hope never is. Listen to my weekly radio show, playing old old radio shows, tunes, and more, each Saturday morning, 7-10am Hawaii Time. You can listen at knkr.org or using the TuneIn app on your smartphone, or of course, on 96.1fm in Kohala. Aloha all and let me hear from you.

11/27/2015 9:40am

The 2015 Hawaii Island Open Tournament is now long gone and was a huge success with 74 players and over $1000.00 in cash given out. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015hawaiiislandopen.htm KNKR Radio is doing well and expanding its lineup. I am getting ready for my visit with my kids and grandkids and watching the US Nationals live in Vegas. Many players from Hawaii are going which should be fun. Today is Black Friday and the stores are crazy as well as online. I hope you get whatever you are looking for. The newest LG OLED 65" TV, slightly curved, is probably the best TV ever. I don't have one but all the reviewers say so. I have a new Nexus 9 Tablet that was on a special sale for $249 direct from them (32gb) about 3 weeks ago and really like it. I wish I could do more weight training but am so fearful of my back, so muscles getting flabby. We had a really nice Thanksgiving with Deb cooking deliciously, as always. The cheesecake & pecan pie desserts were fantastic too! I am liking my new zero turn mower more & more...so much faster and really cut the grass so much better. Aloha for now.

11/3/2015 8:10am

Had a really nice birthday brunch at Mauna Kea. That was my 1st course! This coming weekend is our 2015 Hawaii Island Open Table Tennis Tournament, so I am busy preparing. We have about 60 adults playing and close to 20 juniors! I'll be giving out $1000.00 in cash prizes, plus trophies, snacks, lunches, & more. Should be a fun event. KNKR radio is humming along and had fun doing my show on Halloween. I played the original Dracula, Frankenstein, and Was of the Worlds, along with spooky and scary music. I'm looking more and more at the new Yoga 900 Laptop now available; looks good. Aloha!

10/22/20105 7:33am

Hard to believe it has been so long since my last update. Time is moving too fast to keep up. Our 2015 Hawaii Island Open is coming very soon, November 6-8, in Hilo. It will be a great tournament with players coming from Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, and Oahu, so far, ranging in rating from new to 2350+. We also have $1000.00 in cash to give away along with trophies and lunch each day, plus snacks to all players. We can also guarantee lots of play, friends, and the Aloha Spirit. Our new radio station, KNKR, 96.1Fm is growing as we are now on air 7 days a week, from 7am to 6pm, soon expanding to evenings. We have broadcast 3 football games live from Kohala High School, plus girls volleyball. The basketball season is quickly upon us and we'll broadcast some of those games and then baseball, softball, soccer, and boys volleyball. Also this year has brought many tropical storms to us in the Central Pacific which has kept me very busy. I host 2 shows a week, Thursdays at noon, SwapShop; and Saturdays, 7-10am, Those Were Da Days, a show with old radio serials, songs, historical events, comedy and more. Anyone can listen to us in Kohala on 96.1fm, or anywhere via the Net at knkr.org, or using the free TuneIn App on your smartphone. I have been playing table tennis more & more of late (I know you think that would be impossible), but it is true. I have actually slightly improved much of my poor game; definitely a lifetime work in progress. Looking forward to my trip in December to Denver, Vegas, & Phoenix. It will be good to see my kids and old friends. I got a new lawn tractor, Scags Zero Turn 48", works great and I can mow all our yard in 35% less time. Took a bit to learn but now its fun to mow! Aloha!

9/14/2015 9:22am

Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends. I have been coaching the 3rd graders from Kohala Elementary on Fridays and that is fun. We had 5 tables going strong this past Thursday night in Kohala. It is strange as some weeks we have only 3 or 4 players and other weeks, over 10! We do have 7 tables available in Kohala, so more players are always welcome. We had a great KNKR, 96.1FM radio volunteer party this past Saturday night. The booze was flowing freely and the food was delicious. Also, we had bands performing all night. A fun time was had by all. I made all my reservations for my flights to the Mainland in December. I'll be going to the US Nationals Table Tennis Tournament, also, in Vegas, as well as Denver & Phoenix. I got my new Scags Riding Mower and it is great. The 3 blades vs my old 2 blade tractor is amazing. It cuts the grass differently, but better and in almost half the time. It goes up to 8mph and is zero turn. I do have a steep learning curve but enjoy it. We are expanding our programming at the radio station, actually, next week....more than doubling it. We will be on from 7am to 6pm Monday thru Saturday. My show is still Saturdays, 7-10am.

9/3/2015 7:01am

Aloha All and yes, it's really me! LOL So, as you probably have guessed by now, I have been a bit busy of late. Since my last posting, we had a fantastic tournament in Kona, courtesy of the Kona Club Location. It was a little warm in there, but all 39 players had fun, sweated alot, and enjoyed the food, friendship, and competition. The Hawaii Governor made a special proclamation for the day for table tennis and a good time was had by all. Mahalo to Coach Dan for all his effort getting the location secured, working with government agencies to secure new equipment, and so much more. All the results and more are at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015kona.htm Our next Island tournament will be in November in Hilo. It should be the largest tournament of the year with trophies and at least $900.00 in cash prizes to be awarded. Entry and info at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015hawaiiislandopen.htm There are a few players out of action for a short time due to other commitments or injuries. Get back soon as we miss you: Jeffrey, Lesi, John, David, Jim & a few others. Our Island is small and we need each and every player. There was a really nice article in the West Hawaii Paper about the Kona tournament; in fact, front page picture, and front page picture & article in Sports Section. http://westhawaiitoday.com/sports/local-sports/kona-hosts-first-table-tennis-tournament Happy birthday to my Grandson Austin and my granddaughter Bryn. Debbie's birthday is this Saturday, so early Happy Birthday Deb. I will be going to Denver in December to visit, then off to the US Nationals in Vegas, then back to Phoenix with Matt for a few days. So, what has been taking up all my time of late? Well, you know you know, LOL. Yep, KNKR, 96.1fm, www.knkr.org As you probably know, I am the News Director as well as host a 3 hour show Saturday mornings on our new local station. You can listen online on our website or you can get the TuneIn app on your smartphone, search for KNKR, and listen. The station is growing. I am also the sports director and we broadcast our first live football game this past Saturday which was a smashing success...thanks to our great broadcast team headed up by our sports anchor, Donovan Aiona. If you don't live here in Hawaii and don't read the news much, you wouldn't know what has really been taking up lots of my time; the unusual weather. Yes, here in the Central Pacific, we had 4 category 3+ hurricanes at the same time; a first EVER! Thankfully, The Big Island has the GREAT Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa which helps to shear them apart or steer them away from land and so far this season, we have been spared, but it is keeping me very busy; keeping our listeners informed. Whether it is Civil Defense messages or emergency reports from the Governor's Office or from NOAA, busy busy busy. We have had roads closed due to flooding on 3 or 4 occasions lately, and we had our Verizon as well as cable go out due to a huge brush fire. That was an experience. We now have a back up generator at our transmitter site and another backup generator coming to our studio very soon. Our new production studio is almost ready to go and we installed a new ham radio/scanner for emergencies. So, with weather, sports, news, and my show; I am over busy. Please keep reading, playing table tennis, listening to KNKR, and ....? I just ordered a new riding mower, zero turn John Deere which I should get tomorrow as mine has seen its best days. I did get almost 8 years out of it. (Can you believe we are in our 8th year on the Island) Aloha!

8/4/2015 9:39am

Tropical Storm Guillermo is approaching and will pass our island tomorrow, packing winds of up to 70mph. Luckily, the path has changed a bit and will push it further from us as it passes. We are still expecting lots of rain, some portions of the island can get up to 7". I am not against the rain at all; we need all we can get, but I hate high winds. Our radio station is now on 6 days a week, 7am-noon, with my show, SwapShop on Saturdays, 7-10am. You can hear it if you are in Kohala or online at knkr.org or on your smartphone using the TuneIn app. We plan to increase our programming schedule again as soon as we have more local programs to broadcast. Our next table tennis tournament is on the 16th in Kona; a USATT Sanctioned event. I really like the new XIOM shoes I have been wearing, fit well, made well, and are light and comfy. I'm looking at going to the Nationals in Vegas in December as well as Denver to see my daughter & grandchildren. So much more to write as I find time. Aloha

7/10/2015 3:50pm

It has been a very busy time for me lately, as I assist in the startup of a new radio station for my area, North Kohala. We have never had a local radio station here and reception, at best, is marginal from stations in Kona. We have always had to listen to stations on Maui till now. It is totally non-profit and non-commercial, and all volunteer. I am the News Director and host a weekly Swap Shop Show. Station is KNKR, 96.1fm, www.knkr.org. You can listen on line from that site or even on your smart phones using the Tune In app. Anyway, I have been very busy getting the station off the ground, along with about 8 others. Currently, the US Open Table Tennis Tournament is ongoing in Las Vegas. You can watch it streamed live at: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Table-Tennis/Features/2015/July/08/2015-US-Open-Live-Stream There are some Hawaii players there. Good luck to you all. Our next USATT Sanctioned Tournament is a 2 Star Event in Kona, on Sunday, August 16. This is the first tournament in Kona and it will be big. Dan Millare has gone overboard publicizing it so we actually expect a large spectator crowd, along with maybe some good newspaper publicity. We should have some good food, new players, and lots of fun. You can get all the information and enter online at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015konaaugustopen.htm

6/25/2015 6:21am

OK, ok, ok; I know it has been a full month since my last entry. It's truly hard to believe time goes so fast. We had our tournament in Waimea which was a thorough success, even though we had a small turnout. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015junerr.htm The following weekend, on Oahu, The Aloha Table Tennis Association has their Team Tournament with great success! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015alohattasummer.htm Table tennis is obviously alive and well in Hawaii! Matt's Club in Phoenix is growing, I have been giving more lessons of late, and the overall skill level of local players is rising steadily. The US Open in Vegas happens in a few short weeks and table tennis worldwide is growing, with more and more information coming out on its health benefits, low injury risks, inexpensive to play, and so many more positives. We have the newly created 2015 Kona Open Table Tennis Tournament, a USATT 2Star Sanctioned Event Tournament, coming in August. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015konaaugustopen.htm The Kona Club has just received 8 new Stiga Scoreboards, 40 new Stiga barrier, and 8 new Butterfly net sets; so they are more than ready to host a great tournament. Aside from all that, our little local radio station I am involved in starting, is almost there. We have been testing and I have personally gone "live" a number of times with music, talk, PSAs, news, and more to test. We have our phones in to take on air calls and just yesterday, we received our huge order of items to build out the production room and live band performance rooms. We will now have the ability to pre-record shows, do audio editing, and so much more. I'll be hosting a show on Saturday mornings, called SwapShop, which allows listeners to call in and buy, sell, or trade, almost anything. We will also stream out radio station live on the Internet, at KNKR.ORG, so listeners worldwide can tune in. In fact, from July 3-6, we have a huge 2015 Kohala Reunion, a get together that happens every 5 years; and we will broadcast live from it for 4 hours each day. So, lots going on which is my tiny excuse for not writing in my blog a bit more. Thanks for reading and don't be shy to comment. Aloha!

5/25/2015 8:49am

Celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary yesterday, capping it off with a very nice dinner at Roys in Waikoloa. Matt has opened his new Club in Phoenix. It has 4 tables and is open every day. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/phxttm.htm Annual & monthly membership is available as well as daily drop-ins. Today is Memorial Day so honor those that died for our liberty. I have been very busy of late helping others start our new community radio station, KNKR 96.1fm. http://knkr.org/ I have volunteered to be the News Director, which will be a very busy job I am afraid; and, I will host a show every Saturday morning, Kohala Swapshop, basically a classified ads show on the radio. I guess, as News Director, I may also do some news stories. I am also involved in getting the phones & internet installed, which has already been done and now looking at a hybrid phone system for callers to call into the radio shows as well as getting remote equipment so we can do live broadcasts from sporting events and other situations. I have been using the new seamless plastic balls of late and really like them. They are easy to get used to and they seem to last forever. We broke a few of the new Nittaku seamed plastic 40+ balls, but haven't yet broke any of the seamless ones made by X company. Also, their price is really good! I got a pair of the new Blue colored XIOM shoes and they feel great! The Maui Table Tennis Club is soon to have a new ping pong table; I like growth! And the Aloha Club on Oahu has their Team Tournament next month, a week after our small fun filled Waimea event. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015junesuperrrhandicapdoubles.htm The grass has been growing here very fast of late, causing me to mow every week. Also, I have 9, yes 9, pineapples getting closer to being picked. Some are the normal ones and some are the sweeter white ones. I love pineapples and this is my biggest crop ever! I coached over 30 3rd graders last week at the Gym for school field trip. They had a good time and all learned to properly grip a racket and balance a ball on it. Make your plans now for our August tournament in Kona and the large tournament in November, in Hilo. Aloha!

4/23/2015 9:53am

Our house sold and closed in Phoenix and Matt has purchased a new home in Phoenix. His new home has a large 1800 sq foot building on the property that he plans to have a 4 table full time club at; good luck Matt! He has plans for membership, leagues, open play, private & group lessons, junior programs, and more. When it is all "a go"; we'll bring you the news! We had a tremendous KNKR 96.1FM Open House this past Saturday. Pictures are up in many places and now, thanks to Carol, we have a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPvd9X1Np0M It was edited really well and is very upbeat giving you a taste of what went on and a longing to see more... Well over 100 visitors attended so the word is getting out and each visitor received a special KNKR radio. The updated USATT ratings are now available after the Waimea Tournament. I listed current Hawaii players ratings at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/ratingshawaii.htm Our newest cat, Tuxxie has made friends with all our other animal family, and all 4 of them were in our bedroom sleeping last night! I have a brand new Butterfly Centrefold at my Hawi location now, making 4 Butterfly Centrefolds! That is way too many so I am donating my 2 older Centrefolds to the Waimea Club. I am needing a truck to take the 2 tables to Waimea so, if you have one and are willing to help.....As the News Director for KNKR, I just got a new portable high end digital recorder for interviews. Who will be my first victim to interview! Aloha!

4/14/2015 8:44am

We had our 3 day tournament in Waimea and it was fun and successful. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015bigislandopen.htm I want to give a personal HUGE MAHALO to all the players that were so kind to sign a thank you card for my table tennis passion and give me a very nice gift; which was, of course, not necessary, but very much appreciated. It is extremely gratifying and humbling to know that I have had a small part in assisting the growth of table tennis on the Island and in Hawaii and that it is appreciated. We used the new plastic balls, mostly the new generation Yinhe no seam ball; and not one broke during the entire tournament. I appreciate all the players supporting the 5 active clubs on the Island and hope growth continues. Our next tournament is NON Sanctioned and will be in Waimea. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015junesuperrrhandicapdoubles.htm This tournament will be a great tuneup for a tournament on Oahu the following week. This Saturday is our new radio station, KNKR 96.1FM Open House, 10am-noon. Our newest cat, Tuxxie, has been bringing presents to Debbie on a daily basis of late...a new baby mouse for the past few days! Aloha

4/8/2015 12:04pm

This weekend is our next tournament; 10-12th, at Thelma Parker Gym. I hope you are entered, otherwise stop by and enjoy the action. Our new radio station, www.knkr.org KNKR 96.1FM is coming along very nicely. We have some new shows that have been accepted, many hard working and devoted volunteers, and our on air studio is functioning, with a few more items to get done. Volunteers have painted all 3 studios and we should be ready for our KNKR Open House on the 18th from 10-noon. Audi was bit my a ferocious centipede and he had to go to the doctor. He is taking antibiotics as his left back foot swelled up big time. He is healing now, thankfully. The new plastic table tennis balls, no seam arrived and have been tested with very good results. There have been a few that were not perfectly round, but the same is true for the Nittaku 40+ seamed. I am guessing by this time next year, all the plastic balls will be just fine. They appear very easy to adjust to as they play very close to the cellulose, which has been the overall consensus worldwide. Not everyone agrees, of course, but then again, some players gave up the sport when they went to 40mm balls and the 11 point game; their loss. I have now uploaded close to 100 of my old Ham Radio & More Shows; having another 225+ left to go. Time is just flying by as it is hard to believe baseball has begun! Go Diamondbacks! We have officially sold and closed on our home in Phoenix so we are now Hawaiians, since we have no home to go back to. Aloha

3/14/2015 8:30am

Been so busy of late with our new radio station preparations; lots of fun, lots of learning, and lots of work. KNKR, 96.1FM Check out our new website. I volunteered to be the News Department Director, so more busy stuff. I am looking forward to it all as we will provide a great needed service to the Kohala area. I had the busiest coaching day since I moved to Hawaii, almost 8 years ago this past week; coaching/training from 8am to 7pm with only a 90 minute break. It was grueling but I really enjoyed it and pushing myself like that will help my endurance. I have successfully uploaded 68 of my vintage radio shows online so you can listen, available at http://www.hamradioandmore.com/shows.htm, including the last show I did which was a real barnburner with great callers and lots of my lovable sarcasm! I have about 265 more shows to go, so finish goal is end of this year. Our April tournament is just a month away so get in your entries now before some events are full. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015bigislandopen.htm Tuxxie, our newer adopted cat is roaming all over the house and loves to go onto the lanai. She loves her step siblings, Audi, Loco, and Koa. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm Wrestlemania is only a few short weeks away so I will be glued to my screen and the WWE Network for that. If you want to watch it, let me know and you're invited! Aloha

2/20/2015 1:16pm

Yep, had my colonoscopy this morning; so much fun! Love the delightful drink the night before and all the yummy Jello. Anyway, have more than 30 of my old radio shows digitized & uploaded...a nice trip back in time http://www.hamradioandmore.com/shows.htm Our new on air radio studio equipment should be arriving this coming week; excited to see it and have it all installed. We are looking for many more volunteers to help the station, including on air hosts and so much more. Let me know if you wish to volunteer. Been getting a very nice group in Waimea each week of late, exciting to see all the action. We also have 3 new players from Europe, working on Island for a year, and they are decent players and excited to play. Looking forward to our April tournament at Thelma Parker Gym, which will give us much more room and they have new lighting! The snake serve is so much fun to do; really enjoying trying to perfect it. Our newest cat, Tuxxie, is sure loving it here as she lays next to the dogs as well as our 18 year old cat Loco. They all seem to be getting along very nicely. Only problem with Tuxxie is that she loves to kill geckos...a real shame she doesn't instead, kill Coqui frogs!

2/9/2015 7:39am

After being in Phoenix to help clean up and clear out our home there; I sent back here to Hawaii, all the tapes of my nationally syndicated radio show I hosted for almost 7 years. I purchased an inexpensive cassette player that easily connects via USB to my laptop, and I have been slowly digitizing my shows. I have close to 700 hours of shows to do so it'll take me awhile. The shows can be found at this site: http://www.hamradioandmore.com/shows.htm I am mostly doing it for nostalgia but I do have some good interviews with Senator Barry Goldwater, Al Gross (inventor of the walkie talkie & so much more), Marconi's daughter, and others. Our new North Kohala Radio Station, KNKR 96.1fm is moving along. We have ordered the on-air studio equipment, walls have been broken, windows installed, fans installed, and so much more. And, I have volunteered to be the News Director, almost another full time job! Radio station info at: http://www.northkohalaradio.org/ We had our USATT Sanctioned tournament this past Saturday. The players had a great time with some fantastic action. I have sent all the info to the USATT already and we will see how fast the new system works on updating ratings. Results with pictures at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2015februaryrr.htm Mike Meier from California, an International Umpire came to play in it and it was enlightening and fun to have him there. The winner of the A Division was David DeMay from Alaska and great having him there to play also. We look forward to our April Tournament, a 2Star Sanctioned event held in Waimea over 3 days. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015bigislandopen.htm I'm having fun working on my snake and double reverse serves. They seem to be a bit awkward, thus causing weak service returns...a good thing. I will continue to try to perfect them. The quality of play on this Island has vastly improved within the past couple years with more players improving. It is not an easy road to travel, improvement in the sport of table tennis. It takes hard work, lots of drills, endurance training, coaching, and determination, but I believe it is well worth it, as it helps a person's mind and body. Aloha!

1/26/2015 7:43am

Been a very busy month. I have been coaching some new students as well as continuing with many others. I have also had the pleasure of coaching a few players that have visited from other places in the Country. I enjoyed the movie American Sniper and did not like Birdman. I have been using a new XIOM blade lately, with a straight handle. I never used a straight handle before and it did take some getting used to. I "think" I like it, but not sure if I like it more, less, or same. Conclusion coming later. Was in Phoenix for about a week cleaning out my home there of all my old junk (lots of it); then sending my daughter in Denver some furniture and other old memories of mine; making a dozen trips to Goodwill and still having Habitat pick up a ton of stuff. One does accumulate a lot in 30 years! The trip was nice in that I was able to see some really good old friends I haven't seen since the 90's. GREAT seeing Alex, John, Carl, Brenda, Filex, Mark, Joe & his son, Phong, Mike, Pete, & Matt of course. Also nice meeting Jesse & Larry and having dinner with them & Matt. Have our next tournament in Waimea in about 2 weeks, Super Round Robin with a fun handicap doubles event also. Nice turnouts lately in Waimea at the Club. KNKR is going strong. The on air studio equipment has been ordered, walls in the studio have been broke through, windows covered to prevent noise, glass walls put in and so much more. It is really exciting watching it all come together. Aloha

1/2/2015 10:23am

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. We had a super tournament in Waimea. Pictures, info, video, and results are all up at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2014handicap1200.htm Our next tournament is USATT Sanctioned, and is February 7 http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2015februarysuperrr.htm Have many meetings this coming week for KNKR which will keep me busy. Then the following week, I'm off to Phoenix to organize and discard many of my old things, more to keep me very busy. Lots going on lately. I updated some info recently on the Maui Table Tennis website as well as my Hawaii Places To Play page. I hope Maui TT continues to grow. I am always looking for places to add that have table tennis play available, to the public, anywhere in Hawaii. Please send me any info you have. Paddle Palace is now officially sponsoring all our Big Island Table Tennis Tournaments with Nittaku balls. We will be using the Nittaku 40+ (Plastic) Premiums as they become available, probably not for our February tournament, but certainly for all the others in 2015. Thank you Paddle Palace. Please remember that I am a loyal dealer for Paddle Palace, so anything you need, please order from me. Aloha for now and again, A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY, & PROSPEROUS 2015 to all.

12/24/2014 9:30am

For those interested in my slideshow/video of my trip to the Mainland, including pictures of delicious dinner at Nobu, 14 pound lobster at The Palm, all my kids & grandchildren, and the pictures from the US Nationals Table Tennis Tournament, file is at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lyrbna4mtxrcdtm/AAAGkF89kTllyn7RDixRBqrJa?dl=0 Enjoy! Aloha!

12/23/2014 9:07am

Had a great trip to the Mainland and back. As soon as I get on the plane heading to the Mainland, I can't wait to return back home. Anyway, flight was great to Denver and weather there was really nice for the week; a bit cold to me as I am spoiled, of course. On Saturday, we had lots of beautiful snow falling and the roads and airport were fine by the time we used them. Had a great time visiting my daughter, son in law, and grandchildren. I was able to watch them at acting class, swim lessons, gymnastics, and more. We ate at some great place, including my favorite, The Palm and a 5 pound lobster! I have pictures I will post soon. Then, another on time flight to Vegas, Super Shuttle to the hotel and a fast check in. My son showed up about 15 minutes after I arrived so timing was great. After a little table tennis practice with him, where I saw how bad I really am, we went to Nobu for a fantastic unreal delicious superb dinner! 8 courses of pure yum! Even Matt said it was really good. Pictures will be posted of that meal also. The US Nationals Tournament took place all week and there was great action. They used the new Nittaku 40+ plastic ball. Many pplayers complained that is was slower, less spin, and the biggest complaint; the ball just seems to die and not come out. Really, I saw so many top players totally miss the ball, much more than ever before. I am guessing they will adjust soon but it was very evident there was change in the air. Also, I had the pleasure of spending some time talking to the new USATT CEO, Gordon, and also enjoyed my time speaking to Stellan. What a treasure chest of knowledge he is! I learned much on this trip about the current techniques, strategy, drills, and coaching taking place in the sport now. Again, change is in the air. Was amazing to see "the old man", Jimmy Butler, win the US Men's Championship and a 12 year old girl in the women's final fell to Lily Zhang, but she'll be back again with many years to come of improvement. USA Women are going to be a force for years to come in this sport. I just hope the men's side can get better. I assisted in doing the web streaming commentary with Sean O'Neill on Friday morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZODc-8z2EI&list=PLd5ieGxtoitrz5DzEj8VX9CDwdyHke1yw&index=2 afternoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Jw0XmHuiU&index=3&list=PLd5ieGxtoitrz5DzEj8VX9CDwdyHke1yw I am excited to pass on the new techniques and what I learned to my students here and watch them progress. My flight back to Kona was a full 45 minutes early, which I liked. This Saturday, we have our next tournament in Waimea which should be fun. Non USATT Sanctioned and including a handicap event as well as a party, plenty of food, and annual Hawai'i Island Table Tennis Awards! A new blog entry with pictures, video, and tournament results coming next week. Have a GREAT Holiday! Aloha

12/03/2014 9:02am

Off to the Mainland to see my daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids, then on to the US Nationals Tournament. I am looking forward to seeing all the players in Vegas, including my son. It's always a drastic change from the small pool of players we have here on the Big Island. Every time I go to a major tournament, I am like a kid in a candy store, able to watch closely all the new techniques, serves, return of serves and more of the new crop of high level players. I always learn a few new things that helps me in coaching today's techniques, not the strokes and techniques from long ago. We have a new poly (plastic) ball to deal with, new rubbers with more spin and speed, better made blades with all sorts of new materials stuck in them. Also, the players of today are much more athletic than years ago as people are generally more healthy and strong. Anyway, I just sit back and soak in all the going-ons at the Nationals, and am excited to bring back that knowledge to pass on to my students. If you are going to be there and see me, please say hi. While in Denver I hope to eat at my favorite place anywhere to eat Lobster, The Palm; where I want a nice 5 pound Nova Scotia...yummy. Then, in Vegas, a trip to Nobu for the best Sushi anywhere! My biggest concerns are the climate in those places as I am definitely spoiled with the weather here. Also, I'm not exactly crazy happy about the 6 hour airplane trip in each direction. Then, when I return, our December tournament & year end party takes place. Enter early to guarantee your spot. Our new local community radio station, KNKR 96.1fm, is moving right along. We are actually having an antenna test early tomorrow morning to check potential coverage. As we are limited to 100 watts, it is a very local community station, but we will have an extremely diverse program schedule, featuring, news, weather, music of all genres, a swapshop, and special interest shows about local culture, history, and lifestyle. We will also broadcast local school sporting events and are partnered with the local public middle & high schools. Much work has to be done but we are inching closer and closer with a hope to be on the air in May or June. I am very thrilled to be a small part volunteer for the creation of this not for profit radio station and it's continued work on helping to keep it on the air and be an integral part of the local community. Our newer cat, Tuxxie is now spending some time inside the house and the other members of our family are letting her alone. That is a good thing. She is a cutie and seems to want to be around all of us, so she will be a full family member with all family privileges. We have many of our 2015 Hawaii tournaments listed on the upcoming tournaments page on this website. I you know of others or other places to play table tennis not listed on the "places to play" page, please let me know. Have a GREAT Holiday Season. Aloha

11/17/2014 10:45am

Last weekend was the 2014 Hawaii Island Open Tournament. Results, pictures, recap, video & more is already up at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2014hawaiiislandopen.htm Unfortunately, although the USATT had all the information to update ratings last Friday, they were behind and won't have our new ratings processed until the update this week. After that, the new ratings will be posted on that page also. I have updated proposed tournaments in Hawaii for next year and will be happy to add yours if you have a tournament scheduled in Hawaii during 2015. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawaiiupcomingtournaments.htm I am always looking for new places in Hawaii to play at so please send me any info on places to play I haven't yet listed at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawaiiplacestoplay.htm The Hilo event was a great success with 71 total players entered. All events were on time except for Saturday afternoon events, as we had 35 players in the Super Round Robin, the largest total we ever had. It went a bit long but everyone had fun and played 10 matches. BITTA served a great lunch for all and the tournament provided a good late afternoon snack. Sunday was great, with action at all tables. Yen defeated Noah in the Open Singles in a grueling 6 game match. The next tournament is our year end party and tournament in Waimea. Looking forward to going to Denver & Vegas in December; hope it'll be warm weather. I know I am kidding myself about that. Went to the Hamfest in Waimea this past Saturday & posted a few pictures on my page regarding the Ham Radio Club http://www.hamradioandmore.com/khrc.htm Our new North Kohala Radio Station that we are currently working on is moving along nicely. The antenna site is almost ready and our studio is on schedule to be remodeled along with purchasing all our equipment. It will be KNKR 96.1fm. I plan on doing a Saturday morning Swap Shop Show, also having some live reports from the Hawi Farmers Market across the street from our studio. It'll be nice doing some radio again. The last time I did a talk radio show was 1997, after being on over 70 stations Nationwide. The new plastic ball is making the rounds in table tennis and is the ball they will use in Vegas next month at the US Nationals. Our new cat, Tuxie is getting along better & better with our other animals, but still a ways to go. Time just flies by as my son will soon turn 30 years old as my daughter turns 33. Aloha

10/27/2014 10:46am

Today is the entry deadline for our November tournament. I hope you entered as it looks to be a fun event. The 2014 Men's World Cup (Table Tennis) was played yesterday. Zhang Jike won in a very hard fought match that went 7 full games. He also beat Timo Boll in the semi's, also a really hard fought 7 game match. If you haven't watched those matches, you definitely should, as they are available online. Anyway, Jike was over enthusiastic after winning, and destroyed some court barriers. He has since apologized for his behavior. He is definitely being chastised by many that his behavior is not right and is bad for the sport and is also bad for the Country of China, that he represents. That may all be true. Jike is NOT the first athlete to be over excited in winning and do something stupid. Many athletes destroy property in anger; Jike did it in joy! I am in no way suggesting what he did was the right thing to do; but the ITTF took away his ENTIRE winning money. Does the punishment fit the crime? In tennis, there have been many "bad boys" and they are fined, not lose their entire winnings. In hockey, baseball, football, what happens? And, again, he did this from joy, not anger. I just feel the punishment is extreme for what he did. Fine him; make him repay for the barriers, suspend him a certain time period, but take away $45,000.00!, a bit extreme in my opinion. He will have to live with this and feel the wrath from China his entire life. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2246068-table-tennis-star-zhang-jikes-celebration-costs-him-all-45000-of-prize-money I'm looking forward to seeing my daughter, son in law, and grandchildren in Denver this December, and then on to Vegas for the US Nationals and to see my son. My mouth is watering already thinking about lobster at The Palm. I'm not very happy that the new Nittaku 40+ balls will be used at the Nationals, yet they are not even available yet. Doesn't seem right that players can't have the time needed to practice with a new type of ball. 4 weeks is not enough. Lava is beginning to reach areas of Puna & it will sadly cause evacuations and residents losing their homes. They knew about this possibility when they purchased on a volcano, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. Good luck to all. This is the same area of our Island that had the worst effects from Iselle, so they have been very unlucky in 2014. It looks like our North Kohala Radio Station, KNKR, 96.1fm is moving along nicely. We have the studio space now, the antenna site approved, and website. http://www.northkohalaradio.org/ Aloha

10/10/2014 9:59am

WOW, how time flies... My daughter got married 10 years ago today; simply amazing. The new Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro comes out within 3 weeks. It is a fantastic laptop. Check it out online. I love my Yoga 2 Pro and the 3 is that much better! Our November Tournament is fast approaching so get your entry in soon. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014hawaiiislandopen.htm Then, at the end of December we will have another tournament in Waimea, with a twist. It is also our THANK YOU YEAR END PARTY & ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION. Make your plans to attend, even if you don't plan to play; although it is a NON Sanctioned tournament so everyone can play and has handicap event included! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014handicap1200.htm Our local North Kohala Radio Station now has an FCC approved call sign & frequency; KNKR, 96.1fm. We also have a signed lease for our station studio, so all ahead full. http://www.northkohalaradio.org I plan on hosting a show on Saturday mornings which should be fun. It is lots of work getting a station on the air from scratch. Thanks to MANY MANY volunteers for getting it all done. The Kona Club continues to grow & promote table tennis on the Island. Congrats to the 5 active clubs on the Big Island for continuing to improve the skill level of table tennis being played and the number of players involved. I don't usually put "stuff" like this on my blog, BUT....I do stock table tennis items on the Island and am HAPPY to special order almost anything, all at great prices (never more than online sites); so if you need any table tennis supplies, please contact me directly. Why do business with people/companies off Island when I am here local & happy to assist. I am very accessible and happy to answer any and all questions regarding the sport. I am also available for private lessons, being the ONLY ITTF Certified Coach in Hawaii as well as the only USATT Certified Coach that has taken many USATT & ITTF sponsored coaching courses on the Mainland. OK, done promoting. In my almost 7 years of this blog, that was the first time I promoted sales. I have mentioned before that I have an ASUS TX300 laptop. I really loved the concept of the laptop but had many problems with it. I had to send it back for repair and was without it for almost 3 weeks. When it returned, I lost all my data, of course, and had to spend all the time reinstalling programs & data, etc. Now, yesterday, all the ports are broken and ASUS support says I need to return again. I am furious. I am now awaiting a callback from them as I have complained, but haven't heard yet and I am doubting good response. We shall see what happens. I suggest buy a Lenovo Yoga Pro! The new Nittaku 40+ Premium Poly ball should be available within the next week or so & am anxious to try it. I will give a review when I do. Let me hear your table tennis thoughts. Aloha

9/13/2014 8:18am

Just got the "time really flies" notice! Matt sent me a message that he plans to play in the Over 30's event at the Nationals in Vegas! OMG I remember him winning the Juniors in Phoenix just, yesterday? OMG is all I can say. Anyway, thinking about going to the Nationals this year & stopping to see my daughter, son in law, & grandchildren in Denver also. Have to be back for our end of year party & tournament, Saturday, December 27. We will be awarding our first annual year end Big Island Table Tennis Special Awards. Don't miss this special event with many more details coming soon. Be sure to enter the tournament, with special prizes, and a party afterwards! Had the pleasure of coaching 43 3rd graders yesterday in the great sport of table tennis. Thank you Dan Biron for assisting in setting up, taking down, & helping out. The kids learned about proper grip, basic rules, and had a great sweaty time. We do it again for the next 2 Fridays; can't wait! The new North Kohala Radio station, KNKR, 96.1fm, is getting closer & closer to reality, with a studio lease in place, antenna site set, and programming being planned. I'll host a weekly Saturday morning show dealing with buying, selling, & trading used items in the community as well as garage sales, estate sales, job openings, jobs wanted, and special live interaction at our Hawi Farmers Market. Should be a fun time and am looking forward to it as I have not had my radio show since 1998..hard to believe. The plastic ball is coming, and coming fast as the US Nationals in Vegas has declared they will be using the new Nittaku Premium 40+ ball at the tournament. Biggest problem is that particular ball is not even available until next month. Now that I got my ASUS TX300 laptop fixed under warranty, I have 2 laptops that I am using at the same time. I cannot make up my mind which I like better....so hard to choose. The ASUS TX300 (they replaced almost everything in it) or the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. Hard choices. Aloha!

8/30/2014 8:26am

The August tournament went off without a hitch. We had a great group of players that all had a good time, learned lots, ate well, and made new friends. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2014augustrr.htm has all the results & pictures. 9 New players received USATT ratings and all are looking forward to our next big 3 day tournament in Hilo, in November. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014hawaiiislandopen.htm Weather has been amazing of late. We went to the eye doctor last week & all is well. We have been using the new Nittaku plastic ball and it plays fine. There are subtle differences in play and sound compared to the normal cellulose balls, but after only a couple minutes of play, you get very used to it. I am looking forward to the new better Nittaku Premium Ball coming in October as reports have said they play great and last forever! Check out my Facebook page for a picture of a table layout we have been using lately to improve footwork. I'm currently using a Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 and really like its flexibility, not to mention 4K HD screen resolution. I ate the last of my current pineapple harvest. It was delicious as I had 1 yellow and 1 white pineapple. They really tasted great & am anxiously awaiting our next batch, a year from now. I start coaching table tennis to 3rd graders starting next Friday during school hours, at the gym. I have 21 kids for an hour. Aloha

8/20/2014 11:57am

OK, by now you are aware that our April 9th Tournament was postponed and will happen this Saturday, the 23rd. We lost a few players due to the date change, but added 3 players, so we actually netted 1. Iselle hit our island as a tropical storm, a strong one, then was sheared apart by Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa. It left our island with lots of rain, up to 12" in parts. At my home, we got a little over 7". Winds were bad on the southeast portion of the island, in the Puna, OceanView areas. Still as of today, 1200 people are without power! We lost our power for about 12 hours but then all was back to normal. We had one huge gust of wind around 11:30pm which sounded like the house was going to explode. I could not imagine that sound for 2+ hours. Other than that one huge gust, guessing in the 50+mph range, if I didn't know there was a hurricane coming, I would have just thought it was a normal bad rain storm. The winds were about 15-20mph sustained with occasional gust close to 30mph. Thankfully, no damage here. We are very thankful for our volcanoes, Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa, stopping the storm from hitting us and actually diverting the most dangerous parts from the other Hawaiian Islands. 1000's of trees were destroyed on the Island's East side as were many homes with roofs coming off and all the other problems associated to a major storm. Today is the 11th anniversary of my mom's death & tomorrow marks my dad's 7th anniversary of his death. A weird coincidence that they died 1 day apart, 4 years apart, and my children were born 1 day apart, 3 years apart. I have been playing with the new Nittaku plastic ball; not the really good one coming out in October, but the one made in China. Actually, we all like it. There are obvious differences from the all cellulose ball, but not enough to be so bad as to make us complain. I think the transition will be much easier than the transition was from 38 to 40mm and from 21 to 11 point games. My Asus TX300 laptop crapped out on me & is at their factory for repair...2 weeks of warranty time still left so thankfully, it broke just in time. I am also enjoying this Yoga 2 Pro while the Asus is being repaired. It is obvious that all computers have some nuances that make them less than 1000% perfect. Congratulations to Lily Zhang for winning the Bronze Medal in Youth Olympics; making history for USA!

8/6/2014 12:54pm

My friends from Belgium went back home & arrived home safely. I will miss them and really truly enjoyed seeing them again and spending as much time as we could together. What GREAT people! But now to the current news. HURRICANES COMING, yes, plural, 2 of them! Hopefully, the 2nd one will be just a tropical storm when it hits but the 1st one, coming tomorrow evening is now scheduled to hit our Island as a cat 1 Hurricane! All County building will be used as shelters, schools closed, all store shelves are empty, gas lines are long, and people are actually worried about this, not like normal around here, although some locals still say Mauna Kea will break it up before it hits. I hope they are correct. We bought a dual fuel generator, 20 gallons of gas in containers, lots of water, food/for us & the animals, picked up all our stuff outside, tied up furniture, brought our outdoor cat Tuxxie into the garage, charged up all our batteries, filled our auto gas tanks, cancelled our USATT Tournament for this Saturday, closed up our windows, and we are kinda ready. I will update on both Facebook & Twitter, if I can. Aloha!

7/28/2014 1:30pm

Well, some good news & some bad news; which you want first? Good news is the trip to Maui was very nice, albeit after a 2 hour wait at the Waimea airport due to bad weather. Was able to spend an evening with Ben and his friends and my friends from Belgium there one night, on the beach, for a great BBQ, some talk story, and uke playing. Then we had some great ice cream cake and a nice birthday for "uncle" Phil. My friends from Belgium are having a great trip; after seeing all of Oahu & Kauai, they went to Hana and covered the entire Island of Maui. They have been here since last Wednesday, meeting a few table tennis friends and driving all over the island. For the next 2 nights, they will be at Stewart & Lory's B&B in Hilo, back here Wednesday night, and their last 3 nights in Hawaii will be spent in grand style at the Hilton! WOW, time just flies by so darn fast. Our new outdoor cat, Tuxxie is enjoying her life and is getting spoiled rotten. Our next USATT Tournament is next Saturday, August 9 and we had the Waimea Sports Expo this past Saturday. Thank you to John Romoa and Ethan for spending lots of time there playing with all the kids that stopped by. I am guessing about 35-40 players came in all. Bad news? Well, my friends leave Sunday, too soon. And, my computer is dead, totally. So, i ordered a new one that should be here by end of week as I will need it for the tournament. And, my favorite dog of all time, Audi is not feeling well. He is at Vet now and I hope it is just upset stomach. I truly love that dog! Updates are slow till I get my new computer & load everything on it; not a fun job. Aloha

7/10/2014 8:38am

Just getting back to normal. I have found that as you age, changing your daily routine tires you out a lot! LOL Anyway, had a great time going to Oahu and seeing my good friends from Belgium. Spent the day with them just enjoying the company and seeing Honolulu. We did go to the Army Museum and walked the stores, then stopped at the Aloha Table Tennis Association new club. Billy & Alex wore really nice shirts! I can't wait to go to Maui soon, meeting my friends there for a few days before we all come back here together. They are doing a great job of promoting table tennis in Hawaii, partnering with charities to raise funds as well as table tennis awareness...a win/win. Am giving lessons to a few newer players this week which is always good as we always need new players wanting to improve. All the Clubs on the Big Island are doing well & growing. I am looking forward to our August & November tournaments. I have been observing many of the players and they all seem to be improving which is great. The new plastic ball is becoming more & more available. The US Nationals will be held in Las Vegas this December. Noah is giving lessons on Maui if you are there and want to improve your game. Our new outdoor cat, Tuxxie is a cutie and running everywhere. Aloha!

6/23/2014 5:48pm

Raise your hand if you know who pulled his back out, again! It's not as bad as sometimes, but I have been hobbling and sitting quietly the past 2+ days. I am hoping I can coach tomorrow. Therer is a ground swell of table tennis activity on our Island & in Hawaii, in general, of late. It's amazing how fast the Kona Club is growing and I am getting calls from "closet" players more & more of late. During our last tournament, I took a survey and found out the players want USATT Sanctioned Tournaments 97% to 1% against & 2% don't care. So, our August one day event is USATT Sanctioned! I also found out that almost every player wants to join an Island-wide table tennis league. In fact, nobody said they didn't want to with only a handful wanting more information before deciding. It is my intention to continue to pursue a league environment with the Big Island Clubs and try to create a framework where we could have a league with players in 2-4 divisions, and be able to alternate play at the different club locations. I am happy to hear from everyone with ideas on how to best accomplish this goal. I am one happy camper as I got the new Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, on Verizon. I had the S4 and loved it but this phone is faster, smoother, clearer, better pictures, even takes 4k video! And, the best part, it can now be rooted for even more tinkering, which I love! We just ordered a new one touch Jura coffee machine. It is an upgrade from the Jura machine we have loved the past 10+ years as this one touch makes lattes, espresso, cappuccino, & more. My best friends from Belgium arrive in Honolulu on July 4th. I will go there for a day to see them; then they are on their way to Kauai, then Maui (where we will meet them), and then we all come back to our home for 2 weeks before they return to Belgium. I am truly excited to see them as it has been more than 10 years. Our new cat, Tuxxie is enjoying life with Deb buying her toys, 2 houses, and more....and she lives outside 24/7. She looks exactly like our cat, Loco. I'm anxious to see the new Nittaku plastic ball as it is getting very good reviews. The US Nationals will be held in Vegas this December; 16-20. I haven't yet decided if I will go or not. Good luck to USA in World Cup Soccer, a shame they didn't win against Portugal, playing to a tie in the last 20 seconds. Let me hear from you. Aloha!

5/26/2014 7:38am

Memorial Day is here. Remember to honor all those brave men & women that dies to keep America free. Deb & I had our anniversary on Saturday. We had a great day & a delicious dinner. Have been giving some lessons of late to a few new players. Hopefully, they will show up around the Island to play sooner rather than later. The rain has stopped and it has been bone dry the past week. Our new outdoor cat, TUX, is enjoying his new life with Deb feeding, petting, and playing with him all the time. Our June Tournament is approaching soon and entries are coming in. Get yours in before it is filled & save late fee by entering before June 2. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014junesuperrrhandicapdoubles.htm The new Kona Club has 2 new XIOM tables on the ship, heading to the Big Island. The new club is growing fast, getting lots of Jun iors, and being run well by Dan Millare. I still have some openings at my home for private lessons, if you need some training. Tomorrow is the final day of coaching for me at Kohala Elementary School as summer vacation begins Friday. Aloha

5/13/2014 4:31pm

Not a lot new around here. Lots and lots of rain, that's for sure. No drought here in North Kohala! Coached a new player in Waimea yesterday; he will be very good, very quickly; as long as he continues to train, of course. Also, Allen from Kauai has moved here and is joining the Big Island table tennis community. That's great! The Kona Club is still growing and hopefully will get 2 new XIOM tables very soon. They now have an hour set aside twice per week just for the junior players; what a great idea. Good luck produces the next USA Olympic table tennis player.... Speaking of Allen leaving Kauai; now we need a new contact for that Island regarding table tennis. If somebody knows of a person, please let me know. I enjoyed listening to my friend Adam Bobrow doing the commentary for the Table Tennis World Championships. I guess, as we age, lots of sad news comes our way. 2 of my friends have parents that are near death, so sad and a good friend of mine for 40 years, that used to work for me, has a brain tumor. I wish her the absolute best. Those of you that know me for many years are all too aware that I know about brain tumors. Looking very forward to my friends from Belgium coming to visit in July as it's been almost 10 years since I last saw them. I am still using my Bowflex machine and playing table tennis more & more, still giving lessons, and enjoying life in Hawaii. Debbie has "saved" a wild cat that has come to visit us. She bought "it" (we don't know its sex yet), a house and feeds it a lot. She will trap it soon and make sure it is fixed. We named it Tux as it looks just like our other cat, Loco, but Tux will probably never come in the house, as our dogs will probably not tolerate another cat. I have 2 1/2 more weeks of coaching the students at Kohala Elementary School before their summer vacation begins. Our next tournament is in Waimea on June 14. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014junesuperrrhandicapdoubles.htm Send me your Hawaii news or other info. Aloha

4/23/2014 8:33am

Monday was a busy day. Gave a lesson at home, then went to Waimea & gave lessons. We had 2 guest players from Denmark visit. They were really great players, on their way to New Zealand to play in the Senior World Championships. It was fun hitting with each of them. Then John Romoa & I drove to Kona to give a basic beginner's clinic to the Kona Club. The Kona Club, headed up by Dan Millare, was there in strength. About 10 juniors & 20 adults were there. I spent about 90 minutes talking, teaching, and demonstrating some of the basics of the game. Hopefully it installed some enthusiasm in all and they will strive to be even better. The Kona Club is growing rapidly which is simply fantastic. The North Kohala low power radio station is continuing. We are programming the station, working on the antenna location, studio and more. The local schools are involved which is great so that the students can get technical skills, learn to speak better, and actually learn to be a radio station employee/owner/host. I just received a brand new XIOM blade which is not yet available to the public. I am testing it and so far, after only 1 day, liking it a lot. Also, I am trying Vega Japan rubber on my backhand. It has more control than what I am used to; thus a bit slower, but with more spin. We'll see how it does with my blocks, punches, & pushes. This Friday we will probably place our new order for shirts with our logo, so if you want one or more, and haven't ordered yet; please let me know ASAP. The new Aloha TTC on Oahu is getting involved with some charity events & is growing. Good luck to them. A table tennis player from Kauai is moving in a few weeks to The Big Island to help the table tennis community here...looking forward to him playing here regularly. I hope the rain will stop soon as it seems we have had rain for 8 weeks in a row here, every day. I have weeds growing everywhere! My really good friends from Belgium come to Hawaii July 4th for a full month. I am SO looking forward to seeing them again. I recently bought a new office chair, and we got new family room Stressless chairs. They are all remarkable and feel fantastic for my back. We also just purchased a new Tempur-Pedic mattress to replace our 13 year old one. This one is more firm which feels GREAT. Since upgrading all of this, thankfully, my back is not giving me any problems. I hope it continues. If you have lower back pain, I suggest you try these or contact me for my information about these. Lastly, I was very saddened to hear Monday that my daughter's dog was killed by a fox or coyote Sunday night. A real shame as we all love our pets as family. It is really even more sad when they die like that. Leila, the dog, was 10 years old. I always enjoyed playing with her when I visited & will miss her. Aloha

4/10/2014 6:54am

Great news! No, not that the tournament is over & everything went really really well. No, not that the tournament was fun and went so fast and all the players were so filled with the Aloha Spirit. No, not that there was some great table tennis action and the skill level has really gone up. Nope, not even that the food was nonstop delicious and abundant. And, no, not that we have our next tournament coming in June. The really great news is that my back is FINALLY feeling better & I am almost rid of my cold; and I am almost beginning to feel younger again! LOL Wrestlemania 30 & the WWE Hall of Fame happened this past weekend. It was a huge event & I enjoyed watching it, even though I missed it live due to the tournament. However, Tuesday night I was simply shocked to find out that the Ultimate Warrior, Jim Hellwig died Tuesday at around 5pm in Scottsdale. He collapsed & died. Poor guy as he just signed a lucrative "legends" deal with the WWE. He was on terrible terms with them for many years and all was made up over this past Wrestlemania week. He was 54 years old with a beautiful wife & 2 love little girls. So sad. I truly believe he was so excited to be back with the WWE and was the center of attention for the week, that due to his steroid use years ago; his body just couldn't take the new excitement & broke down. He will always be remembered as a great entertainer. Anyway, back to other reality. I think we will continue to have the 1 day non USATT Sanctioned tournament at the Waimea Community Center but the Sanctioned Waimea Tournament may be moved back to Thelma Parker Gym, as long as the tables, barriers, etc can be moved easily. We can use the extra room for more space, more tables; which would allow for more players to participate. The Kona Table Tennis Club is growing which is great to see with a number of players getting to the point of being seen as competition. My goal has always been to have a large Hawaii State Table Tennis League with all clubs participating with 3 divisions. It is closer than ever to a reality, at least on this Island, now that there is a Kona Club. I have been back to coaching on Thursdays at Kohala Elementary School & will continue until the school year ends in May. Enter soon for the June tournament so you don't get left out! Aloha

4/4/2014 7:04am

Now I know what it's like to be getting old! My back, as most of you know, has been giving me problems for the past 2 months...so we bought new family room furniture to help with that. I also bought a new office chair that holds my back better & feels great! OK, so what can be next since my back is doing better? Yep, I catch a bad cold (or worse?). So, I have this HUGE 3 day tournament starting later today, with almost every event filled up. Saturday will be a VERY long day, finishing very late as will Sunday and I just hope I make it through it. With my coughing, sneezing, aching, blowing my nose; it will be interesting. I can't wait to see how my announcing will do on our video streaming! Be sure to watch Saturday & Sunday. Anyway, I will get through it and I am predicting a very successful & fun tournament. Lots of new players coming from the new Kona Club as well as the "regulars" and players coming from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, & the Mainland. I am excited, pumped, and sick...LOL But somebody has to do it, right? Looking forward to Monday......Oh yeah, this weekend also features Wrestlemania 30. You may not like wrestling, and yes, we all know it is scripted, but I worked for the WWF(WWE) for almost 8 years & enjoyed every minute of it. I haven't missed a Wrestlemania since it began in 1984 with Hulk Hogan & Mr. T., Cyndi Lauper, Mohammed Ali, Liberace, & so many more. Now you can even watch it on the new WWE Network! (of course I have that). Have a great weekend...I know I will be a bit busy. Oh, did I mention the Diamondbacks are back playing baseball also! Aloha

3/17/2014 7:28am

Oh my aching back.....yes, back pain is no fun. Been bothering me for about 6 weeks now, on & off. I guess I will have it forever. So, I have actually taken 10 days off from coaching & playing table tennis. I will start again this coming Sunday. I am taking Aleve & resting my back as everyone has told me; we'll see if I heal this time. Matthew is in Rome now seeing the sites, then off to Venice & to coach a table tennis player at a tournament there. Such fun! Our next tournament is shaping up nicely for April 4-6. Enter ASAP if you haven't already. A new club just opened on Oahu, full time...good luck to the Aloha Table Tennis Association. Lots of Hawaii table tennis activity. My website's Places to Play page for Hawaii is growing with more clubs added, including a place to play on Lanai. Really good friends of mine, from Belgium, are coming to visit during the month of July; can hardly wait to see them. A friend of mine from Kauai has just purchased a home in Honakaa and will move here, giving our island another good table tennis player. Send me your ideas, suggestions, and comments. Aloha

2/27/2014 9:26am

Thankfully, my back is beginning to improve...slowly, but surely. I got a new Roku 3, love it with all its variables. Been coaching a few new players of late and thats always fun to see new players & watch them improve. Our April tournament is coming up soon. Still loving my XIOM shoes, rubber, and blade.

2/16//2014 8:55am

My back is still not up to where it should be. Guess I am REALLY getting old. I saw a page I did years back which has 42 players that took lessons with me & my son during an average week of training in Phoenix. It's a fairly long video but shows players from around 300 level to 2000+. It's quite interesting to watch the players we coached in a typical week. The approximate level of each player is shown as well as the player 9:26ams names listed on the page. Watch it..maybe you will see some of the things you need to improve. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/training%20week.htm Have some entries for the April tournament as there are limits on each event so enter early to avoid disappointment. The Hilo Tournament will be November 7-9. The new Kona Club is growing fast. Remember to register & post on our new table tennis forum http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/smf/ Hope my back gets better quick! Aloha

2/9/2014 9:29am

Another tournament successfully completed. The 2014 Handicap & Team Tournament in Waimea was a success with 8 teams & 17 players entered. The Team Event took a full 5 hours to complete and that was only because 1 team defaulted as exhausted; otherwise it could have taken another 90 minutes! And, that was only 8 teams and all matches only 2 out of 3! So, I am looking at having another team event sometime this year, but it would be the ONLY event of the day & start at 9am. I would love to have a real Team Event with 3 players on a team, if we have enough interest. Plenty of play, plenty of strategy, and fun. The new XIOM tables got their first taste of tournament competition & passed with flying colors. Almost $400.00 was given out in prize money, even with only 17 players competing. Thanks to supportive players like Steve, John Romoa, Lesi, Len & others; there was coffee for everyone all day, fresh water, fresh oranges, fresh bananas, energy bars, and even chicken rolls and muffins. Results & pictures at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2014handicap&team.htm The next tournament is in April and it is a One Star USATT Sanctioned event with player limits in all events, so enter early. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014bigislandopen.htm I hurt my back again. It has been over a week now & although it is feeling better; it is nowhere near 100%. Yesterday at the tournament, I was favoring it badly & had to be helped by everybody in moving things around & carrying almost anything. I will continue to work on improving it as it is no fun not being able to bend, exercise, or go from sitting to standing. The new Kona Club is getting new players each week and hopefully will be able to get another day to play soon.

1/25/2014 5:06pm

OK, Lots has been going on in table tennis here. The Waimea Club, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/waimeattc.htm received their 4 new XIOM Tables. Lesi & his crew helped get them from the truck into our playing area, and John, Tim, & I assembled them. It took us about 2 hours to put all 4 tables together. They look & play great! The website has pictures of them. It is a pleasure to play at the Waimea Club now and we are now open EVERY Monday & Wednesday for open play. The NEW Kona Club is thriving with new members coming to play and a possibility for more new tables soon. Keep up the great work there Dan...http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/konaclub.htm Our April 4,5,6 USATT Tournament will be a ONE Star event, something for everyone including women, doubles, elite, & handicap events http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014bigislandopen.htm There was a suggestion for a hard bat event but not sure there is enough demand for it on the Island yet. Also, we went LIVE yesterday with the brand new TT&M Hawaii Table Tennis Forum. It is totally interactive where you can post used equipment for sale or wanted, places to play, events, coaching tips, and so much more. Register at the forum and help make the community grow http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/smf/ Remember that our next unsanctioned tournament is February 8th which includes a handicap event & a unique team event http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014teamandhandicap.htm I am taking care of a wounded gecko & hope he survives...poor little fellow. I have volunteered to help out on a new Kohala low power fm radio station. It will be a really good thing to have for our area, covering local events, community projects, and even local high school sports. Get involved! Thanks for reading. Aloha!

1/10/2014 10:45am

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you are all following 100000% your new year's resolutions, obviously to play much more table tennis! The new Kona Club opened last night, ahead of schedule. More info on that club coming VERY soon. We have 4 new beautiful tables coming to our Waimea Club from XIOM. The Pro9 http://xiom.us/product/product_list.php?catCode=26 They were already shipped and we will have by our next tournament, Saturday February 8; a handicap event & team event tournament, non USATT. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014teamandhandicap.htm I still really like my XIOM shoes. They fit really well, give me good support, and seem to wear well. The OMEGA V rubber is excellent. I have been asked about its durability. Well, I hold the racket a bit too tight when I serve and usually get a big chunk of rubber that comes off where my thumb is, after a very short time. However, I have been using the OMEGA V for 4 weeks now with no evidence of any cracking or breaking yet. All my past rubbers have done it; Tenergy, many Donic rubbers, Chinese, etc. I am very pleased by XIOM quality. Aloha!

12/30/2013 12:04pm

New Years and the year 2014 is almost upon us. Just crazy how fast time is going by. We had our handicap tournament this past Saturday & I think it was a success. Very few adjustments needed to be done and the top rated players were still in the finals, even with the handicap rules. The higher rated players told me they enjoyed it because it made them think, focus, and play a different style than they are used to and the lower rated players loved being able to kind of play more even with the better players. We had 6 players that never played in a tournament before and many more low level players than usual. I think it was a success and I look forward to doing it again in February. I am still enjoying my XIOM rubber, shoes, and blade. I definitely like the OMEGA V Tour and the OMEGA V Pro; but the Tour has more control and I think, even more spin than the Pro. The Pro is definitely faster but harder for me to control close to the table. I know my son also like the Tour on his XIOM Zxi blade as does a player here. I am using the XIOM Stradivarius blade. Debbie has had a bad cold the past 2 weeks again & I am trying as hard as I can to not get it. I survived without getting it last time, about 2 months ago, and hope to again. I am taking high levels of vitamin C. Another new table tennis club may be opening soon on our Island and more information will be coming soon. We are also in the process of buying some new tables for the Waimea Club, hopefully 4 new ones from XIOM! February 8th is the date for our next Waimea Tournament with a team & handicap event format. More info coming soon on that http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2014teamandhandicap.htm It was really great seeing my cousins from California as they visited the Island for the Xmas vacation. Anyway, a happy new year to all.....keep in touch. Aloha

12/5/2013 10:44am

We have our next tournament happening December 28, in Waimea. It is a non USATT sanctioned event and is pure fun. Anybody can play and we even have a handicap system in place. Cash prize for 1st & 2nd place in Handicap event and trophies in the other 2 events. All the info and entry at:http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013bigislandhandicap.htm Lots going on. Mt son & daughter both had birthdays last week and are now enjoying their gifts. Debbie & I had a great Thanksgiving with so many leftovers. The bread pudding with sauce & the pecan pie were simply delicious, as was the rest of the fabulous dinner. I carved the turkey with our new knives & it was easier than the electric knife I used to use. We rejoined the Hilton as members and are enjoying the spa use, exercise equipment, and pools still. Both of us think we are getting into the best shape of our lives....good to think that even if it isn't true! XIOM is now sponsoring my son as well as me with table tennis equipment. So, I have been trying out the new "stuff". First off, the XIOM shoes are mindblowing. They are priced right and feel worn in when you first put them on. I honestly LOVE the feel, weight, and color. I am trying out the

Stradivarius blade, and so far, I like it. I am using OMEGA V Pro on both sides & have a sheet of OMEGA V Tour coming to also try. My loops are awesome but blocking will take some adjustment as will my flat kills. Matt is using the OMEGA V Tour on a Hayabusa ZXi blade & seems to love it also. I will say this for XIOM; their merchandising of their products is top notch as has been the quality so far. If you need XIOM, let me know as we are a dealer. I know I am not a very good player, but due to my always coaching the past 15+ years, my transitioning in games is horrible, so I have been practicing it a lot lately and am improving bit by bit. I am also working on making my serves a bit more deceptive, although I am losing some of my spin due to it. It is, indeed, a work in progress. Winter is coming, here also, as some nights have got down to the low 60's!!! I can't even imagine living on the Mainland in some of the places where they are getting 2 feet of snow with temperatures way below zero at this point in my life!! I'm still coaching the kids at the local elementary school twice per week. Last week I taught them how to do a legal backhand serve for about 10 minutes. They practiced doing it; all 6 of them. I then said "Match time". And, gave them the rules that they MUST serve backhand serves only during matches for the day. 4 of the 6 served all backhand very well and 2 did not. Of course those 2 were not paying as much attention in the learning segment. Now they know to pay attention. Anyway, a fun time was had. Some of the rallies are getting good with these kids. Actually, it's amazing for these 3rd graders as they only play the 2 times per week for about an hour. Wishing all of you a happy holiday season. ALOHA! (let me hear from you)

11/15/2013 2:44pm

We celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago by staying in Kona for a couple nights. We played tourist, sat around the pool, ate good breakfast buffets, and went to 2 great restaurants for dinner. Deb & I always wanted to go to the La Bourgogne French Restaurant http://www.menupix.com/menudirectory/menu.php?id=753051 . It was very good; a bit pricey but not outlandish. The following night, we ate at a very good Italian place, http://www.misitalianbistro.com/ They had my absolute favorite for the special of the night; fresh Ahi on eggplant parm; yummy. My coaching the kids at Kohala Elementary School is going well with a few 3rd graders & 5th graders really taking a liking to it. They are serving legally and have had some good rallies. They are doing well considering I only get them for an hour 1-2 times a week. We scheduled a tournament for December 28 in Waimea. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013bigislandhandicap.htm Should be fun as it is non USATT Sanctioned and will be handicapped so anyone can win! We will give out some cash prizes for 1st & 2nd place finishers. The Waimea Club has seen an increase of players recently which is fantastic, especially since we now get to use both rooms there till 5pm. We finally got a little rain this past week; boy do we need it! We have been in a drought period for almost 2 months. My grass is so dry, and brown....I haven't had to mow for over 6 weeks which is a record for me. We are members of the Waikoloa Hilton again, enjoying using the spa, pools, and all their exercise equipment. Due to all the climate zones on this island, it's like we are on vacation when we go there a few times a week. I personally have been working more & more on my transitioning part of the game and think I am slowly improving. It's so difficult when I coach so much and am "locked" in forehand or backhand mode. I am looking forward to XIOM having their new shoes as they look good and I have read some great reviews about them. I also look forward to trying some of their new rubbers as well as one of their top blades. It is a fairly large company & their packaging looks amazing as does their product quality. We are now a dealer for XIOM. Be sure to contact me if you are visiting our island. Let me hear from you. Aloha

10/22/2013 10:24am

OK OK OK, I know it's been way too long since I updated this blog. I had been preparing for the tournament this past weekend as well as a myriad of other things. Anyway, tournament is now history http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2013hawaiiislandopen.htm Pictures, videos, and results are all there. When ratings are updated, I will add that also to the results page. I was really happy to see John Romoa play so well at the tournament...making improvements and finally putting them into action in his matches. Congrats John for winning the U-1450 & Super RR B-Division. Noah from Maui was playing very well and won the Open Singles & Super RR A-Division. The tournament was a success and more tournaments are coming soon to the Big Island & possibly a new tournament to Maui...stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. Recently I started going to a local massage therapist to help with my nagging back problems. Still a bit early to tell if successful or not, but getting older is not easy! lol Recently, I have been coaching table tennis on Tuesdays & Thursdays at our local public elementary school. I have about 6 juniors that take it serious and at least 2 of them can be good if they keep training & playing. I just upgraded my new GREAT laptop/tablet (Asus TX300) to the RTM Windows 8.1 version. It is really good...removed each & every problem I had on this laptop and now it is faster than when I 1st got it with nothing on it! I hardly can believe it; but I do love it...plus, it worked flawlessly at the tournament. Looks like our local public high school will soon have an amateur radio (Ham Radio) club....glad I helped to put the proper people together to make it happen. We are in a severe drought; good for tourists but not for residents. I haven't mowed the lawn in almost 3+ weeks now and lots of bushes are dying....we REALLY need some rain. I need to start strength training again as I have been lazy & scared due to my back problems. Will try again today to do some Bowflex simple exercises. I have been practicing some new serves and trying to put more spin on my loopdrives...seems to be better than in the past and my backhand is also improving a bit Aloha till next time & thanks for reading.

9/21/2013 10:48am

Had a back massage which helped my back and going to do that every 2 weeks to try to prevent back injuries. Our October tournament is coming up fast with more entries coming in. Did you enter yet? http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013hawaiiislandopen.htm Koa is getting so strong and becoming a nice part of our family. He is barking outside at night a bit less and is really a smart dog. Deb says he is a great walker. This past week at the North Kohala Table Tennis Club, we had all our tables going with a super turnout. Also, we now have 2 rooms available till 5pm when we meet in Waimea on Wednesdays which allows us to have 6 tables going. When I was in Denver, we stopped to look at the new 4K HDTV. It is impressive but to me, not the leap I expected. I think HD compared to SD was more of a leap than this and I am not compelled to upgrade. Deb & I came very late "to the party", but are now enjoying watching the old tv series, The Sopranos. We are now on season 5 and look forward to each episode. It really is a very good tv drama and maybe the best ever. What do you think? Aloha!

9/10/2013 7:49am

Had a great time visiting my daughter, son-in-law, & grandchildren in Denver. Even had my son come from Phoenix for a short visit there, so I really enjoyed the family time. The grandkids are growing up fast, now 2 & 5 years of age. Was able to to spend some time with my table tennis friend, Phong and eat some really good Pho. Then went to The Palm for a 6 pound Nova Scotia Lobster; so yummy. Took a tour of the Coor's Brewery where they give you many delicious samples. My grandson has been taking some boxing lessons recently and tested his skills on my son. Didn't play any table tennis there but still enjoyed my time there. Came back home & took Deb out for her birthday. However, last week I decided to mow the lawn. In summary, I again destroyed my back. So, for the past week, I have been in pain but still managed to play a few times and coached again last night. I am just now beginning to feel better which is really good so I am getting ready to do some strength exercise again. Have received a few more entries in the upcoming tournament which is shaping up to be a good one. Looking forward to playing tonight, coaching tomorrow, and training on Thursday. Last week at the club on Thursday night here in North Kohala; we had a few new players which was great! Aloha

8/12/2013 10:45am

As you know by now, Tropical Storm Flossie was a non event for us. Don't get me wrong; not complaining as I don't want a hurricane, tropical storm, or other event to hit us...but we didn't even get the much needed rain the Hawaiian Islands needed. Leaving soon for Denver to see my son, daughter, son in law, & grandkids. Should enjoy the short visit to the mainland. The local power company will be cutting off power to us from 8pm to 5am tomorrow & Wednesday, in order to put up new electrical lines into North Kohala, to prepare for a future problem. Yesterday was Audi's 7th birthday. We all love our pets as they become parts of our family. That is surely true regarding Audi. He's such a great dog! We are lucky he gets along very well with our 16 year old cat, Loco, and our new adoptee, Koa. Table tennis is still going strong here, playing at least 4 times a week; usually more & coaching about 12 hours a week; more than enough. I have seen more & more table tennis articles in newspapers and online recently. Many articles have to do with the great health benefits of playing table tennis. Aloha

7/30/2013 12:03pm

"Exciting" last couple days with Tropical Storm Flossie heading our way to make a direct hit. If it hit us directly; it would be the first time in recorded history that Hawai'i Island (The Big Island) was hit directly by a tropical storm. When it was about 250 miles from hitting us, directly east of us, the Hawaiian famous wind shear began to change its course, and, in fact, Flossie began to head north. We did still get some strong effects from it, but again, a non direct strike; thankfully....Many say it is the terrain of our island & especially the enormous heights of Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa. Whatever it is, we still had strong winds and decent rain, but we could use more rain as it was the driest here since we moved here, 6+ years ago. Some pictures:

Last Saturday, we had a sports expo in Waimea where our club meets to play each Wednesday. Lots of kids showed up as well as adults to play. Thanks to Lesi, Debbie, & John Romoa for coming and helping out. Maybe we'll get a few new members from it. Recently, we have had a few new players in both North Kohala & Waimea so it appears table tennis may be getting more & more popular here. We surely can use new players, which in turn, makes everyone better. Our next tournament is in Hilo, in October, so make your plans now. If you're looking for an unusual laptop that is tablet convertible; check out the Asus TX300. I love mine. Aloha!

7/11/2013 11:25am

July 26 is the deadline for the EARLYBIRD entry into our October table tennis tournament: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013hawaiiislandopen.htm Enter by then and you have a chance to get back, in cash, your event entry fees! It is shaping up to be a really exciting tournament based on feedback I am receiving from interested players. Be sure to enter the Super Round Robin event for the most match play against players of your skill level. Super round robin events are the most entered events all over the world now and favored my more players than any other! The Kona Club is taking a short break from Yano Hall as they put on a new roof there. We have a sports expo day coming to the Waimea Club on Saturday, July 27 starting at 10am. All sports will be exhibited as well as ours, table tennis. Stop by and have some fun. Our cesspool has been leaking lately and we are in the process of getting it taken care of. Takes a bit of getting used to as we are familiar with sewers, not cesspools! Koa, our new dog that has been with us now for 7 months, is a happy guy. He loves it here, loves his yard and balls, and loves to come into bed with me, Debbie, Audi, & Loco...definitely a crowd! Loco, our cat, turned 16 years old this past week. Still loving my new Mizuno table tennis shoes. The US Open from Vegas was streamed live and I was grateful to be able to watch it all and really enjoyed the full commentary on almost every match from Adam Bobrow, Matt Winkler, Sean O'Neil, Jim Butler, Han, and others. Thanks for doing it! I am really enjoying my new laptop convertible. It's an ASUS TX300. It has a 13" screen, i7 CPU, is lightweight, has 128gb ssd AND a 500gb hdd. The display comes off to be used as a tablet with its own battery inside and another battery inside the keyboard dock. I really like it. I have a special program on it to emulate the Android operating system and am able to run all my android phone apps on it, which I do in tablet mode...fun fun fun. It does have some quirks due to its design and need to play nicely with Windows 8. I am using the newer Windows 8.1 which is interesting. Deb got a new Sony Vaio laptop that she really loves. You'll be hearing soon about the new top of the line smartphone from Motorola, Moto X, soon. For those that don't yet know, Motorola is now owned by Google, so expect some great things. I still use my Galaxy S3 although the new S4 has some good improvements. Hawaii is still beautiful; what a great place to live! We have a huge crop this year of avocados, 2 varieties, as well as some mangoes, bananas, pineapples, guavas, oranges, passion fruit, tomatoes, strawberries, and more. Off to do some robot table tennis drills....let me hear from you. Aloha!

6/10/2013 6:52am

Finally, back to normal.....a large update today since it has been awhile since my last update. Our dog Audi is doing very well as is our new dog, Koa. Koa has begun to calm down but goes nowhere without his ball in his mouth. He just loves having a ball with him all the time. He is an amazing fetcher, love to catch the ball, and is very friendly. He even gets along with 16 year old Loco, our cat. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm has lots of info on our animal family. I love my new Casio camera that has up to 1000fps slow motion...really able to analyze your technique. Put up some amazing pictures the other day on my Facebook account of an amazing sunset seen from our lanai...crazy orange sky; so beautiful. I'm still enjoying Tenergy 64 on FH & 05 on BH. Been coaching a bit more of late with a few new students...exciting to see new players improve. Our next USATT tournament in Hawaii will be in Hilo in October. The events are n ot yet finalized but very soon will be. Now....how was the 2013 Aloha World Tournament? Results, pictures at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2013awt.htm It was at Manoa Park District Gym in Honolulu. It's a great facility, especially if the wind doesn't blow. We had 16 tables set up, 70 total players entered, and 3 long exciting days of events. Truong Tu came to play from California and provided great excitement as well as charisma and great skill; winning the open singles, open doubles, and mixed doubles. He ended up with over $1000.00 in prize winnings. We were very happy to have him play. He, his parents, and Phong took me and Debbie out for a great Vietnamese dinner after the tournament, so now I am much more learned about that ethnic food.....love the pho. 😊 We had afew other players from Alaska, David and Aporn. From Maui we had Noah and Ben. And, from the Big Island, we had me, Debbie, and John Romoa. Allen and Eli came from Kauai. We had many new USATT members and lots of fun and exciting action in all levels. Anybody that did not play lost out on a great experience. Many players have excuses for not playing...but bottom line is, you play if you want to or not....It is a huge amount of work putting a 3day tournament together and running it, but thankfully all went well with no match problems, many questions that were answered, and my great tournament software from Barry, coming through perfectly. In fact, all new ratings were up on the USATT site within the week, something not too common from most tournaments. I know that the players really appreciated it. Let me hear from you. Aloha

5/19/2013 12:47pm

I've been really enjoying the World Championships from Paris France. The Chinese players have traditionally been very quiet in their attitudes when they play until Zhang JiKe came on the scene, won the world championship, and tore off his shirt! I loved it as he showed his real excitement in winning and had charisma, something I really think we lack badly in table tennis. Table tennis needs stories to tell, players that have charisma that interests spectators, and much more interaction with main stream media. Anyway, I have been told again & again that the absolute best player in the World is really Ma Long, not JiKe. Well, Ma Long is a GREAT player and fun to watch, but I still like the style of Jike better. He has to play a very strong, pumped up Wang Hao in the finals tomorrow & it will be interesting to see if JiKe can repeat! The Aloha World Tournament takes place on Oahu in 2 weeks, with over 60 players entered as of today. Its too bad that more players from the Big Island aren't attending, only a couple that I coach and none of the other on Island players. It should be a really good event with a very high rated player coming from California, and a few players from Alaska. I really like my new Casio camera with the slow motion. WOW; it really allows me to see the REAL movements which are faster than the eye can actually see. I'm looking to get a new computer and really like the ASUS P1801 which is Windows 8 AND Android rolled into one. I want it with the I7 CPU but they only sell it with the I5 in USA. That's crazy as the better, I& is available in Japan & Malaysia, but not here till end of year. I just finished coaching the 2nd & 3rd graders at Kohala Elementary School for the school year. The kids love table tennis but without parent involvement, the kids don't really improve. At our Waimea Club, we are getting more and more players.....that is fantastic! I have been training differently recently, working on new serve techniques as well as new backhand & forehand; it is definitely a work in progress. I still enjoy using my Bowflex machines and lifting some weights as well as using the elliptical machine. If you wish to really improve in table tennis, you must do lots of training off table as well as drills on table. So many lower level players really spend too much time playing matches and not enough time training technique consistency as well as real footwork. I was able to "harvest" a couple huge bunches of apple bananas in the past 2 weeks, so we have lots of frozen delicious bananas now for smoothies...so sweet. Also, I grew another white pineapple which I will have the pleasure of cutting up and eating within the next week. YUMMY. Next Friday will be Deb & my 10 year wedding anniversary...time does fly. Aloha!

4/28/2013 7:06am

The USATT Sanctioned 2 Star Aloha World Tournament is fast approaching, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013awt.htm Enter by May 10 to save any late fees. There are many events and nice cash prizes available. The new Polyball seems to be taking "shape" of late, some with a seam and some seamless. Overall, performance is different than our current ball; ball is a bit larger, sounds cracked, and may change our game regarding spin; but only time will tell. There are now 2 men in the top 10 players in the world, from Germany; 6 from China. It should be interesting next month in Paris, at the World Championships to see if Germany can make some progress. All the top Chinese players have been taking their lumps of late, but they tend to be 100% when it really counts; similar to the great JO Waldner. He would lose the little ones but win the big ones. Since he & Persson have basically retired; Sweden has not been a major force in Europe, leaving it to Germany, instead. SPIN has opened a new location in Dubai and Justin Bieber was there! Also, the largest table tennis center in the USA recently opened in Portland, so table tennis is on the upswing in the world for sure. I just received a new camera. I got it solely to use for training, for me & my students. It does slow motion video from 120fps all the way up to 1000fps. It truly is amazing to see all the little mistakes and allows for time to soak it all in and easier make changes. It is now an option if you take training from me. Aloha

4/9/2013 1:50pm

Sorry for the long duration between blog entries, but it has been quite busy here of late; plus tax season...LOL Anyway, The 2013 Big Island Open is now history. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2013bigislandopen.htm Plenty of results, pictures, and video on the results page. We had a good turnout and some GREAT table tennis action. I, personally, am very proud of the results. Of the 30 players entered in the tournament; I have coached at one time or another 20 of them. Of the 11 events; I have coached 5 of the 1st place winners and 6 of the 1st or 2nd place winners are current students. In fact, I have coached either the 1st or 2nd place winner in 10 of the 11 events! Good going guys & gals....keep on improving! It was a please having my friend Phong stay at my home & participate in the tournament. Although Allen Kaichi beat Phong in the Super Round Robin in an exciting match, Phong won the Open Elite Title on Sunday and was happy with his overall performance. Clyde Young played a very good final's match and should also be happy with his performance. I again wish to thank all the players that came to play from "off Island", including Reggie Wilson, Allen Kaichi, Takeo Nakamura, Noah & Randy Clark, Phong, & Ryan Pena. The biggest complaint I got over the weekend was that there was much too much food for everyone to eat! For Saturday lunch, with all the pizza, breadsticks, & snacks provided by the tournament & the delicious salad & drinks provided by John Romoa, everybody's tummy was filled. The, without warning, Lesi Sekona and his cousin chef from New Zealand and Tonga prepared a full Luau, including a full rotisserie in tact, pig! WOW, what a fantastic meal! Sunday brought more drinks & salad from John Romoa and the tournament provided a delicious assortment of Asian foods.....WOW is all I can say. A Huge MAHALO to John Romoa for helping to move some tables and being the great host he always is and another HUGE MAHALO to Lesi for his help in moving the tables & barriers; without him, the tournament would not have been held! I wish to also thank Noah, Robin, & Randy Clark (from Maui) for assisting in moving stuff and cleaning up the gym preparing for the tournament and afterwards. Also, thanks to John Buck for also assisting as well as Phong. I apologize if I am having a senior moment and forgetting anyone, but THANK YOU. I'm not really sure that everyone understand how hard it is for a tournament to come off well and how many people are needed, so I truly appreciate those of you that took the time to say thank you. Everything at the tournament was perfect, except, the POWER OUTAGE.....Due to the late morning power outage on Saturday, my software for the tournament was corrupted and much had to be done by hand. My thanks to Barry D., the software designer, for fixing it early Sunday and I was able to use it again. In fact, everything was sent into the USATT for the ratings update Monday morning, by 10am Hawaii time so hopefully, all ratings will be updated this Friday! Read the results page for a tournament recap, coming soon. Also, the West Hawaii Newspaper is doing a story on table tennis & our tournament, so expect to see it sometime this week. Now, on to the Aloha World Tournament end of May on Oahu, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013awt.htm I have been teaching table tennis on Thursday afternoons & Friday mornings to the students at Kohala Elementary School. It is a very good feeling to be able to promote our sport as well as educate the kids in table tennis and hand/eye coordination activities. I am now a dealer for XIOM products if you need any. We had a new floor installed in our home in the dining area and in the kitchen; we love it. Also, we have a new stove coming to make cooking easier since Deb loves to cook......LOL I love our new Weber BBQ as our old one began to rust out. Looks like we have to have our cesspool pumped out this Thursday; now I know why we save each month on sewer fees...so that we can afford to have the cesspool pumped every 10 years or so! Lastly, this past Sunday, the final day of our tournament. Most of you know my interest in it and this shows my commitment to table tennis as this is the 1st time in 29 years I watched it taped, instead of live...as yes, the ROCK lost the championship to John Cena....LOL Let me hear from you. Aloha

3/8/2013 9:27am

Lots going on table tennis wise here on the Big Island. I have been coaching a couple visiting here from Boston for a month. That's going well with them playing at the local clubs here. The Waimea Club has been really busy of late. All our tables are up & going the entire time, with a few players always waiting to play. Actually, a good thing as more & more players bring more & more players, etc etc etc. Even our North Kohala Club had 4 tables going last night & 5 tables the week before; not too shabby for a town of only 798 residents. I had the pleasure of meeting a new player from the Hilo area that is a good player and there are many others that show themselves from time to time. Our April Waimea Tournament is fast approaching http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013bigislandopen.htm with a March 25 entry deadline, so get your entries in. Lots & lots of activity on the Aloha World Tournament 2 Star website http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013awt.htm Had inquiries from some highly rated players on the Mainland & in Japan; should be a real barnburner..hope to see you there. Our new dog, Koa is getting relaxed here in his new home. He is so funny to watch walk as he probably has some Whippet breed in him so his hips wiggle as he moves. We nicknamed him Mr. Wiggles; too funny! He is ball crazy & loves every ball to play with, from little footballs to tennis balls, ping pong balls, plastic balls; you name it, he wants to play with them, chase them, fetch them, retrieve them, and he never tires. He & Audi are friends http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm but they are jealous of each other if Deb or I pet one of them. And, they are both afraid of Loco the cat...he rules! I have been practicing a new serve but am light years away from having it ready for match play. My Xiom blade & rubber that was sent to me to try was a bit too heavy & fast for me. I think Xiom has super packaging and quality and am willing to give the company a try with some of their lighter weight blades & rubbers. Rumor mill has some Butterfly items prices coming down in April as the Japanese Yen is lower in value. Congrats to my son Matt for his new rating of 2311. Let me hear from you. Aloha

2/15/2013 2:52pm

Today is the deadline to get your entries in for our April Tournament if you wish to be included in the Special Early Bird Entry Raffle Drawing. Hope you got yours included! We are going to have a very good April event. We have players from the Mainland, Oahu, and The Big Island already entered. And, some are OVER 2000 rating! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013bigislandopen.htm for all the information. My friend John Romoa had full hip replacement surgery 2 weeks ago. He was training for table tennis this past Monday & Wednesday, albeit with few movements or footwork, but still doing very well for only 2 weeks removed from surgery. The Aloha World Tournament has been approved for the end of May & June 1 & 2 on Oahu. It will be a 2 Star USATT Sanctioned event. More information, all subject to change can be found here: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013awt.htm Our new dog, Koa, has been adjusting just fine in our home and with Audi & Loco the cat. Plenty of new pictures as well as some video at: http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm We gave our outdoor BBQ to our neighbors. It was a bhuge 6 burner grill with all the attachments but it was getting old, a bit rusty, and too big for us. Since we just refinished our deck again last week, we ordered a new BBQ which should be here by the 25th. Starting next week, my Hawi table tennis group can start playing again at the Hisaoka Gym since boys basketball is now over. I'll be doing a table tennis presentation & exhibition at Kohala Elementary School's SpringFest the 1st Saturday in March. Then, beginning in April, I'll be coaching 2nd & 3rd graders twice a week for about 7 weeks. I just talked to table tennis company Xiom and they have some well thought of products. I have a customer that wants to order some and it looks like we will carry their products in the very near future. I have been working on my new serve motions and they are coming along nicely; getting smoother, more consistent, better locations, better deception, and good variation in spin. I am also working very hard on my new loop technique and especially on backhand strokes. Yesterday, during my training, I think I did very well...well, at least I saw progress which is great for a guy my age. In our 2 hour sessions, we do 5 minute drills each at 110% effort so we build speed, endurance, and fast reflexes. It is a great hurt! Let me hear from you as to what you are working on or would like me to discuss in the blog. Lastly, if you are in the Denver area and need a good photographer for your family pictures, please call my daughter who started her new company...information at: http://lexleyphotography.com/ Aloha!

1/30/2013 1:51pm

This entry makes 5 years plus 1 week that I have been doing this Hawaii Blog. Scroll all the way to the end to read them all! LOL Koa is getting along very nicely with Audi. Koa stays quiet through the night waiting for breakfast in the morning. He has won the lottery; getting treated so very well. Looks like our 2013 Big Island Open USATT Sanctioned Table Tennis Tournament happens April 6 & 7, at Thelma Parker Gym, in Waimea. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2013bigislandopen.htm We have a special raffle prize for earlybird entries! Still working on my new serves, and other techniques; definitely going to take a long time to make these changes. We had all our tables out in Waimea on Monday and still we had some players waiting to play! That is the greatest news. I hope to continue to increase the number of players as we had 2 new players last Wednesday. It was nice to have Pete from Hilo stop by & play this past Monday. He's always competitive, fun to talk to, and good for our sport; he's also a great photographer. Aloha

1/23/2013 10:18am

I have been working on changing my table tennis serve; motion and spin. It is definitely a hard go. Making some progress but I think I take 1 step forward & 2 steps backwards. I am definitely working on the motion more; getting spin is not my problem, but gaining more deception smoothly is my weakness. Thanks to my recent trip to the Mainland, and working with my son as well as watching & talking to some top players, I am changing my backhand as well as my forehand. LOL Working on so many things at the same time is never a good idea but I am trying it anyway. I have been trying to get a more full time place to play table tennis publically here in North Kohala and received some good news from the Hawaii County offices. Looking for some good things to come in the not too distant future. We are looking at a possible tournament in Waimea in early April; more info soon. We have a new dog, friend for Audi. His name is Koa. Koa is approximately 10 months old and has been visiting our home as well as many others for the past few months. He's a long story, living outside, at the local dump area a lot, roaming the streets. He was in kind of bad shape when Debbie fell in love with him. He had fleas, worms of 2 types, and more. But now, he is well, no more worms or fleas & enjoying life....till March when he gets neutered! Audi really likes him. As of now, Koa is NOT allowed inside our house but stays in the garage or outside. He has not yet tried to follow Audi thru the doggie door. He is a ball player & fetcher, loving to chase balls forever. Also, he has met our cat Loco, and so far all is well but we will not let Koa alone or off a leash near Loco for a while. No sense taking a chance with a 15 year old cat. Koa is part Rottweiler/part Labrador. He learned to sit and give paw within 3 days. Good news that I spoke to John R. who had hip surgery on Monday. All went very well as he is leaving the hospital today on the road to recovery and back to table tennis, hopefully, within a few months. As for ham radio; we may have a new dedicated repeater for North Kohala. I have contributed some funds to help and am anxious to have a local repeater that is only linked in emergencies. It would be great to have this local repeater to chat with the "locals" and not tie up the entire network. Not sure when it will be installed & ready to use; but looking forward to it. Yesterday, while driving from our house to Waikoloa, I was chatting with another ham on simplex, almost 55 miles away! That is unreal & the longest I have talked via simplex 2 meters. I really enjoyed it. Aloha.

1/3/2013 9:34am

Happy New Year to all..... Played yesterday in Waimea, practicing my new serve technique, loop technique, backhand technique, new backhand rubber; HECK, I was starting all over! LOL Matt gave me some tips on improving and I am trying them ALL...and all at once! So, we know this will end in failure! LOL I hope not. Slowly, the new serve technique is getting smoother. In the beginning, I couldn't even hit the ball! My new backhand rubber is interesting as I seem to be making fewer errors, but then again, I am also using a new backhand stroke technique; and yesterday Lesi commented that my forehand loops look better and are definitely stronger; all encouraging signs. PLUS, just today, I got my new Mizuno Table Tennis Shoes, so I am all prepared now! I am excited to do some personal training & improving. Get this; I even played matches in Waimea yesterday! Was good to have John Romoa there to hit with also; as he is getting some hip surgery in February and we are all hoping for a really speedy recovery. Looks like 2013 is starting out to be a good table tennis year! Aloha

12/31/2012 6:29am

12/27/2012 8:36am

I wanted to make a few quick observations regarding the US Nationals. Years ago when Matt & I would go to the Nationals, there were a few juniors playing and, as an adult, I was very nervous to have to play a young junior. They were good, usually a few hundred points above their rating that was listed; and, with experience, you were able to beat many of them. Matt won many matches there as adults would take him lightly as a junior. Then, as years went on, there were more juniors. Well, this year was crazy! It was JuniorMania to the nth degree! Actually, in the macro vision; it is a VERY good thing. There were so many juniors over 2000, 2100, & 2200! In fact, Matt even lost to a junior only 10 years of age! The future is VERY bright for our sport with so many juniors playing and each pushing the others to be better. Also, did you know there are now 7 FULL TIME table tennis clubs in Northern California ALL on 1 street, Malipitas. A few years back there wasn't even 1 full time club! Plus, I have been told all 7 of these clubs are VERY busy! I am excited at the prospects of the future of our sport in the USA. However, not sure how us oldies will be doing! Email me your comments. Aloha

12/26/2012 11:38am

Happy to be home in Hawi! Guess I am not as young as I used to be; is anybody? So, I drove my hour to the airport for my midnight flight to Phoenix. I love this flight as I get a bloody Mary & sleep till we arrive at 8:30am for a full day in Phoenix. Usually Debbie drops me off at the airport so my truck isn't there to have to pay parking; but Debbie doesn't like to drive at night, so I drove alone and she would come the next day when a friend dropped her off to pick up the truck. (Why this is important well come...) Boarding went easy, 11pm, as usual and we were ready to go. However, at takeoff time, we hadn't moved even though the door was closed. After sitting about 20 minutes, now 12:15am, the pilot informed us of a small led problem on the console and the mechanic was coming to clear the problem; a short delay. After about 90 minutes, he said the problem was fixed and we would be taking off very shortly, 1:45am. He powered the lights on and off and then off......another problem, the auxiliary power was not working & the mechanic would need to come again so it would be another short delay. At 2:40am we exited the plane and the flight was cancelled. I'll spare the grim details of what happened next as some passengers took till 6am before leaving the airport for an airline sponsored hotel stay. I was VERY VERY lucky to have my truck there & drove back home, hour drive, getting home about 4:30am. Thankfully, my truck was there as you can imagine what would have happened had I phoned Debbie at 3:00am to come get me! Anyway, thankfully I scheduled an immediate rebook for the next night's flight while walking to my truck and that flight was great, the next day. Matt picked me up in Phoenix. Of course I was exhausted from the ordeal but was happy to see my son, phoned my friend Leo from the car, and he met us at the house. We went for a very nice breakfast and some good memories. That night we went to my favorite pizza place, Oreganos, for pizza, beer, & wings. YUMMY! Went home and told Matt I was tired, had to go to bed early for my flight to Denver in the morning. However, my tummy started to feel strange. (skip next part if you get squeamish) Went to the toilet and had massive bloody diarrhea plus vomited twice. I was really scared, with the blood, and thought of waking up Matt to take me to the hospital. (Sorry, no pictures of the "stuff" or vomit). I kept going & going & going every few hours. I was also scared that this would continue with my flight! In the morning I drove to Walgreens, got some meds & hoped I was done with it. Matt ate the same food I did & no problems, so I think it was a case of nerves, extreme exhaustion, maybe the dry weather, time change, old age! Anyway, thankfully, I was totally fine after that bout. Went to snowy Denver to see my Grandkids & daughter & her husband . Had a super time, albeit too cold for my liking, along with very dry & thin air. We all went on a tour of the US Mint which was neat to see. Ate some good food, saw my grandkids in their school and at parties, and did family stuff, till it was time to get back to Phoenix on Sunday. Matt got me, watched him give a lesson, then went with him to his boxing lesson. I must say Matt is getting a very nice body shape, muscled, agile, and strong. I think it is helping in his table tennis game. We went to he Phoenix Club and got to renew some friendships at the club Monday night & afterwards at dinner with a few friends. Tuesday morning we left at 6am to drive to Las Vegas & the 2012 US Nationals Championships. Noah from Maui was there with his family as well as Angie from The Big Island; along with 800 other players! Noah was lucky to play the 2011 US National Men's Champion, Pete Li . Noah almost won a game, losing in deuce. I think it was a great learning experience. Derrick Cone got to play Danny Seemiller in the Over 40 Singles with Matt coaching. Derrick did well, but didn't win the match. Matt was on microphone doing some color commentary with Adam Bobrow for the live streaming which I did with Sean O'Neill on Saturday from 9am till 10pm. Tuesday night we went to my favorite restaurant, The Palm. I had a 5 pound lobster which was simply fantastic, the best ever! I went with Matt, Filex, Derrick, Jim, & Mark. I think everyone loved their dinners and we had a great time. The Tournament was exciting & MAtt did very well, beating some players over 2100, 2200, & 2300. He played the Match of the Tournament (according to some) against great player, Judy Hugh, and that match went 5 games, before he lost 12-10. So exciting & I had the please of doing some commentary while he was playing that match. That entire match & others will be up within a few weeks on the USATT YouTube site. Thanks to Sean for allowing me to help do commentary with him. We drove home late Saturday night so we could get some sleep before going to the Cardinals/Bears football game on Sunday. We were there and enjoyed the game. Matt really enjoyed the Bears decisive win. On Monday, I helped Matt install his new floor mat that he bought at the tournament; thanks to Filex for driving it to the house. Tuesday morning Matt drove me to the airport and I was thrilled this great trip was coming to an end for me to go home & rest up! This morning, a familiar sight was outside my lanai. I learned a lot from Matt this trip about strategy, improving serves, adding/removing spin, consistency, body movement, and more, which I plan to work on and teach to my students, I hope Noah enjoyed his experience at the Nationals, as well as Angie and can improve from what they saw. The US Open for 2013 is also scheduled for Las Vegas, July 4th timeframe. It was simply great to see many of my old friends, make some new ones, and learn more about this tremendous sport; as well as see my family again. Now time to rest up.....ooops, have to go to Waimea to coach in 2 hours....resting starts tomorrow........ ALOHA & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

12/6/2012 3:19pm

Doctor said I was as good as a 38 year old; GREAT news. He said that he only wishes that his patients that have bad cholesterol levels and take drugs to keep it in check, would have numbers even close to mine! He said he'll never get rich with patients like me....LOL Anyway, that was a big relief and now I have 3 years till I need a colonoscopy & another year for another PSA blood test. Off to the Mainland very soon. Eager to see my son who I haven't seen in about 16 months, my daughter & grandkids that I saw earlier this year, and some good old friends; plus be able to watch some high level table tennis at the US Nationals. I don't relish the long plane trips nor the very cold weather I am expecting in Denver, but seeing family & friends makes it worthwhile. There are 4 or 5 players from Hawaii going, 1 from my island, 1 from Maui, and I think 3 from Oahu. Hope I get to train a bit while there & learn something new, as I usually do. I'll miss Audi, Loco, & Debbie, but I'll return so fast, they'll hardly know I was gone. Everyone have a great Holiday Season & I'll be back before the New Year is here! Aloha

11/28/2012 7:29am

Getting ready for my December trip to the Mainland. Debbie is staying home with the animals. Looking forward to the trip but will be on the move all the time. To Phoenix, then Denver, then back to Phoenix, then to Vegas, back to Phoenix, and then home; all in about 2 weeks! I hope to take a bunch of pictures. Will be good to see my kids & grandkids as well as old friends and some good table tennis competition at the Nationals! I have a doctor appointment early this afternoon, first "checkup" in about 20 years for me, maybe longer. I had lots of blood taken 10 days ago and he has all the results, so I'll know all the good news in a few hours. I feel fine, but insurance pays for all preventive care so taking advantage of that. I've been looking at new laptops with Windows 8 but cannot make a decision. I think I'll continue to wait till something comes out that looks really great! Still loving my Galaxy S3. I still find it so funny that people love their "precious" IPhone when they are still catching up to the Android technology but think they have the "newest" thing. And now the new Nexus4 phone is out even better! I also like my Nexus 7 Tablet, cheap & works great! How can you go wrong with a tablet for $200.00! I even got one for Debbie who loves hers. Finally, congratulations to the players in our last tournament; some of which made tremendous progress in their skill level. The truth is that to REALLY improve, all the theory is great, all the talk about strategy and how to do strokes is great, but the PRACTICE AND DOING IT is how you REALLY improve, and that requires drill, drill, drill. Aloha!

11/12/2012 11:10am

Well, I am exhausted! Guess my advanced age is creeping up on me. I'll be back to 10000% tomorrow though. The 2012 Hawai'i Island Tournament is now part of a glorious history. If you passed up the opportunity to attend, indeed, you missed out on some GREAT fun, TREMENDOUS action, really improved player skill levels, excellent food, and just a good time for all. Yes, we had fewer players than usual, but many of the players said they actually enjoyed the somewhat smaller group. Claims of more intimate, more relaxed, less pressure to hurry, more food to eat per person (LOL), more chance to revenge a loss, were all told to me. I was asked which I prefer & honestly, I would prefer a MUCH larger turnout which would allow me to give out better prize money. I actually liked the medals I gave out but didn't get much pro or con regarding them. Obviously, it was easy to run this tournament due to the lower turnout (32 players with another 11 juniors that played in the junior event). We had 3 players from Oahu & 1 from Maui that came. Oahu is a much heavier island today with all the medals won by Takeo from Oahu. Although Armadillo from Maui may not have won medals or money, he continued to win our hearts as he is a tremendous personality, and his unique game is fun to watch (more fun to watch than play against, though). I personally want to thank Lory & Stewart Hunter for the ability to stay at their B&B, a lovely experience as usual. Also, a special thanks to Don & Karen as they continue to amaze me at how clean they keep the floor & tables, as well as organizing tables, chairs, food, and more. Saturday night pot luck dinner was also great, as usual, and this time I had absolutely nothing to do with it at all, except the pleasure of eating. I especially enjoyed the myriad of salads there. Thank you to all that provided the food and worked to organize it & display it & get it all ready to eat. Thanks to the BITTA for supplying water which was fantastic! The tournament donated some funds to the Boys & Girls Club of Hilo and also helped them by eating at their Saturday snack bar. A good time was had by all. See results with pictures & videos at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2012hawaiiislandopen.htm Next on the agenda, US Nationals in Las Vegas. Aloha!

11/4/2012 8:00am

Returned home, safe & sound from our quick trip to Oahu. Had a super time and ate at some fantastic, albeit expensive, places. Ate dinner at Nubo which was simply fantastic as was our dinner at Michels. Wish we had some of those kind of places on this Island, but I absolutely do not miss the congestion, traffic, crime, fast pace of everybody, all the stores, buses, tourists, & more. I definitely like my island better! Had a great meeting while there regarding the 2013 Aloha State Games which is just beginning to shape up as a real major event. Stay tuned for some very exciting details. Meanwhile, save the end of May, 2012 as those are the current dates for the tournament. Our Hilo Tournament is next weekend. We have a few slots left that players can still enter; contact me directly if you wish to play as certain events are closed. I'm personally looking forward to December when I'll go to visit my son & daughter as well as be there, in Vegas, for the 2012 US Nationals. Lots of last minute things to do this week to be ready for the tournament. Thanks to all for the birthday wishes. My thoughts are with those still suffering in the Northeast from the terrible storm. Remember to vote Tuesday. Aloha!

10/16/2012 9:19am

Been a very long time since my last update. I have been sick, off & on since returning from Maui. I have no clue where I picked up the flu bug but it hit me really hard; even went to urgent care and took antibiotics! I still have a bad cough from time to time and my energy level is lower than normal. This has put a crimp into my table tennis playing. I think I was playing really much better, then got sick & have not returned to a decent form. Have just started to exercise again in the past week. Guess it doesn't get easier as we get older...LOL Have a big milestone birthday coming up soon which doesn't help! Anyways.....our tournament is only a short time away, in Hilo. I'm still taking entries of course. Just wanted to touch base here & will update again much sooner. Aloha!

9/11/2012 3:27pm

Back home from a great trip to Maui; even got to play some table tennis with Noah. It was a birthday trip for Debbie and we loved the Makena Resort. One night we went to a great restaurant, having caesar salad made at the table; something I haven't had in at least 15 years; was terrific. Ben Tone had us come to the beach and he, his mom, his girlfriend, and me & Debbie ate some great BBQ that Ben cooked, then went to a nice play for desserts. Todd Meadows, a good player I haven't seen in years surprised me by coming by & saying hi...Our November Tournament is fast approaching in Hilo. Get your entries in before some events fill up. There's even a discount granted from United Airlines available. I'll be going to Las Vegas in December for the Nationals; should be fun. I am coaching a 3rd grade class this Friday from the local Public School which should be fun. 2 hours goes by really fast for them. Although I ate too much while on Maui, I didn't gain any weight. That must be due to doing more exercises daily in their exercise room. I really liked the Freemotion Dual Cross Trainer. Today is September 11....OUR generation's Day of Infamy. Aloha

8/20/2012 1:15pm

I scheduled and got sanctioned, our next USATT Tournament here on the Big Island. It is November 9-11, 2012, in Hilo at the Boys & Girls Club. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2012hawaiiislandopen.htm Be sure to enter; as we also have special United Airline discounts through the USATT. I plan on going to the US Nationals, in December, to Vegas. Should be lots of fun. Both Debbie & I have fairly significant birthdays in the next few months, so we plan a few quick trips to the Neighbor Islands. Should be fun. Had really good news that a lady I coached here recently, that lives in Alaska, played in a Seniors Tournament last weekend in Fairbanks and won a couple of Gold medals as well as a Silver! Way to go Aporn! Congratulations! Its really good to hear there is some real buzz on the streets regarding table tennis. The sport is getting more & more mainstream publicity, new clubs are opening up, and more people are playing. I just hope it continues. Debbie started to work at the school this week with the after school program, giving her something to do. I coached a school class last Thursday for a couple of hours that went really well. We had a total of 41 students. They learned proper stance, proper grip, and basic spins. A good time was had by all. More classes are scheduled next week and then again in 3 weeks. Also, John Romoa asked me to help on Saturday, September 1, to do a table tennis exhibition in Waimea that will benefit the theatre there. I will be giving 15 minute lessons and all money goes to the theatre charity. I hope lots of people show up. We have scheduled the 2013 Aloha State Games on Oahu for May 30- June 2, 2013. Much more info on that coming in the next months, but save the dates. Aloha!

8/5/2012 8:35am

Made my reservations for the US Nationals in Las Vegas in December. I'll get to see my son in Phoenix, then Vegas, and also a side trip to Denver to see my daughter & grandkids...should be lots of fun, all except the cold weather! Been training more & more of late as my son suggested he & I maybe play as a double's team in Vegas and I wouldn't want to play too badly with him!!!! However, as his rating is too high for us to play a lower event, we will have to play up and that may make for a very short tournament....LOL My Diamondbacks are playing decent baseball recently, moving within 3 games of 1st place Giants...GO DBACKS! How about the sensational Ariel Hsing at the Olympics! She had a decent chance to actually beat the #2 Seed from China, the #3 rated player in the World. Not too shabby that she took more games off the Gold Medal Champion than any other player in the tournament...good showing for Ariel and bodes well for the future of USA Table Tennis. Sadly, Ariel didn't do as well in the Team event nor did the rest of her team, but there's always 2016! And, if "Uncle" Billy Gates actually follows through by financially supporting USA Table Tennis, the sky is the limit on how good we can be! Congratulations to Zhang Jike, my new favorite player, for winning the World Championship and now the GOLD at the Olympics! And, what about the sensational Michael Phelps! And how amazing is it that a double amputee qualified for the semi finals in the 400m race! I am still enjoying my ZLF blade with "64" on the FH & "64fx" on the BH. My son suggested I try for "05" on the BH next time & might. The cost is crazy but you only live once; right? Looks like the 2013 Aloha State Games will be Memorial Day Weekend, May 30-June 2 (Thursday-Sunday) at the same location as 2012...great venue if the wind stays quiet.....Our Waimea Club has been growing bit by bit as the last few times we have had 4 tables going strong the entire time with a few players waiting.....Great to see any increase in players! Tim's knee is healing well as he is almost full speed ahead, even with his brace on.....a new restaurant opened on the Ocean, Lava Lava...looks great & people say it is good. Tables are right on the sand at the beach, prices moderate, and great menu; we'll try it soon. I really love my new cellphone, the Samsung S3 as well as my new tablet, Nexus 7. LOL, just discovered a lyrics app and now I can finally understand what the words are on some of the newer songs...LOL Aloha!

7/16/2012 11:02am

OK, I know it's been awhile since I last updated. My back has been bothering me too much of late....starts to feel good so I play harder, train harder, do some weight exercises, and bam; hurting again. I guess it's old age starting/continuing. Deb has been a bit ill with a terrible cough, going to the doctor Wednesday. Anyway, got my new Galaxy S3 phone! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it...has to be the best phone on the market today with its quickness, screen, and all its features. Also, it is 4G and guess what?; although Verizon doesn't advertise it currently, 4G is available in Kona, Waikoloa, & Waimea, so I can use it at the Hilton and in Waimea. The speed is about 12 times faster for me than 3G, averaging a whopping 14mbs! Oh, and did I mention; I LOVE THIS PHONE! Debbie got a new phone also, a basic one though as hers died (had it for about 5 years). Deb & I should receive our new Nexus 7 Tablets on Wednesday. They are really priced low and feature the new Jelly Bean operating system; another toy to have. It'll be interesting to see how Deb does with her first intro to Android! Also this week, we should receive our new TV as the one in our bedroom died on us...lots of new toys....LOL Going to Waimea to play later today, after a haircut and after dropping off some rubber for a player. Its really satisfying to watch students of mine as they improve; albeit slowly, improvement at any level is great. Angie, a student of mine from Hilo, recently played at the US Open in Michigan; her & her husband were the only 2 Hawaii players. She did well, as did her husband, each gaining some "important" rating points. I coached a new kid last week, Bradley. He has great potential if he stays interested and motivated and his parents continue to support his playing. Parents are the key. Just look at our Olympians, Lily & Ariel, especially and how involved their parents are! Olympics are coming up fast with table tennis.....should be exciting. Let's see if anybody can win a medal other than the Chinese, although in singles, I doubt that. Been raining almost everyday here, crazy weather. I guess we are getting the rain that the mainland Midwest needs. I hope they get some relief soon as drought conditions cause higher food costs & shortages. Gas prices locally have come down from close to $5.00 a gallon to $4.20. I am planning on going to the US Nationals in December. Hope to see many of you there. Aloha!

6/26/2012 1:08pm

Am impatiently waiting for Verizon to release the new Samsung Galaxy S3 phone. All the other carriers have released them but Verizon says July 9. I preordered June 6. It has 4G and Kona has just started having Verizon 4G. Doesn't make it all the way to North Kohala yet, but at least I can use it as I go to the resorts or Kona & Costco. About 3 months ago our Samsung 52" LCD TV went bye bye with picture stuttering, ghosting, blur, & worse. Repairs are futile as they are so expensive, so we bought a new Bravia Sony HX929, 55". It has the most amazing colors & picture I have ever seen, along with incredible 3d. OK, everything is great till this past Saturday, when our 58" Panasonic Plasma in our bedroom turned on, then popped, then smoked, then went blank. 5 lights blink and the board to repair will cost more than a new plasma; so we are now looking to get a new tv for the bedroom; when it rains, it pours. Speaking of rain; we have had more than 9" of rain in Hawi so far in June...un real! Even all the locals we talk to that have lived here 50 years say this is the most they have ever seen. Grass is growing really fast as are all the weeds! Pleasures of living in paradise...LOL Table tennis is alive & well here. Tim's knee is healing well and he is training more & more which allows me to train more & more, also. Some of my strokes are improving as is the spin & deception on my new serves. It will be interesting when the new guy moves to Kona late July, as we will have some good training partners. I'm thinking of going to Vegas for the US Nationals in December, and hopefully, this will allow for some rigorous training. Matt & I are now selling some rubbers & blades from another Chinese company also. They have a long pips rubber for 1/2 the cost of Tibhar's DTecs as plays the same. I am liking the Tenergy 64 & Tenergy 64FX. Am doing more & more physical exercise now that we have a really good elliptical machine here, as well as 2 Bowflex Ultimate 2's. This is in addition to our going to the Hilton to work out & swim. I think I am getting into the best shape of my life; as long as my back doesn't give out again. The Waimea Club has been seeing more & more players lately as well as North Kohala. Up here it appears more kids are coming to play. That's great as without the juniors, there is no future. Lastly, be prepared for the Olympics, starting end of July in London. Table tennis should be exciting there. Aloha!

6/1/2012 9:16am

Off to Oahu later today for a fun(?) weekend at the Aloha State Games. We should have close to 70 players in a myriad of events, concluding with a handicap event for a FREE trip to Las Vegas! We'll have a dinner meeting tonight to discuss table tennis in Hawaii. I've never been to the Manoa Valley District Park Gym. Had a decent session last night with the North Kohala Club, one new player attended. My dog, Audi, saw my little carry-on bag and is sad, knowing I am leaving. He has not left my side since packing the bag. I'll post the results from the Aloha State Games at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2012alohastategames.htm as soon after each event as possible, as long as I have Internet access for my computer. Aloha!

5/22/2012 8:30am

This past Friday, Jeffrey Cumes, John Romoa, & I exhibited table tennis at the Public Health Exhibition in Kona. We brought 2 tables from The Waimea Club there and had a large group of kids & adults that came by to play and learn about the health benefits of table tennis. It was a success. I am always happy to help out giving exhibitions or promoting table tennis; just let me know how I can assist. Next weekend, June 2 & 3, will be the Aloha State Games Table Tennis Tournament on Oahu, at the Manoa Valley District Park Gym. Information is at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2012alohastategames.htm The entry form is available at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/Entry%20Form%202012%20Aloha.pdf There is, unfortunately, no online entry. I will be at the tournament as tournament director and referee/umpire. It is a USATT Sanctioned Tournament where non USATT members CAN also play. I look forward to a great event and more table tennis activity on Oahu. This Thursday, the 24th, is Deb & my 9th wedding anniversary. WOW, time really flies. Congrats to my son Matthew for winning the Arizona Open Championship 4 years in a row. Watch the match here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DEGFw4FPjco Aloha!

5/7/2012 9:58am

Good to see table tennis getting lots of mainstream media attention these days with new movies coming out about the sport, news stories regarding table tennis, medical studies showing table tennis very beneficial to health, and billionaires Warren Buffett & Bill Gates playing with Ariel Hsing. If only we could get Bill & Warren to donate heavily to the sport! Our tournament last weekend was a tremendous success. Lots of good matches and results are up with pictures & videos, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2012bigislandopen.htm The page even has the updated ratings of the players; fast work! It was great that the lights were all working at Thelma Parker Gym, floor was in good shape, John Romoa cut much of the glare with curtains, lunch was served daily, dinner Saturday night with great ice cream dessert, and lots of tables to play on. I am writing up my thank you letter as well as a report for the USATT Magazine which should be available online in a day or so. Next up is the Aloha State Games on Oahu, June 2 & 3. It will be a USATT Sanctioned Tournament & a State Games Event where we will crown the Aloha State Table Tennis Champion. School is winding down and the summer is approaching. Congratulations to my son Matt, as he won the Arizona State Closed Championship for the 4th time! Waimea Table Tennis is growing & I'll be there later today & on Wednesday. It was great having Ben Tone here in Kohala playing last Tuesday night. He's a great guy, good player, and fun to hit with. Aloha

4/22/2012 9:46am

Just finished watching the North American Olympic Trials for table tennis and congratulations to all our USA Olympians...Timothy Wang, Erica Wu, Ariel Hsing, & Lily Zhang. Good luck in London. I thought the commentating by Sean O'Neill & Han Xiao was really good, with excellent analysis for all viewers to learn a little something about high level table tennis. Thank you for all your hard work. This week brings our 2012 Big Island Table Tennis Tournament to Waimea. We have some strong players entered & it should be a really fun, exciting, & extremely competitive event. Even our trophies for this tournament are upgraded a bit & look super! Thanks to the many players that donated money towards our Saturday night dinner, prize money, and other expenses. We still have a few openings available for the Micro Super Round Robin, so contact me if you wish to enter. A special thank you to John Romoa & Lesi Sekona for doing all the work they are to make this tournament a true success. We should have warm up & practice available Friday night at 5pm. Aloha!

4/9/2012 1:01pm

Things are settling down now & getting back to normal as my daughter, her husband, and my grandchildren have gone back to their home in Denver. It was fantastic getting the opportunity to see them all. We toured the island, seeing the volcano, Place of Refuge, black sand beaches, and more. I took them to our health club as well as the Hilton pools and my granddaughter swam with the dolphins. I hope they all had a great time. I coach some 2nd graders this week at the local school and will continue to do that weekly, until end of May. I'll coach some of the 3rd graders on Fridays and continue to go on Wednesdays to the school and coach some table tennis during lunch. Off to Waimea today to play & do some coaching. I heard a rumor of a new player from California moving to our Island with a USATT rating over 1600. We now only have 7 spots left for our Micro Super Round Robin. We have some great players coming for this tournament and competition should be fierce...and exciting. One of my former Big Island students will be moving back to our island in about 1 week; eager to see him again. Tim has knee surgery this Wednesday & I will miss training with him for at least 2 months. Looks like the Aloha State Games will take place June 2 & 3, but will not be a USATT Sanctioned event. John Romoa has been able to get a local Waimea restaurant to put a ping pong table in it; so we'll see if it becomes popular. See you all in a few weeks at out tournament. Aloha!

3/20/2012 6:35pm

LOL.....ok, ok, why haven't I updated for such a long time! I have been busy cutting down banana trees, so I had like 500+ bananas that I had to give away or cut up for our freezer & my daily smoothies. They are so delicious. My daughter, son in law, & grandchildren come next week, looking forward to seeing them. We're getting closer to the April Tournament; have you entered yet? Weather is warming up as it is now Spring. We love our new lanai & outdoor furniture. I am enjoying using my new forehand rubber on my racket & experimenting with some new focus as I play. The US Nationals will take place this December, back in Vegas, so I may go as will possibly a group of other Hawaiian Players....could be lots of fun plus a chance to see my son. We love our new TV, with 3D.....some movies are simply amazing in full 3D. I never would have guessed that the colors & picture would improve so much in just 4 years; but this LCD TV is far superior to the LCD one we got when we moved here. Simply amazing. Will the Republican Primaries ever end? Baseball Spring Training has begun & I listen to my Diamondbacks each day & really love it. I listen on my Droid X or on the computer & will continue to do that when the official season begins in April. I can watch the games on my Droid X also. For all of you WWE Wrestling fans, April 1st brings Wrestlemania; so don't forget. Aloha!

2/29/2012 7:33am

Happy Leap Day to all! This only happens once every 4 years; hope you weren't born today....LOL I uploaded a video slideshow of the building of our new lanai. It shows the complete process from the old lanai thru all the steps of building the new ones to the placement of new furniture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKRH5vmp6qE&list=UUlFu1khSV5TTYTtgx9laRog&index=1&feature=plcp After Lesi left his lesson this past Sunday, my back started to hurt. I had to stay seated the entire day with heating pad, so I canceled by lessons for Monday and rested all day. Thankfully, my back was better on Tuesday. The Hisaoka Gym was open to table tennis again last night & we are there regularly again, every Tuesday & Thursday for the North Kohala Table Tennis Club. We have 14 entrants into our April tournament already! That is way way ahead of normal; much of the reason is the EarlyBird discount, which ends today. We have some players coming from Tennessee & Alaska! Shaping up to be a great, exciting event. I hope you will also make your plans to attend! I go every Wednesday to our local elementary school and coach some kids to play table tennis during their lunch period. It's fun & quick and the kids really enjoy it. Hopefully, some of the kids may actually take up the sport. 1 Month from today, my daughter & family come for a visit from Denver; should be lots of fun and noise! This Saturday I have a table tennis exhibition to perform. Last year's event was attended by almost 1000 people. Aloha

2/16/2012 8:47am

Lanai is finally done...with furniture. ; now we have to have a party! My daughter, her husband, & my grandkids are coming here end of March to visit; should be lots of fun. Went to the local elementary school yesterday & did a table tennis presentation. I actually demonstrated a Newgy Robot, that was graciously donated by Jeffrey Cumes. I think it was a success with many students clamoring to participate. Kevin, the junior player in Waimea is rapidly improving, able to now hit more than 15 forehand loops in a row, plus yesterday at the Club, he brought 2 of his friends which is a great sign of things to come. Also, Kevin actually took a game from one of the adult players. Nice to see his improvement. There are 2 more weeks of EARLYBIRD discount available for the April Tournament. Send in your entry now or enter online to save the big bucks! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2012bigislandopen.htm I am using a new rubber on my forehand and I think I like it, but am not totally convinced yet; only time will tell. We got a new TV for our family room as the other one was causing us some aggravation. This new TV is absolutely fantastic. I never thought the picture could improve so much in just 4 years, but it has & this TV also has 3D. It is really awesome watching some movies, like Avatar, in 3D. So much depth...really needs to be seen to be appreciated. I think 3D will really catch on when glasses will not be needed. Looking at some of the new smart phones coming out soon; all I can say is WOW! Table tennis is really growing with more & more articles written about the sport, more news items hitting mainstream, and much more visibility. Let me hear how you and your area is doing with table tennis...and, make a trip to our little Island for our upcoming tournament....ALOHA

2/1/2012 9:15am

The deck is finished..... Now we're waiting for the teak furniture we want to come in. We're told next week; we'll see. Also, Lesi came over last week and filled a big gap we had in our driveway. It is now smooth, better looking, and can have 4 cars parked. Mahalo Lesi & his crew. Had a really good turnout this past Monday in Waimea. All our tables were filled with players waiting! Fantastic. We had a few visitors including Cliff from Ohio. The 2012 Big Island Open Tournament is now officially scheduled for April 28 & 29th in beautiful Waimea. Information and online entry available at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2012bigislandopen.htm I am getting a good amount of response already about the tournament and may have a few Mainland surprise players coming.......My son has suggested I try a new rubber on my forehand so I am; Tenergy 64. It is expensive and a bit heavy, but I am going to give it at least a month to see if I like it. My brother in law & his wife are here visiting now and my daughter & her family are coming late March (with my grandchildren). Zhang Jike won the Slovenia Open last weekend against Ma Long. It's the 1st time in almost a year that Ma Long lost a match. Congrats to my favorite CURRENT player, Jike. Aloha!

1/21/2012 8:29am

1st Blog entry of 2012. So you wonder why its been so long since my last entry? I didn't think you did....LOL Anyway, we have been having a new lanai put onto our house.

Old lanai: And walla, the NEW ONE:

My brother in law and his wife are coming next week for a visit; 1st time since we moved to Hawaii so it'll be nice to see them. This past Monday, Devin, from Kauai, came to our Island. He stayed at my home Monday & Wednesday nights & at Steve's house on Tuesday night. He played lots of table tennis here before going on to Oahu for more table tennis. He is improving and has some personal new ways to progress that he likes to try. I had the pleasure of giving him a 1 hour training session in which I worked him a bit hard but he made it with flying colors. I wish him much success in his future table tennis playing as well as getting a job in his chosen field of mechanical engineering. This coming Friday starts the new semester for the local elementary school table tennis classes which I am looking forward to. I teach 2 different classes, one for students 1st-3rd grade & the other for 4th & 5th graders. My daughter & her family (my son in law & 2 grandchildren) are coming to visit the end of March and we are already preparing. Lately, the Waimea Club is getting better & better. We have 6 or 7 serious players now pushing each other to continually improve. For me, it is exciting to watch. Tim is really improving now that knee surgery is over & his knee is improving. When he comes to my place for training, he really pushes the envelope and you can see his continued progress from week to week. I tried an older sheet of Tenergy 64 that my son sent me. I kind of liked it, but the trajectory is lower than I prefer. It was an older sheet so my son says newer sheet has higher trajectory, but I'm not sure I want to use $80.00 a sheet rubber....so I am back to Acuda S3 on my forehand, still using Genius Optimum on my backhand on a Innerforce ZLF blade. I love the backhand rubber feeling. I have 2 players that have come to visit our Island the past few years contact me recently. They'll both be here for the month of February. They'll play at a club or two & also take some lessons. Always nice to have returning visitors. The Kona Club is growing slowly, but positively. Jeffrey is improving with his long pips and forehand looping and now with Dan & Frank there, he can train more. And good news on Kauai too. Allen is playing again, bought a new Butterfly table from me, and will promote this great sport on that island. Aloha & a HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

12/30/2011 9:00am

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou

Hau’oli — “how-oh-lee”

Makahiki — ”ma-ka-hee-key”

Hou — “ho”

12/24/2011 7:56am

Happy Holidays to EVERYONE.......and an early Happy New Year, 2012, the year the world is supposed to end....LOL, maybe not so funny; guess we'll all find out soon enough. Had a great time yesterday down at the Hilton exercising, spa, shower, then a super dinner at Ruth Chris. Watched a movie called The Perfect Sense. It is a thought provoking science fiction movie worth seeing, that will get you talking & thinking about parts of life we take for granted. Due to high school basketball season, we cannot use the gym here on Tuesday nights till middle February, so the players are coming to my home. We had 6 players here this past Tuesday & lots of action. Everyone is improving, except me, of course. Making potato pancakes for dinner tonight & having a BBQ tomorrow night with baby back ribs. It has been raining here continuously the past 10 days or so. We have actually received more than 11 inches of rain since then & everything is the greenest green it can be. Thankfully, we have sun this morning, 1st time. We are trying to remodel our lanai & no work was done last week because of the rains. Hopefully, this week lots can be done. The bad part is Audi cannot use his normal way to get out so we have to have him go through the garage, a hassle for us old people...LOL Matt sent me an old sheet of Tenergy to try. I will put it on my blade and give it another chance. He says I have to use it for awhile to see the difference of this rubber over others, but now at almost $80.00 a sheet, I'm not sure I really want to know! He swears it is special & many world class players do use it, so I'll give it a "spin". Had a fun opportunity to coach a 5+ year old this past week with really good hand/eye co ordination. In 45 minutes, he actually could loop some balls creating topspin and had a bit of power with good acceleration. A shame he was only visiting. Aloha!

12/18/2011 6:51pm

12/10/2011 9:21am

Yesterday was the last day of the semester for my students at the Elementary School. We had 2 tournaments, one for each group and it was a success with some good rallies for newbies. Also, Thursday night at the Club, we had 2 new kids come and play with their parents. T^here will be a nice article in the next edition of our local paper promoting the North Kohala TTC & Waimea TTC. Hopefully this will increase our attendance. I just received a copy of the Japanese magazine that has a large article about our recent tournament and interviews and pictures of some of the players. It also focuses on the new rating system starting in Japan. Now all I need is somebody to translate the entire article into English! Our new deck (lanai) is going to look great. We got our wood; see the video. Timothy Woollard was staying at our home for about 2 weeks after his knee surgery, and last week, he made dinner. Tim is a 20+ year chef. We were treated to a fantastic dinner of prime rib and so much more. Watch the video of his cooking. He is at least a 2700 rated chef!!! The Waimea Club has recently seen a little increase in players which is great. New player Dan will be a very good player within 3 months. Also, Kevin, a young student, has been coming the past few months and is the start of our Waimea Junior Program. Starting Thursday, I'll be coaching a couple of North Kohala kids each week at my home. One of the kids has really high potential as I coached him a few years back so his technique is really good. The other kid was in an auto accident and table tennis has really helped his recovery. Aloha!

11/23/2011 2:25pm

Happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE! Was at the Elementary School I coach at yesterday & put together their first ping pong table! It is in a 3rd grade room and today they had a line of students wanting to play during the 3 recess & lunch breaks they get. Sends goose pimples up my spine that they are interested to play. Last night at the Club, we had a 4th grader there to play and she is getting better. Good things on the horizon.....Aloha

11/10/2011 4:33pm

The rains have finally come to Hawi! We really needed it as the grass was getting brown (although it does save me from mowing), flowers are wilting, etc etc etc. But not anymore as we received about 4" the past couple days. It has also cooled off a bit. We are in the midst of enlarging our lanai (outdoor deck). We're going to add about 200sq feet to it, almost doubling the current size. It will be wood that is actually grown on our island, Robustas, very hard wood & beautiful grain. Maybe I can make a table tennis racket out of any leftover wood! Just got a couple sheets of the new Stiga Calibra LT Spin to try out; hope I like it. Butterfly prices go up again November 15, with Tenergy costing $79.95 a sheet & new Centrefold 25 Tables going for $2249.00. The Dollar vs Yen is raising lots of costs. My daughter & her family has just purchased a new home & will move in a few weeks. Funny thing is that the new house has a ping pong table already there in the basement! Now when I go visit, I can practice as well as teach my grandchildren how to play. I saw how cold it is in many places on the Mainland last few days as well as all the snow some places were getting; makes me happier & happier to live here. This weekend brings the Men's World Cup from Paris France with the best players there. Will the Chinese lose again to the Russian & the German player? That would set the table tennis world on it's ear, but can it be done? Watch it live at www.ittf.com/ittv Friday thru Sunday. Off to the North Kohala Club tonight for a photo as a small story about table tennis here will be written for the local paper. Aloha

10/22/2011 8:20am

Back to normal now. Started my new classes yesterday at the Gym, coaching 24 students from Kohala Elementary School, 2nd graders through 5th graders. Hopefully, we can get each student that completes the 2 semester class their own racket and maybe take them to a tournament against the students in Hilo or elsewhere on the Island. Some of these kids really want to learn while others are there to avoid doing gardening, sewing, art, or anything else. In the 1st session, I have 4 or 5 of them that have very good skills. We start with the basics of stance & grip. I had them play footwork mirroring games and taught them basic ball control. I then gave them about 7 minutes to play on the tables, games to 3, with one of them at each table, an umpire, and then rotating. Today I have lots to do. I'm going to Waimea for a Hamfest, then to Costco in Kona to get my new glasses (cannot believe I have to wear glasses at my young age), then to the Hilton to exercise & relax around the pool. 5:00pm we'll go for Early Bird Special at Ruth Chris for a juicy steak. Ratings are in from the tournament & online. There will be some changes at the next update as one match was entered by the players incorrectly and will be changed. Thanks to everyone again for making the tournament a tremendous success. Aloha!

10/17/2011 9:39am

I am so glad that the tournament is now over.....Those are 3 days of very hard work; exhausting hours; and overuse of my eyes looking at my laptop screen all day to add the match scores. In the end, it is all worth it as all 57+ players enjoyed themselves (especially the winners). Thanks to all the people that helped to make it a success with all their hard work in every department & a big thank you to all the players that played to make it a great event & especially to the players that came from far away. The Saturday dinner was great with tons of food left over for Sunday for all to snack on. Kim Gilbert is on her way to my home now to explore this side of our lovely island before she goes home to California tonight. I need to rest up a bit the next day or so & get back into my usual routine. Results are up on my website & more write ups will be forthcoming as will a nice video. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2011hawaiiislandopen.htm Just this quick update....talk to you soon.

10/7/2011 10:35am

It's 25 minutes till my Arizona Diamondbacks play the deciding game of the 5 game National League Division Series against the Brewers. The team went from last year being the worst team in the National League to being 1 of the absolute best this year...my hat off to the General Manager & others that got this team together & to the manager of the year, Gibby! Good luck in the next few hours as my stomach will be in knots! Hopefully, they win and then, immediately following that game, the series final between the Cardinals & Phillies happens. I hope the Cardinals win to allow the Diamondbacks to have home field advantage in the next round...fingers, toes, eyes, & more are all crossed. 44 players signed up for next weekend's tournament so far. We hope to have another 15-30 juniors from the Boys & Girls Club of Hilo also play in the Junior event Friday afternoon. Thanks to a generous donation by Timothy Woollard, we are now increasing cash prizes in many of our events and have added a cash prize to the top 4 Juniors! We will have players coming from California, Oahu, Maui, & Tennessee. We will have loopers, long pip players, anti spin players, juniors, seniors, women all ready to go. I expect some great action, excitement, and very competitive matchups. Pass it on to your friends to come out & watch; NO CHARGE.

9/30/2011 11:36am

I just received confirmation of full ITTF Coaching Certification plus PTT. See it here.

9/29/2011 12:51pm

The October tournament is shaping up very nicely. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011hawaiiislandopen.htm We will have some great competition, with players coming from Maui, Oahu, and the Mainland, as well as one player from Japan (at UofH Manoa). We will have a few new juniors playing, coached by the rapidly improving Noah from Maui. The Super Round Robin is really shaping up with almost 30 participants entered so far. I will continue to take entries postmarked after tomorrow, but only with the $5.00 late fee & ONLY subject to group event availability. This Saturday is the Kohala County Fair near my home. John Romoa will be coming from Waimea, bringing his "special" ping pong table, and we'll be exhibiting there for the Big Island Table Tennis Clubs. They usually get more than 2500 people to attend this huge shindig. Hard to believe but my daughter turns 30 in 6 weeks; boy am I getting old! Aloha.......L'Shana Tova (Happy New Year) to all my Jewish friends. Aloha!

9/19/2011 9:26am

Not a lot going on here. Been doing lots of exercise & playing table tennis. I'm coaching the kids on Wednesdays at the gym, 36 of them. It's a lot of fun teaching them table tennis basics. This Sunday I am probably going to Hilo to coach and then our tournament is right around the corner. We have a few players coming from the Mainland which should be fun. Deadline for no late fee is the 30th. Weather has been great, as usual & we have tons of mangos.... Get your entries in...Aloha!

8/31/2011 1:46pm

Lots of table tennis action the past few days.....Had a student here Sunday morning for 2 hour lesson; then into the car & drive to Hilo. I got to coach for 5 hours there before coming home drained.....However, I believe we had some great training sessions with the players. I had them moving, using better footwork, and learning some game drills. Proper training definitely takes hard work and time. Monday, I went to Waimea to coach and we were crowded. All tables were going & a few of us watched. Looks like we have a few juniors starting to come to the Waimea Club which is really good. Yesterday, I went to the Hilton to exercise and see the new week old dolphin; so cute. When I returned home, Clyde was here to train. He & I played for about 2 hours until Tim came by and they played till dinner time. Then, it was off to the North Kohala Club where we had Clyde, Tim, Lesi, Tony, & others.....and I'm off in a few minutes to Waimea for another coaching session & some playing.....I hope everyone else is getting in some good table tennis action. See you all in October at the tournament....Aloha!

8/22/2011 12:30pm

Our October tournament is just around the corner. Have you entered yet? http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011hawaiiislandopen.htm Had some friends staying on the island the past few weeks. Good to see and spend some time with them. Also, my cousin from California also was here this month and had a great dinner at their rental house last night. My granddaughter had her 1 month birthday today; boy, times really flies. Going to Hilo this Sunday to coach & help prepare my students for the October tournament. When you have only a short time to train & are alone, the best thing you can do to improve, is to practice your serves. Aloha!

8/14/2011 7:18pm

Aloha! Back home safe & sound. I had a wonderful trip, getting to spend some time with my son, Matt, , and my new grandson, Austin, . Debbie had a good time also spending time with grandchildren Austin & Bryn. One of the biggest changes for us is the Denver climate with it's very low humidity, extreme thin air, and the very hot temperatures. The first week there I took an ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) coaching course, 6 hours a day for 5 days. It was very intense for me as I could never really get used to the change in altitude & got very lightheaded & out of breathe quickly, due to the thin air at the high elevation. There were 14 coaches and course instructor, Richard McAfee did an excellent job with Francisco Mendez being a tremendous host of the facility. I learned lots & enjoyed myself very much. All of the people attending will help improve the great sport of table tennis. I was even able to promote Hawaii a bit, LOL....and our October tournament (did you send in your entry yet?) I got to play some players using long pips and another with anti spin, plus got to play as a disabled athlete, in a wheelchair, as well as one handed. Gives a whole new perspective on para players. I learned many new drills & ideas for junior programs. Deb & I got our granddaughter a sandbox so she will know what to do when the family comes to us for a visit next Spring. We are looking forward to that. While in Denver, we got to eat at my favorite lobster place in the USA; The Palm. Deb & I Split a 6 pound Nova Scotia lobster, (This is only 1/2 of it), and we finished every bite & Deb even ordered dessert! So yummy. We also ate at the Palm when I was in Vegas last December. I definitely suggest The Palm if you like lobster. While away on the Mainland, the Hilo Club received 2 new Butterfly Tables & I also got a new table. So, although I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, I am glad to be back home, and back with by dog. I am eager to play some table tennis, coach some juniors, and others, and look forward to our upcoming tournament. Back to some Bowflex, swimming, lawn mowing, banana eating, high humidity sea level table tennis, and enjoying our quiet life. How's it going with you? Aloha!

7/24/2011 6:49am

My grandson was born on Friday, Austin Michael Exley. I will be going to the mainland to meet him this week. He is healthy and eating. Mom, sister, father & he are all doing well. Getting ready for the trip. While there, I will be taking the ITTF Coaching Course to learn more about the great sport I love and get another coaching certification. I have a new Butterfly Centrefold Table on the water to me and the Hilo Club is also getting 2 new tables. The October Tournament will be held in Hilo where they will have 5 Fantastic, Top Of The Line Butterfly Tables to play on; I hope you are sending in your entry form soon. We have been giving away 100's of mangos & avocados recently. We had a huge crop and more keep falling off the trees; they are so yummy along with the delicious bananas & passion fruit & oranges. Have been playing better & better table tennis of late & really enjoy my new blade & rubbers. Aloha!

7/15/2011 5:46pm

Not a lot happening here so my blog additions are farther apart than normal. Went & coached in Hilo last Sunday. It was super as I coached 5 hours straight & think some of the newer players are making some great progress. Also, Pete is back playing which is really good. It was a really busy day with Lesi coming to my home for a lesson early Sunday morning, then my 2 hour drive to Hilo & back. I have really been working out recently. Either I use my at home Bowflex machine or we go to our Club at the Hilton to work out. I love their new Elliptical machines with workout routines built in. After 30+ minutes on it I do some bicycling, then off to the weight room to use some of the weight machines & lift some barbells. I actually think I am in the best shape of my life. I suggest everyone over 40 lift some weights to keep their skin more firm and to absolutely feel better. Make sure you do lots of stretching before you play table tennis; it is more strenuous than many think. Lately, I've been practicing using my backhand more & more and improving my footwork. It seems that the sport continues to evolve, and now more & more players are using their backhand more & more, including the new world champion. I'm going back to Hilo to coach next Sunday then off to Denver for the birth of my new grandchild. I will also get to see my son as Matthew will also be in Denver. The following week, while there, I will attend a full week ITTF Coaching Certification Course; so it will be a busy trip. When I get back, table tennis will start again at the local elementary school which will keep me plenty busy. Our next USATT Tournament is coming up fast...in October, less than 3 months away now. Have you sent in your entry yet? Keep in touch., Aloha!

6/30/2011 3:15pm

WOW! The Kohala Elementary Summer Program (SUMMER BLAST) is now over. We had a tournament today for 12 of the students. Pictures & Video will be available soon at: www.tabletennisandmore.com/kohalaschooltourney62011.htm The students just learned some simple basics and then played their 1st ever tournament. They all had a great time with lots of good sportsmanship. Hopefully, and only time will tell; some of them will want to play table tennis more regularly and come to our club meetings or call me directly. It truly is amazing how well some 5, 6 & 7 year olds can do with only a few minutes of practice. Now that it is over; I have some time to rest, lift some weights, and play some table tennis....I think I am going to the Hilo Club to help coach some players 2 times in July before I head off to Denver for the birth of my new grandson. While there, I will take a week long ITTF Coaching Certification Course. Although I know and do most of what is taught in the course, it will be a great refresher course plus it goes over Para Table Tennis techniques. I look forward to learning more & utilizing the knowledge. On Maui, Noah & others have started to build a junior's program. That is great news. Hopefully a new crop of young players will emerge. It's hard to believe that 6 months of the year has already gone by...so fast! There is talk in the table tennis world of making the net 2" higher and other dramatic changes. Nothing has happened yet, but there are some tests happening so look out in the future for some major rule changes. My son is in Milwaukee now, playing in the US Open. Good luck to him and all the players. Our next USATT Big Island Tournament is in October; a short 3+ months away. Make your plans to attend now. Online entry is available as well as mail-in entry forms. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011hawaiiislandopen.htm I am always happy to continue to answer your personal coaching questions by email. Aloha

6/14/2011 8:44am

Just started the 2nd week of "teaching" table tennis to the elementary students at Kohala Summer School. We were allowed to use the High School Gym, set up 3 tables, and I have 4 sessions daily of 6 kids for an hour. The same 24 kids play for the entire week and then we start the following week with a new group of 24. The 1st week went very well with kids ranging in age from 5-10. It is amazing and heartwarming to watch the kids go from not being able to hold a racket to doing relay races balancing the ball on the racket with their backhand (1st finger up). After the week, they all understand something about spin, know the proper grip and stance, can balance the ball on the racket, can bounce it at least 10 times forehand & backhand, can play a game knowing a game is 11 points, 2 serves each. This 2nd week I have had a few of the kids from the 1st week take it again when a few students were absent yesterday. Nice to see they remembered and answered all the questions. Kids love to try to peel the rubber from the blade so that is what we go over as rule #1. I also show them inverted rubber, short pips, & long pips rubber & explain in simple terms the differences. Another thing the kids are amazed at is that table tennis is an Olympic Sport and 1sdt or 2nd most played sport in the world. Only time will tell if these classes translate to the kids playing at our club or wanting to pursue the sport without school. There are so many activities here in Hawaii vying for their attention that it is extremely difficult, especially with the strength of basketball here. Waiting to see some results information from the Aloha State Games, but so far cannot find anything. I wonder who won the Open and other events? Matt ran the Grand Canyon Games this past Sunday and had a good tournament with Matt's student, Jay, winning the Open. Congrats to Jay...who plays 100% hardbat. Deb & I are really enjoying our new exercise club & I still use my Bowflex every other day. I am definitely seeing some good results. Only about 7 weeks left for my new grandson's birth. Stay in touch. Aloha!

5/25/2011 10:50am

I really like my Bowflex Machine and definitely suggest it for anyone wanting to get a complete body workout, easily. It's simple to use, can do so many exercises, and really works. Deb & I moved our membership from one place to another this past weekend. We really like the new club. The workout machines are more modern, enjoy their elliptical machines with program sequences on them. I also like the ability to bring many guests as often as we want and the huge choice of pools and other amenities, including sauna, steam, whirlpool, etc. There is a racquet ball court and yes, they even have a table tennis table! Plus, it is such a huge resort, that walking around it is a body workout in itself!...with beautiful scenery, dolphins, and plenty of places to eat. Let me know when you are over here, and I'll be happy to take you! Have been working on my serves more & more of late. I am using some new techniques as well as some little set ups in my place to keep the serves lower, better placement, and with varying spin & speed. I really like the new rubbers I am using. I have 2 weeks off from coaching at school but June 4 starts 4 intensive weeks of coaching at the local elementary summer school program. I get to coach 4 students for 45 minutes, rotating each day 4 times; so 16 students a day. Then a new 16 students each week. Will be good to expose another 64 kids to this great sport. Debbie loves her new car & I am jealous of her Bluetooth radio with USB port for music, so I ordered a new radio for my truck to keep up with her...radio. Really sad to hear about all the tornados on the Mainland and the deaths, injuries, and destruction of property. I guess bad things happen wherever you live. And, for those that know me from many years ago, I was very saddened by the death of Randy Macho Man Savage. I had the pleasure of spending a full day with him & his wife in Phoenix, back in the late 80's, when I worked for the WWE. He was a great performer & maybe one of the top 5-7 wrestlers/performers/entertainers of all time. He will definitely be missed. Lastly, I uploaded the online & mail-in entry forms for our upcoming October Tournament. We have added a new event on Friday evening for Seniors over 55 and rated under 1000. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011hawaiiislandopen.htm Aloha!

5/10/2011 10:15am

2 More weeks left of school for this year, so only a few more sessions of coaching the elementary school kids till summer school begins. I coach today from 1-5pm, 3 different groups of students, an hour on Thursday, and 3 hours on Friday. Starting in June, for 4 weeks, I get to coach the summer school kids 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. I sure hope some of the kids take table tennis more seriously and try to really learn the game & improve. It is tough though, as there are so many options for them to choose from, other than table tennis. I am enjoying watching the World Championships direct from Rotterdam on ittf/tv. The matches are getting more interesting as they move into the next rounds. Saw a super women's double match today with the Netherlands beating a Korean team, which went 7 games. Debbie got a new car and she loves it. It is fun to drive. I am still using 2 new rubber types on my racket & really like them. I think they are giving me more speed & spin with very little, if any, loss of control on the short game. I have worked in the past few months on improving my backhand, which I have done slightly, and now working on improving my short game. Who knows; someday I may even be able to play this game at a decent level. Had a good turnout yesterday in Waimea and was able to coach, then train for another 2 hours. Let me hear from you. Aloha!

5/1/2011 7:42am

Aloha All........Can you believe it is already May? WOW, how time really flies by......It appears I am going to be training more than I have for the past 15 years. With the new returning player coming to my home 2-4 times a week to train together, hopefully I can improve a bit. I am working on slow spinny loops & fast loopdrives. I want to be able to open up on all longish serves with a constant slow spin, as deep as possible, to a really good location. I don't like the new Donic Turbo Platin rubber. I absolutely loved the old discontinued version of Platin Soft, but the newest version is not to my liking. So, I ordered 2 new rubbers to try, one Tibhar and one Donic. I do really like my new Butterfly blade. I sent my extra one to Matt to try out. He claims it is too fast for him! Also, I have a student that will soon see very good improvement as he will be trying some new, deadly, long pips rubber. We have some great drills and strokes to work on with them that will absolutely befuddle his opponents. A friend of mine is over 2250 using these pips. Should be very interesting. I am still teaching 5 table tennis classes a week to elementary school kids here in Kohala, and for the next 3 weeks, that increases to 6 classes. I really hope some of these kids will want to really learn, but sadly, most are taking it just to have fun with their friends. I will be a grandfather again at the end of July, this time a boy. Debbie is getting a new car as hers is now 10 years old. I guess this year's Aloha State Games will not be a USATT Sanctioned event and I will not run it. We were alerted to the tournament a bit too late this time to do it any justice so we politely declined and hope preparations can be made in a more timely fashion for next year. I still love my BOWFLEX machine and use it 3 times a week. I also still do my Plyometrics routine 2-3 times a week. I hope everyone is enjoying life. My condolences go out for the death & destruction that occurred in the Southeast recently due to the tornados; really sad. I wish my Arizona Diamondbacks would win a few more games. Stay well. Aloha

4/14/2011 2:27

Off to University of Hilo tomorrow for another 4 hour coaching clinic. I wish the players there would form a real club and start playing more seriously. It would be great to have a college team there. The USATT Tournament went well this past weekend in Hilo. Results are up with pictures. We had streaming live video of the event with interactive chat. Lots of fun. I hope you can make it to our next tournament in October. I have been using my Bowflex machine every other day and really enjoy the workout. On the Bowflex off days, I do a plyometrics workout for my lower body & legs. I think it is helping me. Deb is looking at maybe getting rid of her car & buying a new roadster. She is looking at the BMW Z4, the Mazda MX5 Miata, or another like those. Whatever she chooses, should be fun to drive. Looks like I'll be heading to Denver in July for the birth of my new grandson. Had more than 800 views of the live tournament broadcast. I think that's a pretty good number for a table tennis event on the Big Island. Hope everyone is doing well. Aloha

4/6/2011 8:26am

We will attempt to broadcast live this weekend, our 2011 Big Island Open Table Tennis Tournament at Watch live video from ttmore on Justin.tv Let me know how it looks and enter the chat room there to interact with us here in Hawaii.... Enjoy Aloha!

3/31/2011 11:55am

It's kind of funny.....looks like a huge increase in the amount of views lately on this page; did I do something exciting that so many are wanting to read of late? Or, is it because I have not updated in a few weeks? hmmm Anyway, the April Tournament starts in 10 days. I still have a very few openings available to fill in for some events, so let me know if you are interested. I've been using my Bowflex machine every other day & am feeling it; not sure I have more muscle, but I do feel it. On the Bowflex off days, I do Plyometrics which I firmly believe is fantastic for the sport of table tennis and fitness, in general. If you are not doing some form of Plyometrics, you should start. I am happy to answer any questions you may have regarding it. I am really enjoying the Butterfly Blade I currently use and, even at the cost, think it is worth it for control, feeling, & speed. It surprises me how many people use old fashioned blades & some old fashioned rubber when R&D has shown so many improvements over the years. Of course, there are some exceptions where old versions are still very good in today's game. The sport of table tennis keeps evolving; if your game does not; you are destined to fall back against the others. Aloha!

3/14/2011 1:22pm

Wow, what a sad time for the country of Japan. The earthquake, the tsunami, the volcano, & now the nuclear explosions! My heart really goes out to them. Who knows how many will die when it is all totaled! Hopefully, more miracles will be had & survivors will be found and the reactors will not melt down. The tsunami that hit our island from Japan's earthquake did do some damage. At first, we thought nothing, but stores were damaged severely in Kona, some hotels will be closed for awhile, and major resorts on the Kohala Coast had damage. Many of our island beaches were closed and some will be closed for a long time. Amazing how a tsunami travels so far. Thankfully, with the 6 hour warning, no lives here were lost & I don't think anyone was injured. Our tournament is now less than 4 weeks away so get those entries in. This Friday I go to Hilo to give a clinic to the University. Hopefully, the students are improving as this will be my 3rd clinic there. I just got a used Bowflex Ultimate 2 and plan to use it to keep toned. I am also doing Plyometrics and think they will be a great asset for all table tennis players....with virtually no real cost to start doing them. Off to Waimea in an hour to do some coaching. This week is spring vacation for the elementary school so no table tennis classes till next week. Give pause to the victims in Japan and stay positive....Aloha!

3/9/2011 11:00am

Saturday was a great/tiring day. Left my house around 5am to get to the airport on my way to Oahu. Flight on time, full plane, & safely to Honolulu. Picked up quickly & taken to the University for the table tennis clinic at the University in Manoa. Devin, Tim and a bunch of students attended the clinic throughout the day, lasting from 11am to about 5pm. There are some students with good potential that seemed to pick up the strokes fairly easily. The club has 3 good tables, 2 decent nets, and 4 tables & nets that can use some help. If anyone wants to donate to a good cause, the University Table Tennis Club there can use some help. They have a good facility as far as size & the floor, but lightning is awful. I had to squint & strain to see the ball. It really is a shame how our sport is not taken seriously like some of the other sports that get very preferential treatment. Anyway, great group of students that can make for a good club. Got back home about 10pm & was exhausted. Woke up early to give Lesi his 2 hour Sunday morning lesson and then rested away the balance of the day. Back to normal now. Entries are trickling in for the April tournament which is almost here...only a few short weeks away. 16 more days to the entry deadline before a late charge is in place. See you all soon. Aloha

3/3/2011 1:18pm

Great night in Waimea yesterday. Coached 2 players that are really looking to peak at the April Tournament....they are moving really well, improving their serves & locations, & looping more. We then had 2 visitors from the Chicago area come & play. I helped one of them for about 30 minutes and hope that it helps with his improvement. Looking forward to a long day, but a rewarding day, this Saturday on Oahu, at the University. Hope we get a good turnout & can kick-start the club there. Tuesday is the last day for this semester of table tennis for the elementary kids and then they start up again April 4. We have a good group, from Kindergarten to 5th graders, divided into 2 groups, twice per week. Also, next week, I start a program with 2nd graders every Thursday, for a special No Child Left Behind program...teaching them table tennis skills. A very short video of the kids learning to spin the ball & other hand/eye co-ordination simple skills. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ac5jgUfes0 Aloha!

2/28/2011 11:02am

Had a long day yesterday but VERY rewarding. At 8am, had my 1st student come over to take a 2 hour lesson. After we finished a very exhausting session (a good exhausting); off I drove to Hilo (almost 2 hour drive). I gave 5+ hours of lessons to a variety of skill level players, as well as a promising junior player. The Hilo Club had a good group of players show up. It was a great session as I was able to work on different aspects of the game with each player; teaching one to better his serves, another to guard his switch point better, another to return serves better, and backhand techniques to 2 others. Today I am off to Waimea to give another few lessons. Saturday, I will go to Honolulu and give a clinic to the students at UH of Manoa; a long day but should be a great start to improving the size as well as skill level of the players there. There are already a few good players, but we always need more, MANY more. Our April tournament is beginning to receive some entries & looks to be very promising. Another good turnout and lots of fun for all, so get your entries in. Aloha!

2/21/2011 9:33am

Good time in Hilo coaching the students at the University. Had about 15 students during the 4 hours of training. A few of the kids have potential and it was good to see some former players coming back to play again. I go again in March and look forward to their continued improvement. Coached yesterday morning for more than 2 hours and it was great. He was moving better than ever and hitting more & more, rather than just blocking or playing passive. Lesi will be a force in the April tournament. Remember when you serve, location is key...be sure to keep the ball as low as possible so your opponent has to lift the ball to return it.

2/16/2011 10:45am

Getting ready to go to Waimea to coach & play some Pong....Last night in North Kohala we had a great time playing. John came from Waimea and Tim was there, along with others. We actually had 5 tables going strong for awhile! Not bad for a city of around 800 residents. I had a good time coaching all the players in Hilo this past Sunday & it appears they are all improving. Look out for the April tournament as they will be peaking! Speaking of that tournament, less than 2 months to go, so now's the time to start sending in your entries. Remember, we have money in many events, including, for the FIRST TIME EVER, money prize in Doubles. I'm going to Hilo Friday to give a clinic to the students at the University there & on March 5, I'll be on Oahu giving an all day clinic to the students at UH in Manoa, thanks to Devin organizing it. I'm still considering some rubber alternatives as the rubber I really like is no longer being made (Donic Platin Soft), and I am not sure about their new version. My battery died on my lawn tractor so I am learning how to do all sorts of simple things myself! LOL.....Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day with your significant other. I'll be back in Hilo in 2 weeks to coach again. Aloha!

2/2/2011 11:40am

I think the only place in the USA that has good weather is right here....in Hawaii. Can you imagine the weather in the midwest & northeast? or how about the 186mph winds in Australia? What about 30 degrees in Phoenix and 8 below in Denver! I like my 78 & sunny......received a few entries into our April tournament, which is now a ONE STAR event with lots of cash prizes. There is also a rumor that we will have a cash prize for the double's event also; not confirmed just yet. One of our entries is from a National Coach in Texas, rated at one time over 2300 and still a super coach, great player, and a really nice guy. Check out the webpage for all updated info: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011bigislandopen.htm Had a good turnout last night at the North Kohala Club and going to Waimea today. Will go to Hilo a week from Sunday so everyone can enjoy this Sunday's Super Bowl game. Hard for me to pick who I want to win, but I will enjoy watching the commercials, now at $3 Million a spot! Yesterday, I coached 8 K-2nd grade students in table tennis class and then, in the 2nd session, I had 11 3-5th graders. I hope a few really enjoy the game, take it seriously, and really want to play the sport. I feel there is a table tennis movement now; hop on and grow the sport. In March, I will have a 10 session class for 2nd graders every Thursday afternoon; so I am keeping fairly busy. Got some new tires for my truck which has made driving much safer! Check your tires and be sure the tread is still good; bad tread can cost you your life! I still love my Droid X smartphone and the apps market is growing everyday. Aloha!

1/24/2011 6:48am

Am exhausted, hurting mentally & physically. Had a good turnout at the University of Hawaii in Hilo on Friday. Gave 4+ hours of training to about 15 students and will go back in February. Then, yesterday, went back to Hilo and gave lessons for 4 1/2 hours. Gave lessons to a new guy that can be a really good player, working on our island for a year, from Virginia. Also, a junior, named Drew can become a very good player with continued training. So I am sore from all the training and all the driving. Then, got a call that my cousin Ira has died, in India, from a heart attack. So very sad as I was very close to him while growing up, as his mom died when he was very little. His mom & my mom were sisters. http://www.hamradioandmore.com/ira.htm is a page I made a few years back of pictures of him when he was growing up. I start teaching the elementary school students table tennis, tomorrow and my cousin from Florida visits here today. Aloha!

1/20/2011 10:14am

Off to University of Hilo tomorrow to give a table tennis clinic to the students there. I am going once a month through April. I hope to create a strong club there that may eventually become a member club in college table tennis. Then, Sunday, I'll go back to Hilo & coach at the Hilo Club. Hopefully, table tennis skill levels are increasing. Last night in Waimea, we had Garton visit from Oahu. He's a great guy & good player with a wicked backhand. What a fantastic article & video ABC News did today: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/brain-ping-pong/story?id=12721610 It shows how important the sport of table tennis is for the brain and body as a whole. Do not miss it & pass it to everyone you know. A cousin of mine is visiting Hawaii from Florida. He's currently in Oahu & will be here on Monday. Starting next Tuesday, I will begin to coach 2 classes of table tennis to elementary school students, twice a week. The older kids group is already filled with 2 on the wait list and the younger group is almost filled. I continue to send out e-mails about table tennis. If you are not on my list and want to be, please send me an email to add your name. Aloha!

1/13/2011 8:56am

Happy New Year! 2011 is off & running....weather all over the country has been miserable; that is, everywhere, except Hawaii! LOL.....beautiful here. even have snow on Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa. Next week I begin going to the University of Hawaii in Hilo once per month and give a table tennis clinic to the students. Hope it leads to more players on the Island. Was in Hilo this past Sunday and gave 5 hours of lessons. I gave lessons to a few new junior players; they can be good in a short time of training. Would be great if we can get more juniors playing on the island. Just got new tires on my truck and what a difference! No more skidding & great traction....looks like some 4 wheeling coming soon. I'm practicing some new serves with some new techniques Matt suggested. Will give it 3 months of practice to see how it evolves in my game. Already it is causing me problems, as the ball returned to me is much more juiced than I am used to. We have our 2011 USATT Sanctioned tables tennis tournaments set up now. They will both be in Hilo. The dates are April 8-10 & October 14-16. Information & entry is available for the April tournament at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2011bigislandopen.htm I am getting some interesting inquiries regarding the event from mainland players; some high level. Should be another great event, especially with the assistance of the Hilo Club. Aloha!

12/30/2010 12:37pm

My almost 3 week trip to the Mainland was fantastic! I got to see my son, my daughter, my granddaughter, and many of my old friends. Plus, I got out of Phoenix and back here to Hawaii, at exactly the right time; as it will be in the 20's tonight in the Phoenix area! It's a shame that so many travelers were stranded on the East Coast but the weather almost everywhere has been crazy. However, the weather in Phoenix & Las Vegas, while I was there, was simply great....much warmer than normal and very little rain. Part of my trip included a 5 day stay in Vegas for the Us Nationals Table Tennis Tournament. Well, the hotel lost our reservations....then they found them after having to get the manager, and we were given a suite! However 3 nights into our stay, a hotel transformer blew up and we were without power...so they moved us to another room, and downgraded our suite; although still to a nice room. We had a super dinner at the Palm Restaurant, in Caesar's Court, shared with a bunch of my table tennis friends. I had my favorite, 5 pound Nova Scotia Lobster.....yummy! The tournament was very nice with the only flaw being time delays of the open men's singles and having to wait around almost 4 hours, only to find out that the next round was a bye anyway. That could have all been avoided. Many players were annoyed, but other than that, the tournament went very smoothly. Matthew and 2 other players from Table Tennis & More made it to the top 32 players in the entire USA! They all played well in that round, but the competition was just too tough and none made it to the money group of 16. Maybe next year. But good to see that 10% of the final 32 players were from our group! I had the pleasure to hit with players with skill levels from 1000-2400....It has been quite a long time for me to do that. Also, I spent lots of time going over the new rubbers & blades on the market & learned quite a lot about them. I now have the new Donic Turbo Platin Soft on my forehand and the older Platin Soft on my backhand. There is, indeed, a difference as the new turbo has a more crisp feeling, definitely more spin, but maybe a bit less spin & control. I had the pleasure of playing with my son numerous times on the trip and watching him as he coached his students. He has many promising juniors, women, and guys playing. He also coaches a famous comedian and we were treated to his show in Vegas. He is a super guy and fast becoming a very good player. I learned some new techniques on this trip that I will try to master as well as new serves. I, of course, will pass this new knowledge on to my students. Jeffrey, from the Big Island, was also in Vegas & I know he was able to play with some of my friends and even get a pseudo lesson on long pips playing & strategy. The finals of the Open events in Men's & Women's saw a changing of the guard, where youth prevailed. Ariel, only 15 years old won the women's singles and Tim won the men's single at age 19. Actually all 4 players in the finals were 19 or under. That bodes well for the future. The kids playing in Vegas are better & better. There was a 10 year old boy playing there that has already passed 2200 in rating! I was able to spend lots of quality time with my daughter, her husband, and my granddaughter, Bryn. That was fantastic! Also, this was the first time I was with both my son & daughter together, in 4+ years and the 1st time ever with them together & my granddaughter. Yep, we have plenty of pictures which I'll post on Facebook, etc. Some high ranked players expressed interest in coming to our next Big Island Tournament and as soon as we can firm up the date & venue, I will announce it and start the promotion. I wish each & every one of you a VERY HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR.....happy ponging! Aloha......

12/30/2010 7:44am

Back home in Hawi!

12/7/2010 8:10am

The ratings have been updated online for all the players at the 2010 Hawai'i Island Tournament. I had a great time this past Sunday in Captain Cook, coaching at Yano Recreational Center. It is a good facility south of Kona. The players are from beginner to advanced and all want to improve. It's good to now have a table tennis club in the Kona area; meeting each Thursday at 6pm. I hope to have the opportunity to coach them again in the near future. Also, after the 1st of the year, I hope I can continue to coach and improve the players in the Hilo Club. My last table tennis class for this semester for the local elementary school kids is Thursday. Some of the kids take it serious, but most use it as a timewaster, sadly. I coached an 11 year old on Sunday that has very good potential and is excited about playing. We sure need more juniors on our Island. I hope I get to teach another class next semester, mid January. Also, it looks like I will get to coach in Hilo, at the University, once a month to the college students; another great source of new players. Friday I leave for Phoenix. Matt & I will then go to Vegas for the US Nationals Tournament. I look forward to seeing Matt and lots of the players from the Phoenix area. I haven't been to Vegas for the Nationals in 5 years. I will be going to the Coaching Clinic and hope to learn about some of the newer techniques being used at the top levels of table tennis, so when I return, be ready for new stuff to learn! I am looking forward to the trip; but I already miss Hawaii....LOL Debbie will be staying here so I'll miss her as well as Audi. I will get to see Lauri & my granddaughter as the come into Phoenix around Xmas. Will be the 1st time in many years that I will get to be with Lauri & Matthew at the same time and 1st time ever with my granddaughter and both of them....sounds like picture opportunities! Won't have my computer with me and also will not bring my camera. Actually, I am excited about that. Less to worry about and less to carry around. Less weight, less cords, less stuff! I love my Droid X! With it's large HD screen, I have installed 4 exciting movies to watch, put on e-books, and even an audio book. The browser works great on it, gets my e-mail, has everything my laptop does, except the keyboard isn't as good, so no blog updates or other word processing projects. Will have so much to do on my 6 hour flights! Anyway, have a super Holiday Season & A very healthy & successful New Year! Aloha........

11/24/2010 1:01pm

Hopefully the USATT ratings will be updated for all the players this Friday....things are back to normal here and looking forward to a GREAT Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow with a few friends we invited over. Got an expensive Free Range Turkey so will be a bit healthier...LOL...wonder how many pounds I will gain. O well; it is only once per year, but then again, I get to eat all the leftovers also! I am looking forward to going to Phoenix soon and then with Matt to Vegas for the US Nationals Tournament. Jeffrey, from Kona will also go. That should be a very educational experience for Jeffrey and I will enjoy seeing so many people and some high level action; also, of course, spending time with my son who I have not seen in 18 months. Then my daughter & granddaughter will visit Phoenix so I can see them also. This will actually be the 1st time I can be with both my kids and my granddaughter at the same time.....I get to go to Kona next Sunday to coach some new players, thanks to Jeffrey. It's exciting to think that Kona may soon have a good group of players and a club that will grow....the more, the better. We are already planning 2011 USATT Tournaments and although a date is about 2 weeks off, we are looking at April & October. Also, I am looking into having a few USATT Closed tournaments on the Big Island for Island residents only. I am still coaching twice a week a group of students from the local public elementary school. They are progressing nicely, but twice a week for only 90 minutes is a VERY slow go. HAPPY & SAFE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY to all....aloha!

11/17/2010 10:34am

I am exhausted. That about sums it up....LOL...Thursday night I stayed awake worrying about the weekend's tournament. I put the draws together painstakingly that day and hoped it would all work out. It did. Woke up early Friday, and off to Hilo, Deb & I went. I filled the truck to capacity, went to Stewart & Lory's B&B, dropped our stuff off, and on to the Boys & Girls Club. Noah & Armadillo were walking into the venue and they graciously helped unload my truck. What a help they were; THANK YOU. Was amazed to see that work was already underway and AHEAD of schedule regarding setting up tables, mopping the floors, etc. Friday's events ended around 8pm and a group of us went to eat at Ken's. Yummy & back to the B&B to sleep. Little sleep that night as I worried about Saturday. Saturday was a long day, culminating in a super dinner with all the players and helpers. Went to sleep around 10pm and actually slept a few hours. Sunday was another busy day, ending in a fantastic dinner with Yen and many others around 7:30pm and then the nice 2 hour drive, with Adam Bobrow, back to our home in Hawi. Adam kept me awake while driving (thank you) and finally went to sleep around midnight. Woke up early Monday morning, 6am to do my job I do every Monday from 6-9am. Then worked on the tournament, getting all the results and proper paperwork, and money to the USATT for updating this coming Friday. Adam awoke, and then I played tour guide, taking him to view some nice places, then to the beach for 2.5 hours. Then another hour drive to Kona, a nice dinner, a drive around Kona Town, and back to Hawi, 90 minute drive. I then had the pleasure of playing table tennis with Adam. (pleasure with his style?)....anyway, after about 45 minutes of play, I injured my hip and we had to stop. Got to sleep around 11pm (Adam went to sleep around 2:30am), and then Tuesday morning, I drove him to the Hilo Airport to catch his flight (2 hour drive each way). Was lots of fun as we got to really get to know each other. He is a very interesting guy and I wish him all the success in the future. Taught a table tennis class in the afternoon to kids from our local public elementary school and at 6pm, opened the North Kohala TT Club and we played. Had Gary, a visitor from California show up to play. Went to sleep around 9:30pm and woke up this morning at 6:20am in the exact same position as I hit the bed in; not moving a muscle. Am looking to get back into my routine today, and getting up to date with all my videos I took at the tournament. Aloha.....

11/17/2010 10:30am

Tournament recap, story, and more:

This absolutely fantastic event could never have happened without the efforts of so many people that helped in every aspect of putting on a WORLD CLASS TOURNAMENT. Actually, John Romoa put the thought of moving the venue from Waimea to Hilo, in my head, almost 6+ months ago. In typical Len Winkler defensive posture, I immediately said NO. But of course, in typical Len Winkler fashion, I kept thinking about it and it's many plus's and, of course, minus's. As time went by, another voice came forward to suggest the same idea....of course this was all orchestrated to get me to change my mind. Clyde Young's attempt to sway me was more convincing that John's, and after climbing a few of my concerns and hurdling over them; we moved the venue to the Hilo Boys & Girls Club and never looked back. Starting with the organizational talents of Clyde and his creating of a crew of willing helpers, the tournament came to fruition and went off without a hitch. From the ground up; the cleaning crew that literally washed the tables, mopped the floors, kept the garbage cans cleaned, bathrooms cleaned, tables moved, and so much more. Without that group, the tournament would have failed. Without the volunteers that kept score for the junior event, it would not have run so smoothly. Without the group of helpers that put the dinner menu together, picked up the food, got plates, cups, utensils, drinks, ice, made the coleslaw and other deserts & salads, and even the lights, and the Big Island players that brought Pot Luck, dinner would have been a disaster! Without the players coming from the Mainland, the Neighbor Islands, Kohala, Waimea, and even all the way from Kona, the tournament would have fallen flat! Without the generosity of the HOSTS that allowed players and others to stay at their humble abodes, at no cost, this tournament never would have happened at all! Without John Romoa & Clyde Young's pestering of Len Winkler to move the event to Hilo, this event NEVER would have happened. Without the SUPPORT of the Boys & Girls Club, obviously, we would never have had this tournament. Without the support of Stephen Freedman & others regarding the juniors, we surely would never have had a juniors event which turned out to be a great event having 21 players entered. Without the support of Paddle Palace, BITTA, and HPM we never would have had the super raffle prizes to give away to ALL the junior players, which made each of the junior players that showed up, extremely happy. Without the same cleaning crew of helpers that gave the tournament a great start, we would all still be there cleaning up 3 days later...I cannot thank them enough for all their hard work & great support. Also, a rumor came to me that some players from Oahu went to wash their clothes at a local laundry mat and met the tournament cleaning crew there washing their clothes. In traditional Big Island Aloha Spirit, they offered their machines and more to the Oahu players....WOW! Without Clyde Young's trusty expensive camera, we would not have over 500 great pictures covering the event. Without the financial support of BITTA, the prize money would have been MUCH less and the tournament would never have received the attention it got and would not have been the 1st EVER, USATT ONE STAR Sanctioned Tournament in the State of Hawaii. Without Adam Bobrow coming to the tournament, we would not have had the exciting action to watch. Without the 7 women entering the Women's event, that event would never have happened! Each cog worked flawlessly together to create something special. That special thing was the 2010 Hawai'i Island Open and can it ever be surpassed? Only time will tell. So a HUGE UNIVERSE-SIZED Mahalo to EVERY SINGLE PERSON that helped in any way, whatsoever, in making the tournament a success. Aloha, Len

11/5/2010 10:33am

Had a really good table tennis school program yesterday. Coached 5 students, 3 from Elementary & 2 from Middle School. I will be handling 2 classes per week, Tuesdays & Thursdays; and hopefully, we can get a group of juniors to enjoy and play the sport. We use a few tables I brought to the Intergenerational Center in Kapa'au. The tournament in Hilo is next weekend; should be great with more than 40 players entered so far. The Super Round Robin has 30 players! Looks like a good dinner is shaping up for Saturday night with some delicious "home cooked" chicken, super sides, and more. Thanks to the dinner crew helpers for doing the heavy work there!.....Grezie, Sharon, Pete, and more. Waimea was really busy on Wednesday; really nice to see. Many of the players entering the Hilo Tournament were there to practice, including players from Hilo, Hawi, Waimea, Honokaa, & Waikaloa. The rainy season has hit us as we have received more than 3 inches of rain in past 2 days and about 4 inches last week. I harvested 3 HUGE bunches of apple bananas and now have plenty for my daily delicious smoothies. I had a really nice birthday. Went to Ruth Chris for a great dinner. Enjoyed getting sung to by my 2 year old granddaughter and calls from my Matt & Lauri. Got some really nice birthday cards and lots of warm birthday greeting on Facebook. How did we ever live without a computer? without Facebook? Gosh, didn't MySpace really drop the ball! Wonder what the new changes in Washington will be like now that each party has some clout. Should be very interesting. Not sure either of them know what they are doing. Aloha

11/1/2010 Happy birthday to me...........LOL

10/24/2010 11:14am

Off to Hilo today to coach a few of the players....Hawai'i Island Tournament is fast approaching in just a few shorts weeks. Are you entered? Late fee kicks in November 2. I plan on going to the US Nationals in Vegas this year. Are you going? Will first go to Phoenix, then to Vegas with Matt, & back to Phoenix for a few. Hope to see many of my friends from Phoenix....Also, another player from here is also going to Vegas. I think a dedicated player can really improve just by going to the Nationals, watching the players, and practicing. The Kona TT Club looks to be growing, albeit slowly. I have a tentative booking to go there in December and coach some of the new players. It would be great to have a full fledged active Kona Club. The more places to play, the more players, the higher the level of competition we will have! Keep it going......I'd love to hear from Kauai & Maui to keep the enthusiasm and increase the visibility of table tennis there....maybe even have a sanctioned tournament in the future. Just contact me as I'd love to help make it happen. I start my elementary & middle school table tennis classes a week from Tuesday & really like doing that. Let me continue to hear from you. Aloha

10/12/2010 1:42pm

Had a great time at Ironman....I was at the 19 mile marker, parked under some great shade trees. It was a beautiful day with 1962 athletes signed up to race. Hard to believe these guys swim almost 3 miles, then bike 112 miles uphill (and down), much against the wind, and then run a full marathon! Simply amazing what the human body can do. Thankfully, no emergency medical situations occurred so we just had a good time watching. Also, we got a nice t-shirt and a great lunch from the new Lighthouse Deli that just opened in Hawi. The New Yorker sandwich was really good and I suggest you have it next time you're in North Kohala. Sunday I went to Hilo to coach after giving Lesi a lesson at my home. I fit 5 students into 4.5 hours.....They are all improving fast with Ryoko coming on very strong. Watch out for her in a few weeks at the tournament. Speaking of the tournament, get your entry in yet? http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/entry.htm November 1, the deadline before a late fee, is fast approaching. If you haven't already done so, go to our Facebook site http://www.facebook.com/tabletennisandmore and start a table tennis conversation or ask a question......Had a very good turnout yesterday in Waimea. Looking forward to seeing all of you in Hilo at the tournament....Aloha

10/2/2010 8:47am

Our new Facebook address is http://www.facebook.com/tabletennisandmore Stop by and leave a message. The November is fast approaching, entries are coming in, and we have RAISED THE PRIZE MONEY....now $350.00 for 1st Place Open & $150.00 for 2nd place; PLUS money for all 3 divisions in the Super Round Robin Event.....I will be volunteering my time next Saturday at the IronMan race, cycling portion. They use ham radio communications on the Kohala Coast area where cellular reception is spotty, at best. I have to be there early, but get to help out and see all the action; plus I get a nice t-shirt & lunch! Today is the Kohala County Fair here in Hawi; always a good time to see all the people living on the island. And, just opened on Friday....A REAL NEW YORK DELI here in Hawi! Yes, it has the famous New Yorker Sandwich & so much more including Dr. Brown beverages and even knishes! Am planning to go to the Nationals in Vegas this year so that should be fun. Let me hear from you. Aloha!

9/23/2010 7:41am

Closer & closer to the November Tournament.....http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010AHawaiiIslandTournament.htm Looks like everything is shaping up nicely for the tournament....Have about 40 people that have signed on to our Facebook page.....Going to Hilo this coming Sunday to coach; takes about 2 hours to get there but it is a beautiful drive....and I get to go to the shopping center and get my fix of Cinnabons! Donic has new rubber out and I'm considering trying some of the new Turbos, but expensive to just try them out. We've been growing cherry tomatoes of late and they are delicious as are our apple bananas. We have a small crop of avocados this year, sadly, but lots of passion fruit. Deb has been very busy working at the school getting their 21st century program up and running. I'll be coaching table tennis to the students 3 times a week soon. Still love my Droid X smartphone...it really is amazing.....look for new tablets & smartphones coming on the market in the next few months that are awesome. Who needs a laptop anymore! When I travel; I can just take the smartphone and leave my laptop home and my camera as the smartphone does it all! Aloha

9/8/2010 1:52pm

We are now on Facebook...........come & join us and post comments or questions............become a part of the community at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Hawi-HI/Table-Tennis-More/147882521912684?ref=ts Had a really good session at the North Kohala Club last night with a highly rated player from California visiting. Our regulars were there as well as Lesi & John Romoa. See you on Facebook.........Aloha!

8/31/2010 2:48pm

Had a good time in Hilo on Sunday coaching 4 of the best players there. All the players in Hilo seem to be improving and that is great to see. Had a decent group yesterday in Waimea with Lesi coming out the round robin champion! Hope to have a good group tonight in Kohala with a few players from last week's clinic coming back as regulars. Be sure to make plans for our great tournament in November. I wish everyone a super Labor Day Holiday Weekend...Stay well....Aloha

8/26/2010 8:17am

We had our 2 table tennis clinics the past two nights; at Kapa'au & Waimea. We had 4 new players in North Kohala and hopefully they come back and become permanent members. We had 2 players come to Waimea and also hope they will be fixtures each week. We all enjoyed meeting these new players, welcome them to our club, and hope we can continue to grow. Start making your plans as the November Tournament is growing closer & closer. We honestly expect it to be the biggest yet! I can't say enough good things about my Droid X Smartphone...simply amazing pictures it takes as well as HD video. Matt got the same phone and I think, likes his also. Deb has been subbing a lot lately as teachers are all calling her to be their "personal" subs.....keeps her very busy. Aloha!

8/19/2010 12:10pm

Was happy to see our former Hawaii Island player, Shigemi, here in Waimea playing....he was here for a week and played with us twice.....he recently moved to Oahu and is playing 5 times a week! Everybody better watch out as he plans on playing at the November tournament.....we have our free clinics coming up next week and I have had some pre registrations already; so I'm looking forward to a good turnout. Was great driving home from the Waimea Club last nite as I talked on my ham radio the entire drive home....clear, loud, crisp reception to Oregon. The funniest thing is....he used to live here in Kona about 10 years ago...it really is a small world. I still love my Droid X phone and am eagerly awaiting the 2.2 update. Had a good time in Hilo this past Sunday coaching 5 different players from 11am-4pm....I hope I helped them improve and hope others will want to improve and take some training. Aloha!

8/11/2010 9:45am

It's official! The 2010 Hawai'i Island Open Table Tennis Tournament is now a ONE STAR Sanctioned Tournament! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010AHawaiiIslandTournament.htm The FIRST ONE STAR USATT Sanctioned Table Tennis Tournament EVER in the State of Hawaii.....$300.00 1st Prize....almost $1000.00 to be awarded in cash & prizes! Make your plans now to attend. Also, I have scheduled FREE Table Tennis clinics in Hawi & Waimea on August 24 & 25, respectively. I hope many new players attend. Exciting times in table tennis now all over the world. Popularity is growing and the USA is getting better & better. I hope you are playing and enjoying yourself. Aloha!

7/30/2010 8:00am

OK, so it has been 2 weeks since I updated my blog.....Yep, got home from Denver safely & very much enjoyed my trip; seeing my daughter & granddaughter. Plus, I loved eating all my favorite foods that I cannot get on my island. Alas, I gained a few too many pounds and have been exercising and eating better since my ret6urn, and am now down to my normal weight again. I replaced my nearly 4 year old cellphone with a new, smartphone, a Droid X....all I can say is Welcome to the 21st Century! This phone does everything, including taking HD video, hdmi output, and too many things to mention. Still learning about all the apps available and how to really use it, but so far I am enjoying it and the fact that I can get e-mails wherever I am. (send me a few).....Our November Tournament is just around the corner. We have had a venue change, moving to a better facility in the beautiful city of Hilo, The Boys & Girls Club, where the Hilo Club meets 4 days a week and plays. There are plenty of great places to stay near there for as little as $25.00 per night! Check out the new events added, hotel info, and more on the tournament site: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010AHawaiiIslandTournament.htm Our Giant Round Robin will be a bit smaller this time around with only 2-4 person preliminary round groups before the A, B, & C medal round. Make your plans now to come and have fun. We are making plans for a great Saturday night PotLuck Dinner, and, as always, all player/visitors (and their families) to our island are invited to attend as our honored guests! Aloha

7/13/2010 4:05am

Still enjoying Denver. Went to the Aurora TTC on Sunday and got to play with a number of players there. Saw John Leach training and took some time to talk to Richard McAfee, National Coach that I have known for a number of years.. . I may go back on Thursday night for my table tennis fix. The weather here is nice but hot. Expected temps today can set a record of over 100f! Sorry to hear New York Yankee owner, George Steinbrenner died....Hard to believe we are getting closer to our November tournament....make your plans now! Aloha

7/5/2010 12:01pm

Beautiful here in Denver.....Saw my beautiful granddaughter, Bryn, and now she's learning the hula! Happy 4th of July Holiday to all....Aloha!

7/1/2010 9:19am

Leaving for Denver in a few days. Went to a nice lunch yesterday at the local school to thank "us" for helping the kids...my table tennis coaching program. I hope to continue it and increase the amount of students when classes begin in August. Not sure if I'll even bring my racket to Denver....Some fun videos on YouTube with Waldner playing at SpinNY. The US Open is happening now in Grand Rapids. A student of mine in Phoenix, Jay Turberville, has won the US Open Doubles Hardbat event...congrats to Jay & his partner. Table tennis is starting to get more & more media attention which hopefully will cause the sport to grow and get some USA TV exposure. Susan Sarandon is marketing a reality TV series involving table tennis and opening a few more SPIN locations....in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Can the Big Island be next? SPINBI......Aloha

6/22/2010 9:01am

Looking forward to our trip to Denver very soon, and seeing my daughter, her husband, and my granddaughter. The classes I am teaching of table tennis to the local kids are going very well. I uploaded some videos of their progress. This is one of the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&eurl=http://www.youtube.com/lenwink%23p/a/u/0/HzDkPvac8Qs&v=HzDkPvac8Qs Not bad for less than 3 months playing 2 times a week, 11 year olds. Wish they'd clean the oil spill up soon. Love that my Diamondbacks beat the Yankees last night. Let's see if they can win the series. I watched them beat the Yankees in the 2001 World Series! Yes, go D'Backs......I was granted a new FCC Ham Radio callsign today. I am no longer KB7LPW; I am now KH7LW. I like my new call. I am strongly considering going to the Nationals in December, in Las Vegas. Would be a nice trip and get to see my son play. He seems to really be enjoying his time at the ICC, learning from all the great players and great coaches, like Stellan. Matt is working hard but gets to play & train also, which is great. Aloha

6/13/2010 7:41am

WOW..what a whirlwind few days...........arrived back late last nite from Oahu, from the Aloha State Games. It was the first time I was the tournament director and the first time I was able to meet so many of the talented and interesting players on Oahu. 1st off, I am THRILLED that I live on the Big Island, so much more quiet, laid back, and without the dreaded traffic! The playing venue on Oahu was very good as the weather held up nicely with very little wind. All players were there on time and ready to play. My assistance in the form of Kiyoko & Chisae at the control desk was superb; without them I could not have run the tournament. Other players helped setting up the tables, nets, and all else that is needed to run a large 2 day event. MAHALO TO ALL THAT HELPED. The tournament ran smoothly from my vantage point with all events starting on time and finishing on time. In the Elite division, some absolutely amazing table tennis was played, with Allen Kaichi back in great form, making blocks and looping with super efficiency. I certainly hope that all that attended enjoyed themselves, even those that did not win, and hope that the event is twice the size next year! We got some new USATT members and sure hope we can get many more in the coming year as well as more USATT tournaments in the Hawaiian Islands. Players came from Maui & the Big Island, as well as Oahu for the Aloha State Games. Our next tournament is on the Big Island in November. Please let me hear from you if you played at the Games and have any comments or suggestions. Again, it was great meeting some of the Oahu players and watching some exciting table tennis. I am exhausted, but it was well worth it. My son, Matt, is currently on his way to California, given a great opportunity. He will be coaching at the ICC Training Facility! He will be assisting the likes of Stellan and other great players and coaches. He will have a great learning opportunity as well as working hard for the next few weeks. Good luck to Matt. ALOHA!

6/2/2010 9:55am

Getting ready for the Aloha State Games on Oahu. Will be there next Thursday and looking forward to a nice tournament and meeting many of the Oahu players. Summer has come to Hawaii and with it, the Hurricane Season. Hopefully, we'll have a quiet year on that front. Am looking forward also to my visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Denver, in July. Have so many new bananas from our trees; cannot eat them all, but will try. Also, I freeze many for my daily fruit smoothies. Sad to hear Dennis Hopper died as he was a great actor in many movies. See Easy Rider & Blue Velvet to show his unique talents. Who thinks Lady Gaga is a good entertainer?...raise your hands. Now that the school year has ended, it is summer school time. I have started an "A" table tennis class, twice per week, at my home. I coach 3 students from the 6th grade that have good potential and are about the same skill level. They catch on quick, work hard, and want to improve. I will be starting a new player's group of students at the Hisaoka Gym soon. The key to the sport's growth is through junior players. Great to watch the World Championships last weekend live on the Internet. Also great to see Singapore's ladies win the Gold. Keep in touch...let me hear from you.

5/19/2010 8:35am

Not much new here....school is over next Wednesday but my table tennis class will continue through summer school and again when school begins in August. Deb & I celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary this coming Monday. The Aloha State Games are coming soon, June 11 & 12th on Oahu. I will be there to help run the tournament and also be the tournament referee as it will be a USATT Sanctioned Event this year. One of my students, David Backus is making huge improvements. he is moving up fast, playing so much better the past few weeks. He played Lesi last night at the North Kohala Club and Lesi was surprised how much David has improved. He heads back to Alaska soon for the summer months. We'll miss him here while he enjoys the 49th State and welcome him back in September/October. Our next tournament here on the Big Island is in November; make plans now. Aloha! and thanks for reading.

5/5/2010 12:04pm

Thankfully, my back is back to normal & I can bend and play. Still afraid to loop strongly or exercise at our gym...but hopefully by Friday or Saturday. My school classes of table tennis are going well with 3 or 4 kids really enjoying it and improving each session. I fed multiball yesterday, for the 1st time, and got a few of them to loop which was a good sign. I have a mix of 3rd-5th graders in that class, with a few girls. Weather is surely warming up here as summer is quickly approaching. Still enjoying amateur radio and making lots of contacts in the mobile as well as at home. I hope you're enjoying whatever you are doing and having some time to play some pong.....Keep in touch, Aloha.

4/27/2010 11:27am

Saturday at our exercise club, at the Fairmont Orchid, we saw their new training machines. They looked so new, so modern, so clean, so inviting! I had to use them....so, I went on the elliptical as normal, then onto the new machinery! Wow, what a great workout...I could FEEL the difference between these weight machines and the electronic machines they replaced. I then did my normal Yoga stretches for the next 20 minutes, and walked to my favorite bench on the water. What a beautiful day. Sunday, I raked leaves in our little forest and then, suddenly, without any warning at all; I felt a slight tingle! In a place I don't like tingles.......my lower back. I had been back pain free since moving to Hawaii and now the tingle! I knew I was in trouble. Well, it is now Tuesday and I have to leave in an hour to run my 2 classes for the Elementary Students. Thankfully, Debbie will put out the tables and move the barriers as I cannot bend...heck, I can hardly walk! Yesterday, when David came for a lesson, we used my Amicus Robot...but I think that went very well. I have a bit less pain than yesterday, but still too much to move well. I should be fine by this weekend; hopefully I make it till then. I hate those new exercise machines! Aloha

4/22/2010 4:31pm

Thankfully, I am now rested a bit from the last weekend and the very successful tournament. Results are up and I even was able to get all the USATT ratings updated today from this past weekend....fast work, huh! This week I started running classes in table tennis as part of the program for the local Elementary School. On Tuesdays & Thursdays, students sign up for an hour table tennis class. I had 7 players today, 3 on Tuesday, and now 2 more will come next week making a total of 9. The local middle school now is also involved and may have some signups. With that and the special Kids Stay off of Drugs Program, I coached a 2nd grade class in table tennis also today and a 5th grade class on Tuesday. In addition, I was asked if I want to give classes on a regular basis at the school during the summer as part of a summer school program. Adding this to my normal schedule of the Kohala Club, Waimea Club, and private lessons, I am as busy as I ever would want to be. I cannot say enough about how fantastic this past weekend's tournament was...all the great help from John Romoa and so many others made it a real quality event that I'm sure all that attended enjoyed. Not to mention; there was some great table tennis action. Had a chance to spend some time on Skype this morning talking to my daughter and granddaughter in Denver. During the call, they had tornado sirens go off and they went into the basement. Thankfully, the all clear came soon thereafter and there was no damage, although they had hail hitting the house. I have decided to continue to use my new Butterfly blade as I am now used to it and enjoy the extra speed. So far my control has not been adversely affected but time will tell. I sure do like the feel. It was good to see some of my student's USATT ratings go up in the tournament so congrats to Jeffrey Cumes going up 163 points, David Ebrahimi up 250 points, Noah Clark up 184 points, and even Debbie Winkler up....4 points! Make plans for the USATT Sanctioned Aloha State Games June 11 & 12 on Oahu, and the next Big Island Tournament in November. Aloha

4/19/2010 5:53am

http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/results2010bigislandopen.htm

4/10/2010 7:45am

John Romoa & I ran a table tennis clinic for students at Parker School in Waimea the past 2 days. Pictures & videos at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/parker2010clinic.htm It was a fun and learning experience for all. The 2nd graders at Kohala Elementary School have been improving in playing table tennis with their weekly Thursday table tennis class that I run. The kids are learning about controlling the ball on their rackets and actually keeping it on the table. Grip is very important and so is having fun. I teach a 5th grade group on Tuesdays from the school once every few weeks. Starting next week, I'll be conducting a class twice a week for students signing up for the 21st Century Project, a local project for kids to teach them skills. This should be fun and will keep me very busy. My Thursday schedule will become coaching a local player 10-11am, then 2nd grade class 1-2pm, followed by 21st Century class 2:30-3:30pm, followed by the North Kohala Club 6-9pm. The April USATT Tournament is next weekend and we have 37 players entered! It will be a great event with the Saturday Super Round Robin being spectacular. We have a whopping 28 players in that event with all different skill levels. We'll have a good dinner for all players on Saturday night, after doubles and we actually have 10 teams! You can still enter the tournament but need to contact me first for space availability. Another good thing happened this week..........baseball season began & the Diamondbacks are playing good ball and their pitchers have done well so far. If Brandon Webb gets healthy and comes back to pitch, they will really have a chance to make the playoffs! Keep it going D'Backs......See you all at the tournament. ALOHA

3/31/2010 8:42am

Another good session at the North Kohala Club last night and another new player. Originally from Germany, he has some great "older" strokes, but they are strong and when he gets his timing back, will be a great addition to table tennis on the Island. Monday was a super night in Waimea with our every other Monday night round robin tournament. Was trying to practice backhand looping from all over the table but I still am not good at it...have to improve my backhand so trying to use it all the time but not working! Am using the new Butterfly Innerforce blade and getting used to it. Lots different feeling from my normal Diablo and still not sure if I want to continue with it but am giving it 2 months before I make a decision. Our April tournament is fast approaching and entries are trickling in, which is very normal. Players always wait till the last possible moment to enter...LOL....I teach another 2nd grade class tomorrow afternoon and next week, Thursday & Friday, John & I will coach a 2 day class to Parker School Students which should be fun. This will be our 3rd year doing it and it is a very popular class there. I wish Parker School would start a table tennis club. I made a contact, from my truck, to the Galapagos Islands last week, a rare DX contact and proud to have done it on 10m......I have to keep working on my truck ham radio install as I am having some tuning problems due to RF problems. I have bonded to the frame in many places and still have some more work to do. I cannot believe the high winds we are having and it will last a week or more, constantly....we are having gusts here in North Kohala as high as 55mph; sustained at 23-28mph. I am thrilled that power has remained on as has Internet & my HF Vertical antenna is doing good also. Get your entries in.....aloha!

3/18/2010 8:41pm

More time than usual has passed since my last entry, mostly due to being very busy.....I have been lucky enough to give more table tennis lessons lately than usual and Noah from Maui was here for a bit short of a week to get some intense training, taking lots of my time....he is really improving. Watch out in the April Tournament! http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010BigIslandTournament.htm Our every other Monday night round robins in Waimea are fun with about 10 players coming to play. We start at 4:30pm. I'm going to Hilo this Sunday to coach and hope to see many of you there. Looking forward to the April Waimea Tournament and the dinner we'll provide on Saturday night. Also, the Aloha State Games should be fun this year on Oahu, a USATT Sanctioned event. I got my ham radio installed in my truck, made my 1st contact Internationally from the mobile, to Russia! It has taken lots of time, but will be fun. For all you wrestling fans, Wrestlemania takes place in less than 2 weeks, in Phoenix Arizona. Should be quite a show. For those of you that don't know, I worked for them part time many years ago. Anybody know when the housing market will turn around? Congrats to JO Waldner for winning the Swedish National Championship at 44 years of age! He still has it. Do you? Prove it at our Waimea Tournament in April, Get your entries in now.......Aloha!

3/1/2010 10:42am

Saturday was exciting, but not in a good way...We had a tsunami warning due to the huge earthquake in Chile. Good thing it became a non-event and there was no damage on our island nor anywhere in Hawaii; thankfully. Today, we have high wind warnings for the entire State, and I am getting gusts over 35mph at my home. It is now official that the 2010 Aloha State Games on Oahu, will be a USATT Sanctioned Tournament. It is listed on the USATT website now and entry forms and more info are forthcoming. Dates will be June 11 & 12th. Should be an exciting event as will our April USATT Tournament in Waimea, here on the Big Island. Get your entries in.............Aloha!

2/16/2010 9:01am

So many whales along the Kohala Coast these days....simply beautiful as they are truly amazing creatures. You can see them from our lanai as they play, breach, spout water, and throw their babies up into the air. Almost 10,000 Humpbacks migrate from Alaska each year to mate here.....watching the whales is a huge tourist attraction and you never get tired watching this amazing creatures...you can hear them talking also and it is amazing. Last night we started a new, every 2 weeks, round robin match play in Waimea. It was very nice as we had 3 tables set up with Lesi, Rachel, Debbie, Len, John R, John B, Alex, Ted, Andrew, & Jeffrey playing each other; a good time was had by all. It looks like I am going to begin teaching a table tennis class as part of a Federal Grant to the local Public School. I will teach twice per week, right before our Kohala Club meets and it will be great to get more juniors playing table tennis. Also, I'll teach another class once a week in the Safe & Drugs Free Schools activities to 2nd graders. Hopefully, this will all lead to North Kohala having a good junior's group and they can challenge the Hilo Juniors. Our April USATT Tournament is fast approaching and I have a few entries already so get yours in also. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010BigIslandTournament.htm If you are coming from the Mainland, April is a great month to visit! Aloha

1/27/2010 7:17am

Lots of stuff has happened in past 10 days........We had a nice ping pong tournament here last Tuesday, in North Kohala, with Joe Heney winning for the 2nd year in a row. Results, pictures, and video at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35098616/ns/world_news-wonderful_world/ Then, Saturday, in Hilo, we had another tournament for new players, adult division and a junior's division. A great time was had by all with plenty of nice trophies given out and a super job done by the BITTA (Big Island Table Tennis Association). I have been busy training a very lovely couple from Boston. They are here on vacation for a few weeks, taking some lessons, and playing at the Kohala & Waimea Clubs; so it is keeping me very busy. In Hilo on Saturday, I had the pleasure of hitting with Clyde and that is always an enjoyable & learning experience. A shame we are 2 hours apart or I'd love to do it more. I finalized the events for our April USATT Tournament in Waimea http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010BigIslandTournament.htm You can print out and mail in the entry form or enter online. Another busy day today and a full schedule in Waimea later today, after my weekly, to die for, Dairy Queen Blizzard! Audi & Loco, our animals, (http://www.hamradioandmore.com/audi.htm) enjoy themselves everyday, playing together more & more. They now tend to sleep on the same furniture near each other & in bed at night. Our espresso machine broke & is on the Mainland being repaired. I sure miss that coffee! Got a copy of Howard Stern's book, Private Parts and started reading it....very interesting story. Thinking about getting a new table tennis blade as Butterfly just came out with some new ones that look very intriguing, but they are expensive; but, maybe worth it. Aloha!

1/15/2010 3:02pm

Wow, we had 19 players show up to play last night at the North Kohala Club...FANTASTIC....we're in the process of getting the 2 tables at the Hawi Gym and bringing them over to the Hisaoka Gym to give us 7 usable tables. We had juniors, women, and players of all skill levels, as well as 2 players visiting from Boston. I am looking forward to Tuesday's ping pong tournament. Aloha!

1/12/2010 10:12am

How time flies! I am beginning my 3rd full year living in Hawaii...I cannot believe that I have been here 2 full years already...WOW....Much has changed during those 2 years, as now I am a grandpa, the I-Phone has come out, Blu-Ray is getting popular, and table tennis is getting tremendous publicity...I also am back into amateur radio and the political landscape in the USA has also changed. I have a couple flying in later today from the Mainland, spending 3 weeks renting a home in Kohala, and taking table tennis lessons from me a few times each week while here on vacation. I look forward to improving their skill levels. We are going to start a North Kohala Ham Radio Social Group and more fun on the way....I hope everyone is enjoying their life....Aloha

1/5/2010 8:08am

HAPPY NEW YEAR! The North Kohala Table Tennis Club has a local tournament on January 19th. All recreational level players are welcome to play, free entry with prizes to winner. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawaiittm.htm has info. Also, The Hilo Club has a FREE tournament on January 29th for juniors under 18 and for Novice players. Contact Pete for more info at: ppetersenjr@gmail.com. Our Kohala Hamakua Radio Club meets this Sunday here in Hawi at 2pm. All are welcome to attend. Our USATT Tournaments have been sanctioned for this April & November. Make your vacation plans now to attend. More info at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2010BigIslandTournament.htm Received my new Scorpion Mobile Antenna and now waiting for some coax to arrive; then will install my Icom 706 in my truck with the new antenna. Should be a great set up; but we'll see. Wish all of you a GREAT 2010. Looks like table tennis is growing & growing....Aloha

12/27/2009 11:28am

Noah has returned to Maui, hopefully with more wisdom about table tennis, more experience, new strokes, new footwork, and tremendous enthusiasm. You can watch some of his training at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WotU8afhqWo Christmas has come & gone and the New Year is right around the corner. 2010 should be a great year in table tennis. It's amazing how much publicity table tennis is getting these days. With the New York Times putting a great article on it's FRONT PAGE and other newspapers all over the country picking the story up (Denver, California), with Susan Sarandon's Spin in New York and her appearances on Letterman, Tonight Show, Ellen, and more. Now is the time to make table tennis a more Chic' sport where everyone wants to play, have fun, and grow the sport in the USA. It's time to increase table tennis leagues, on all skill levels as that's what Europe and the rest of the world does, which is very popular. I'd like to see a league formed here on hte Big Island and played on Mondays in Waimea. We have the space & time reserved already; so let's use it. Somehow, I was talked into becoming Vice President of the Kohala Amateur Radio Club so I am more involved in ham radio again. I hope to get some T'hunting started here as well as other fun activities. I am preparing events for our April Tournament and still looking for any new ideas as well as sponsors. Let me know any comments, suggestions, etc. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.....Aloha

12/21/2009 10:14am

Been awhile since I last "blogged".....Had some crazy weather yesterday as I drove to Hilo....we had hail and rain so heavy, I could hardly see the hood on my truck. Plus, waterfalls on the side of the road was normal and flooding of the road was bad, but we made it to Hilo and had a great time. (this picture is at noon) Hilo Table Tennis club had a great Xmas Party with pizza, drinks, and good fun. Lots of players were there as were many juniors and a GREAT time was had by all. Thank you to the Hilo group and all their hard working people for making it possible. . Noah, a junior from Maui is on the Big Island having a table tennis adventure for a week. I am giving him lots of training and he is playing everywhere possible. He's been to the North Kohala club, going to Waimea tonight, and was in Hilo yesterday. He has lots of potential and hopefully will continue to improve and thoroughly enjoy the sport. Hilo has a few juniors that have great potential. Watch out in another year as they will all be very good by then. Good to see table tennis, sort of, exploding here on the Big Island. Happy Holidays to All....................Aloha

12/3/2009 8:19am

Have scheduled the dates for our Hawaii Island USATT Tournaments in 2010.....April 16-18, 2010 & NOVEMBER 12-14, 2010. Make your plans now to attend. If you're coming from the Mainland, let me know as soon as you know. We are looking at having a Junior's Island Championship on the Friday night and possible Team Event and women's event. The Super Round Robin will also be available again with better spacing allowing for some rest.....New barriers should arrive later today for the North Kohala Table Tennis Club....My thanks goes out to John Romoa for getting the venue again for our 2010 Tournaments and thanks also to the Hawaii County Parks & Rec for helping to sponsor our events. If you have not played at a Hawai'i Island USATT Tournament, you don't know what good comaradity with aloha is. We have up to 20 tables available so plenty of players can enter. We also are looking to have a few warm-up tables available. Any ideas for special events or activities, please let me know. Rain has been falling here for the past 3 weeks, almost every night and one day we got close to 5". All the weeds are growing along with everything else. I cannot spray weed killer as it keeps raining!But, everything is beautiful with all the green. Deb & I got a new Blu Ray Player and WOW is all I can say...the sound & picture is unreal....it also really improves the picture of older DVD's...Aloha!

11/24/2009 7:43am

The tournament ratings went up as planned the Friday following the tournament. Some great results and super fun. Thank you to all the people that sent e-mails saying how much fun they had at the event. We are tentatively looking at April 17 & 18 and November 13 & 14, 2010 as our USATT Events next year. Make your vacation plans now. Some major changes to improve the events are forthcoming. The table tennis skill level on the Big Island is definitely improving as is table tennis all through the State. I just checked at there are 41current USATT rated players in Hawaii. When I moved here 2 years ago, there were 14...not bad 300% increase! The BITTA has a junior league that is playing in Hilo and 2010 will bring a huge increase in the number of teams. Can you believe the Holidays are already here! This year flew by. A VERY VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you......I am really enjoying my ham radio activities, making contacts all over the world and now using new digital modes to "work" stations throughout the world. I am putting an HF antenna on my truck by the end of December and will be making worldwide contacts from my truck soon...Should be lots of fun. Let me hear from you. Aloha

11/12/2009 7:30am

What a weekend! First off, the tournament went sensationally, from my standpoint. I hope the players and spectators thought so also. We had the largest turnout to date for a USATT sanctioned table tennis tournament and the best competition. We had very good matches at every skill level. The unrated group was strong as was the middle skill levels and heavy competition also at the highest level. So much thankis must go out to ALL the people that made the tournament a success. Without the tremendous dedication and help from John Romoa, John Buck, Pete & Grezie Petersen, Lesi Sekona and his son, Jeff Legge, Gloria Chapman, Debbie Winkler, and many others, the tournament would never have happened. And thanks to John & Gloria for allowing us the use of their home for the great bon-fire BBQ we had Saturday night. The food was great, the fire was great, the friendship/aloha was off the charts! Thanks to all the players that made the trip from the other islands to attend and play. Special thanks to Alan Kaichi for coming from Oahu and being the #1 rated player in Hawaii and to Noah and his mom, coming from Maui, only 12 years of age. Hope to see you at our next tournament in 2010...Aloha

11/3/2009 10:35am

Tournament is this weekend so lots to do. We have 34 players entered which is really good. There will be plenty of playing, lots of talent, players as young as 12 and players over 70! Singles, doubles, rated, unrated, and lots of newbies. FANTASTIC! We will have practice available on Friday and a BBQ for the players/family Saturday night. This should be a fun experience for all. If you are not coming, you are going to miss a super event. I am still taking LATE entries for certain events till Thursday, 9am HST. I had a nice birthday this past weekend. Hard to believe how old I am....jeeesh! Weather has been great lately with some raindrops in the late night hours to water the grass & veggies. My Butterfly robot was jammed so I took it all apart & fixed it, so now works super again. Still doing Yoga, learning it very slowly and I mean VERY. Ham radio is still enjoyable as I bought a new radio....well, a used new radio....LOL....cannot wait to get it later this week and then want to install another in my truck. Went to the local Hawi Mexican restaurant recently, and let me tell you, the place doesn't look like much, but the food was super. Good low prices and fresh ingredients. Salsa was hot, chips were fresh, food was excellent. If you come to Hawi, you have to try it. Aloha

10/28/2009 6:43am

Lots happening now as we approach the tournament. You can still enter until next Thursday morning, with a $5.00 late fee...limited to space availability. We have 30 players signed up so far and more are expected. This is shaping up to be our best USATT Sanctioned tournament ever!...and more to come in 2010. A new table tennis junior's school league is starting here on the Big Island and more and more juniors are getting involved in the Hilo area...some great people are spearheading and coaching the kids. We have 2 juniors in North Kohala, aged 10-11 and they are rapidly improving. We have a 12 year old player in the tournament coming from Maui. We are planning a great BBQ dinner on Saturday night of the tournament. All players from the other islands are invited to attend as the BI player guests. The food will be good and maybe we'll have some great entertainment...LOL...maybe not. Looks like we'll be ready for some Friday night warm-up practice from 5-7pm. In ham radio news, I've been making contacts all over the world which is really exciting. Lastly, our garden is doing well with some fresh grown peppers, arugula, parsley, and tomatoes. Aloha!

10/16/2009 6:49pm

Starting to get some more entries for the tournament. Looking good as we are still 3+ weeks away from the tournament. I think we should hit about 30 players! We have players coming from Oahu, Maui, and all over the Big Island. There's still plenty of time for some Mainland player surprises also, now that airfares are kind of low for the next 7 weeks. I just put up a new website about amateur radio. It is very UNDER CONSTRUCTION, but will continue to update & improve it: www.hamradioandmore.com. Has a neat ring to the name, don't you think? Also, on the tournament page, I now have a link that I continue to update with a list of the players that have already sent in their entries for the tournament. Have you entered yet?

9/29/2009 7:22am

Looking forward to tonight's North Kohala TTC get together. Should be a good turnout. We have about 8 juniors playing each week now and slowly improving. It's good to see a potential next generation of players! Too bad the Hardbat Classic on ESPN was rescheduled till next Sunday, but I will be sure to watch it then. Lots of players I know will be playing and are on camera. I have been studying recently for upgrading my ham radio license class. And, I took the test, and passed it 100%, no wrong answers! So now I'm a General Class and got a new radio, installed a new antenna, and am on the air. Had the opportunity to chat with some people in Finland, Japan, other Hawaii Islands, the Mainland, and a small island near New Zealand. Here's a picture . I have received some entries for the upcoming November USATT Tournament and look forward to the event. I hope more players will come from the other Islands and some surprises from the Mainland also. Get your entries in and be sure to play the Super Round Robin Event. It's obvious that summer is over as temps seem a few degrees cooler recently and humidity is down....feels good. Oh, and I was just notified that my granddaughter got her 1st tooth in yesterday! Aloha all!

9/15/2009 11:28am

Had a good clinic with John Romoa, Pete, Steve, Stewart & more at the Hilo TTC, at the Boys & Girls Club, for all the kids. More than 30 attended in many age groups, and I think they all enjoyed themselves and had fun. A few of them are standouts and can become really good players with some training. That was on Thursday. Then, on Saturday, I switched gears and went back to Amateur Radio, a hobby I was heavily involved in during the 1990's. Anyway, I went to a Hamfest in Waimea and about 100 hams attended. Lots of used equipment and I bought some great coax very cheap! Also, I passed my upgrade test so now I am a General Class ham. I received a new radio I bought from a guy in Nevada and also have a new 8 band HF Antenna coming. I am excited about getting back into the hobby. I went to a ham radio club meeting on Sunday, here in Hawi, met some local hams, and will be getting involved in some local emergency communications (ARES). Our USATT Tournament is less than 7 weeks away so please start getting your entries in. Enter either online or save a few bucks, print out the entry form, and mail it in. I really want to encourage you to enter the Super Round Robin, giving you lots of match play against players of all skill levels, and then a final round robin with players close to your level. A really popular event and growing. Any questions or comments, let me know. Finally, the air has been so clear recently that Maui is looking so huge from our lanai....so neat! ALOHA

9/8/2009 7:58am

Went for a nice Labor Day walk at our local vacant airport, although a helicopter landed for some excitement. There were plenty of ATV'ers. It was a beautiful day, but windy. What a great walk along the ocean and only a 3 minute drive from our home. We also had a police car stop us and ask if we heard gunshots as there was a report that somebody was target shooting. Not sure we could hear anything with all the wind....LOL...here are some quick pictures I took:

9/5/2009 8:24am

Happy birthday greetings today to my wife Debbie.......Yesterday we had a tremendously successful demonstration for some 3rd grade students from Kohala Elementary School See pictures & video at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/Kohala%203rd%20graders.htm I am preparing to go next Thursday to Hilo and help John romoa and the Hilo Club initialize the reaining program for the juniors at the new Club Location inside Hilo's Boys & Girls Club. Big things are happening in table tennis on the Big Island! Keep it GROWING......also, I am getting back into amateur radio. I ordered a new ham rig, some new antenna equipment, and even installed an antenna in my truck. I am taking the General Class License exam next Saturday in Waimea at the Big Island Ham Swapfest. I hope I pass. The November USATT Tournament here is ONLY 2 months away....Keep those entries coming in as certain events can fill up and we don't want you turned away! Let me hear from all of you. One final note; very sad, indeed. I was informed yesterday, for those that knew him, that Tyler Score, son of Ron Score passed away in mid August. He was just short of 18 years of age. I coached him, as did Matthew, for a few years. He had great ability and was a fun kid. It's such a shame when a great kid like that leaves us so soon. My deepest sympathies go out to Ron & his entire family. Aloha

8/292009 4:27pm

Great day at Hisaoka Gym. A few videos to look at. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kodRNGHratc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfXmU9Ti7AE&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzVPQ-HCCA&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBfab4d1B1U&feature=channel We had more than 50 people come by the table tennis room and play on the 4 tables we set up. A big thank you (mahalo) to David Ebrahimi, Debbie Winkler, John Romoa, & Shigemi Degawa for helping out to make it a success. We have changed the name of our club to the new North Kohala Table Tennis Club (NKTTC). We hope to be able to play at the Hawi Gym as well, maybe on Thursday nights but we'll know more within the next week. Next Friday I will "coach" a table tennis class for more than 70 students at the Hisaoka Gym, students from Kohala Elementary School. I'm looking forward to that. Our November tournament is getting closer & closer so make your plans now. Any comments or questions, please let me know......Aloha!

8/19/2009 8:34pm

Well you all know by now that Hurricane Felicia missed us, thankfully...when it did pass by us, it was already a weak tropical depression. We got a little rain with almost no wind and are back to normal here now. Looks like the Earthquake destroyed Hisaoka Gym is ready to reopen and we will be having our table tennis club meet there on Tuesday nights and at the Hawi Gym on Thursday nights. If we're lucky, we may be able to get a 3rd day to play but we'll have to wait & see. Our November USATT tournament is fast approaching so not to early to send in your entry forms. We are ordering more shirts on Monday and already have a good batch for Hawaii players, including white, silver, forest green, and the standards of black & royal blue. If you want a shirt, let me know. On Saturday, the 29th, we'll be at the Grand Opening of the Hisaoka Gym with a booth passing out flyers about table tennis and we'll give a demonstration on table tennis and have 3 tables available for play. This may be a great way to increase our membership up here in Kohala. Maybe we can get the Mayor to play! We set up at 9am and it opens at 10am...everyone is invited so drop by if you are around.....Aloha!

8/6/2009 10:14am

There is a rumor going around that some highly skilled players will be here in November for our USATT Tournament...from Neighbor Islands....maybe even from the Mainland! Hope the rumors are true. I am planning an extensive weekend training clinic here, only a few players can participate in the clinic due to lack of space. I have a few that want it and am looking for a few more. Would include Friday night, Saturday most of the day, & Sunday morning. About 13 hours of training focusing on many different aspects of the game; from footwork, serving, serve return, strategy, and new table tennis strokes being used at the highest level. If interested, let me know. I have cousins on the Island, visiting from California...will see them soon. We have Hurricane Felicia heading our way.....hopefully, it breaks apart & is merely a rain storm when it hits on Monday. The tracking map shows it coming to 20n, 155.5w & that is EXACTLY where we are! I am in the process of ordering my t-shirts. They will be in black, royal blue, and cream/white or silver. If you're interested in ordering any, please contact me. Aloha

7/30/2009 1:41pm

I'm kind of excited that we had 2 GINORMOUS trees cut way down in front of our home, in our neighbor's yard. It had made our view of the Ocean and surrounding areas 3x better than it was....simply amazing! Also, my new Panasonic camera is doing fantastic...taking great pictures as well as super HD video. I am going to start a new little venture offering to digitize people's photographs for them (old ones usually), slides, old vhs movies, etc and make them into DVD's. I enjoy doing it so I'll do it fairly cheap and make people happy. Many older photographs start losing their color, depth, etc and I will preserve them in a long lasting entertaining DVD with music backgrounds. It's not a new on the market service, but I know many people would like it available at a reasonable cost & I have all the equipment. Also, finally in my part of the World, fiber optics have arrived! As of today, we no longer have to use microwaves for Internet connection at a speed of 1mps down & 36kbs up as we are not 8mps down and 1mbs up. We also now have digital phone available. We're getting into the 21st Century! It's almost August 1st, so 3 more months to our USATT Tournament...make your plans now for what is shaping up to be a really good event. Aloha

7/26/2009 7:42am

Discussing now about having a USATT sanctioned tournament once per month, every month, in Waimea, on a Monday night. Each Tournament would be a small event with only 1 or 2 divisions. I'd like to get more input so please let me know what you think. Ideas are a giant round robin event, a double's event, unrated event, under 1000 event, handicap open event, 1000-1400 event, single elimination open singles, etc. A trophy would be given out for 1st & 2nd place and all wins/losses would actually count for your REAL USATT rating.....Obviously, mostly Big Island Players would participate, but unless we have a "closed" event for BI players only, any player can enter. We also have the big 2 tournaments here in April & November. I'd love to hear that another Island wants to hold a USATT Sanctioned Tournament...I'd be thrilled to help you fulfill that goal. Aloha!

7/18/2009 7:29am

Been kind of quiet here and so I've been lazy in updating my blog. The Aloha Games on Oahu & the US Open in Vegas have come & gone. Congrats to John Romoa for getting 3rd place in the Aloha Games in one of his events. Matt played pretty well in Vegas, gained a few points, beat a player rated close to 2400 and had the opportunity to play one of the World's top woman players, from Germany. So now our attention is focused on the Big Island's next USATT Tournament in November http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009hawaiiislandtournament.htm The Super Round Robin will be a really fun event, allowing for lots of match play against players of all skill levels and then with players your own level....we are still securing sponsorship funds so we can offer good prizes, along with trophies. Make your plans to attend and see what a USATT Sanctioned Table Tennis Tournament in Hawai'i is all about. Schedule a fun vacation & table tennis together! Oh, our TT&M Logo new shirts are so light that it's like not wearing one! Also, the sweat dries so quickly and away from your body...truly the best athletic shirts I have ever worn. We may get more printed VERY soon as I want some in white to wear. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts & ideas, so don't hesitate to e-mail me...I always respond....Aloha!

7/1/2009 10:57am

The new Table Tennis & More shirts look awesome! and they feel that way also. Matt sent me some pictures & I should get the shirts either today or tomorrow. All the shirts are moisture protective athletic wear and very lightweight. Even the polo shirts look great! I can't wait to finally wear new shirts with Arizona & Hawaii on them! Aloha! (If you ordered them, you should have them soon).

6/28/2009 9:51am

The Hardbat Classic Tournament in Vegas is going strong; $100,000.00 to the winner...WOW....Many of the top players in the USA have been eliminated due to the handicap system being used. I congratulate Jay Turberville from Phoenix, a former student of mine who won some matches, advanced in round, and then lost. The final four are playing as I type this...should be an exciting finish. I hope it translates to more & more table tennis players in Hawaii....I would love to see it grow here as well as getting more youngsters to play. Would be fantastic to have a Junior from Hawaii make it big in table tennis! Next week begins the US Open Table Tennis Tournament, also in Las Vegas. Good luck to the large group of players going from Arizona....strange that the Aloha Games on Oahu picked the same days to have their event as the ITTF/USATT US Open in Las Vegas....Good luck to the Big island players going to the Aloha Games. Finally; strange and sad how 3 of Entertainment's most popular/well known celebs died this week.....Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, & Ed McMahon....like them or not, all talented and well known. You just never know when it will be you.....Live everyday to it's fullest...Aloha!

6/24/2009 8:39am

Love my new Panasonic camera....takes great HD video in a new format that allows many hours on a single memory disc...and the pictures are super with a tremendous zoom for a point & shoot compact. The Hardbat table tennis tournament for $100,000.00 is this coming weekend in Las Vegas. Some huge TV and movie stars will also play along with pro tennis players. Should really promote table tennis to the masses. I know the Aloha Games will take place early July on Oahu. Good luck to all the participants. Our next REAL USATT tournament in Hawaii will be in November, in Waimea, on the Big Island; a USATT Sanctioned Event. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009hawaiiislandtournament.htm will have information soon, so make your plans now. We will have a SUPER ROUND ROBIN event that will give players of ALL skill levels a chance to play against better & lower skilled players and then players of your own skill level....all in the one event! Planted some pink grapefruit at my home and cannot wait till it grows as I love grapefruit! Coaching a few new players lately and they have very good potential. Great to see a new crop of players coming up...keep in touch and aloha!

6/11/2009 12:08pm

Back home in beautiful Hawaii, safe & sound. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Phoenix & Denver, seeing my son, daughter, and granddaughter Bryn. I'll be posting a few pictures on Bryn's page soon. We ordered our shirts, all moisture wicking shirts, t-shirts & polos....Should have them in Hawaii in early July and in Phoenix by the end of June. They will look great & wear really well. If you want one and have not yet ordered, let me know and I can try to add it to the printing, if possible. Our sights are set on the November USATT Tournament in Waimea. We will have the entry forms soon but still trying to come up with an exciting extra event or two and some good prizes......Keep checking for more info. Love my new digital camera but the LCD must have had a hairline break and I just sent it back for repair, under warranty. We'll see how long their turnaround time is. I was "LUCKY" enough to be at the sight of the tornado in Denver last Sunday. I was actually at a Best Buy Store in Southlands Mall, exactly where it touched down.....made International news.....What an exciting life....LOL Aloha, & keep in touch.

6/4/2009 12:58pm (Denver)

Spending time with my daughter, son-in-law, & granddaughter. She is so cute! Weather is a bit cold for me here in Denver but suppose to warm up today. Taking lots of pictures with my new camera and lots of video....probably too many! LOL I miss table tennis but will be back in Hawaii too soon, anyway, and get to play and coach again. It appears that the sport of table tennis is beginning to steadily grow in the USA & that's a good thing. Hopefully, more & more juniors will begin to take the sport seriously and the USA will sometime soon really compete on the World scene.

5/28/2009 10:27pm (AZ)

In Arizona now and enjoying every minute even though I already miss Hawaii. Played a little table tennis last night at the Phoenix Club and enjoyed seeing all my former students, friends, and opponents. Was able to hit for about 2 hours with Jay. He played with a hardbat so it was definitely uncomfortable for me, but I enjoyed the challenge and tried to keep up. Afterwards, we went for a beer and talked a lot...Filex, Matt, Andrew, Jay, & myself. Had the pleasure of having a beer and dinner today with a friend for almost 35 years, Sal. In fact, Sal introduced Debbie to me and the rest is history. Went to the local ham radio store today and saw my old friend, Gary, the store manager. When I was doing my radio show, I worked there part time. And get this.....he was wearing a Ford Ironman, Kona Hawaii, shirt! I was amazed. He and his wife are coming to the Big Island next month so I will see them at that time. What a small world! Ate my favorite stuffed pizza tonight, my favorite Mexican food Tuesday night and going to Marco's place tomorrow. Sunday I leave for Denver to see my daughter, her husband, and my granddaughter.....should be more fun and then back to Hawaii later in June..............Went to the place that is printing our shirts and the shirts look really good, and the polo shirts with collars. The logo is going to be nice and we are ordering about 50 shirts to start. If you want one and have not yet let me know, please do so ASAP so I can add it to my order..Mahalo.....

5/17/2009 4:27pm

Had the Hilo tournament this past weekend and it was a success. Clyde Young won the Elite Open with Stephen Freedman coming in 2nd place. Lesi Sekona won the Intermediate division and Toni Sekona won the Novice with Ulu Sekona winning 2nd place. The Sekona's are taking over table tennis on the Big Island.....LOL...I'm glad John Romoa came in 3rd place in the Open Elite as he is steadily improving as are some of the new Hawi players. I can't wait to see their performances in our November USATT Tournament in Waimea. Results of this weekend's tournament as well as pictures and a short video is at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hiloresults.htm I leave next Monday for the Mainland to visit my son and then my daughter & grandchild...should be lots of fun as well as eating some of my missed food.....Hawaii has MANY advantages but I do miss some of the food available in Phoenix. Another busy week for me coming up and the Hawi club meets Monday night rather than Tuesday night, this week only. Had a call from a friend in Phoenix that is visiting here next week. A shame it is the same time I am leaving for the Mainland....oh well, hopefully they will go to the Big Island Clubs and play some Table Tennis. I'm looking forward to seeing my granddaughter soon and am very happy to hear that Matt won the Phoenix Tournament today against his nemesis and player rated 150 points above him! Congrats Matthew......

5/14/2009 5:24pm

Hilo has their Ping Pong Tournament this Saturday and we already have 30 players signed up to play. Should be a fun tournament with cash prizes in the Novice event. I have another week here on the Island then off to the Mainland to visit Matt & then my daughter & granddaughter. When I get back, it'll be time to start the heavy duty planning for the upcoming November Big Island USATT Tournament. If you want to input some event ideas, please send them to me; I'm all ears and always happy to add an interesting event. We are also looking for sponsors to help with prizes and maybe helping to give away more cash! It would be great if we can get some more players from the Mainland here to play in November as a tune up for the Las Vegas Nationals. We've been getting a few new players at the Waimea Club and a few in Hawi, but we can use many more...please tell your friends and bring them along. Once they get the bug, they'll be hooked and an asset to the table tennis community. John Romoa, Terry Moon, and myself were on a local Hilo radio station earlier this week for a 30 minute segment...to promote the upcoming tournament and table tennis in general. I think it turned out very well. I love my new Panasonic compact camera. DMC-ZS3K. It has 25-300 zoom and high definition video plus too many more things to list. I recommend it if you are looking for a good little, easy to use, camera. Keep in touch and Aloha!

5/2/2009 4:07pm

Ratings are up from the last tournament and I just added some new GREAT pictures from Julia Cumes on the results page. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/Results409Tournament.htm This coming Wednesday, in Waimea, we're going to be filmed for a local TV show. They will show us playing & training table tennis. Then May 12th, Terry from Hilo will be doing a 30 minute radio interview about Island table tennis, so we are really promoting and hopefully, we'll see some growth soon. I'll be going to Phoenix and then Denver at the end of May so I'm looking forward to that. Hilo has their ping pong tournament on May 16th, free to enter, and I'll be there to help run it. Hilo has 2 new tables coming as well as a bunch of barriers. Waimea Club has been getting 10+ players each week and is now sometimes open on Monday nights also, so give John a call if you want to play there on a Monday night. Weather here is starting to get great again, not that it ever is really bad....LOL...just a bunch of rain. I like the Gambler Outlaw rubber but prefer Donic Platin as the Outlaw stalls as you move back from the table. I suggest it for players 1000-1600. Give thought to come here for the November tournament as air prices are lower again and we have plenty of Aloha....

4 /20/2009 7:38am

WOW, what a weekend! A great tournament was played this past weekend on the Big Island of Hawai'i; table tennis all the way......John Romoa did a great job of getting the tables and other things to the venue and bringing refreshments so the players were treated like royalty. The Aloha spirit prevailed everywhere! Ed Lima & Peter Loui came from Oahu making the tournament a great get together. They played very well and hopefully thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 8 great events with the largest player turnout yet for a USATT Sanctioned Hawaii Tournament. Clyde Young was the Elite Open winner with Stephen Freedman coming in 2nd place. Clyde won $100.00 PLUS a hand carved Koa Wood paddle with gold plated engraved plate. John Romoa hand made the beautiful rackets and even made stands for them....REAL table tennis trophies were given out in all other events. Pictures, results, and videos will be up soon and you can find some now on my website...Thanks to all for participating. After the tournament on Saturday night, we were all invited to John & Gloria's home for a BBQ/Bon-Fire...Wow....so much DELICIOUS food and drink.....and what a gloriously beautiful night! Lesi brought meat and many brought other food, drinks, or cooked stuff. But the best part was the friendship and fellowship by all the players and guests...a GREAT time had by all...You should really plan now to attend our next USATT Tournament in November...........ALOHA

4/14/2009 11:56am

What a great session we had this past Thursday & Friday in Waimea. John Romoa & I conducted a table tennis class for 16 students from Parker School. They all used legal rackets and we taught them the basics of "real" table tennis, from the stance, to the grip, to all about spin, the rules. the USATT, different types of rubber, and we ended with a single's tournament & a double's tournament. I uploaded the video which shows lots of training as well as some matches and some photographs at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1338412056041519542&hl=en We have our USATT sanctioned tournament this coming weekend so everyone is getting in their last minute training. We have a few players coming from Oahu and the rest from the Big Island. It should be a fun event and a good experience for all involved. Hopefully, we get a good number of spectators to enjoy the action. I have been on the radio promoting it and it has been mentioned also in the local newspapers. We have 22 players entered. We had 21 players in our November tournament and 18 in our first USATT tournament last April. So, we are increasing numbers, albeit very slowly. Considering the economy, I am happy with the participation. I made reservations to go to Phoenix & Denver end of May to see my kids and grandchild. Weather has been getting a bit warmer but still very wet....but better than 110f. Aloha

4/1/2009 8:01am

Getting closer & closer to our April USATT Tournament. Hope you have your entries coming soon.........boy have we had rain here in Hawi! We have had days in the past 2 weeks where we received 3" or more of rain. Last year in March we had a drought and I thought the residents were pulling my leg when they said March was a rainy month, but now I see they were right! I need to mow my lawn but grass is too wet! Been using my new chainsaw trimming some branches and other things. Deb is taking a weeklong course and being paid for it by the Feds....she is working as a part time Census Bureau worker as the 10 year Census is coming up next year. I am impatiently waiting for a new camera to be released here in the USA. The new Panasonic DMC-ZS3 is due out any day now. It takes HD video but has a great lens for a point & shoot camera...I cannot wait! Drove to Hilo last Thursday and coached about 10 different players in 15 minute segments. I think it went well. It would be good if I can be there more often and help the new players. Clyde does a good job and I think I add to that to help them all improve faster. Nice to see the stock market coming back a tiny amount; better than continuing to drift lower. Airfares are becoming a bit more reasonable and Delta has just scheduled a Jumbo 747 flight to Honolulu daily, some good news. Keep in touch, ALOHA.

3/22/2009 7:58am

Another beautiful week in Paradise! LOL...had some great table tennis sessions this week. One of my students really had a great session and passed another hurdle or 2. John & I played a few more games as a double's team. We still need to work out many kinks, but we're doing better each time. Doubles is a fun event, one that isn't played that much here, but maybe we can change that. Had a couple players come here from Hilo for some training. I think I helped one of them very much and opened the eyes of the other to see that there is much more to improve on, yet he is good already. I think I will go to Hilo on Thursday and see how the club is doing, give some coaching advice to anyone wanting it, promote our April Tournament, and meet all the new players they have been getting recently. Also, I'll see the 3 new Butterfly tables they recently got. I'm starting to plan a trip to the Mainland, maybe in May. Want to visit Phoenix and Matthew, then go to Denver and see my daughter & granddaughter. Aloha

3/12/2009 12:54pm

This past Tuesday night in Hawi was another good night for table tennis. We had a visitor, Jerry, from Washington State and he was a good player. We had another visitor from Alaska that played, as well as 4 ladies and 4 other juniors....We even had John Romoa come by and we played some doubles. This afternoon, Lesi picked up 2 more tables and brought them to the Hawi Gym, giving us 7 ping pong tables to play on! This should really help out as 8 players had to sit out this past Tuesday and wait their turn. Deb & I are going to learn how to make pan & stuffed pizza in the next few days from a new resident of Hawi, a table tennis player, and pro chef, Mario. Hope to see you next Tuesday night. And plane fares are under $300.00 round trip to Honolulu from Phoenix now, and only another $50 to Kona. Aloha!

3/4/2009 8:06am

Wow, what a night last night at the Hawi Table Tennis Club! We had our 5 tables going from 6pm till almost 9pm….with MANY players waiting. Actually, we had 3 tables where doubles were being played since there were so many players there waiting to play! From 6:45pm-8:10pm, we had 5 women, 5 kids, and 12 men, 22 total players. I want to thank all of you for coming and those that help take out & put away the tables, MAHALO….See some new pictures of the play at the Hawi Club here: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawittc.htm We had the winner from our last tournament there and he brought a friend. Both players are around 1200 playing level with great reflexes and tremendous potential. I hope they continue to come and play. On another note, Debbie quit her job at the Gallery yesterday and took a fulltime/partime job as a teacher/tutor at Kohala Elementary School. She loves working with the kids and she is looking forward to it. Would be nice if the stock market and economy would improve. The house next door to mine here in Hawi is now for sale, if you are interested......I will be interviewed tonight in Waimea by the Island newspaper for an article on table tennis. The April Tournament is coming...be sure to enter. John Romoa and myself have entered the Doubles event as a team. Do you have a partner?

2/21/2009 3:58pm

I just finished playing tourist....LOL....at our resort spa club, they had a special complimentary snorkel cruise. It was fabulous.....They picked us up at 8:30am and we returned at 1:45pm. We were served a buffet breakfast, a delicious buffet lunch, and a well stocked OPEN bar which many members took great advantage of....the cruise line is famous for their mai-tai! We saw many humpback whales and a huge school of dolphins...they are a site to behold! We saw some whales with their babies in tow.....a group of 3 dived in the water in front of our boat. We went snorkeling and the sea was so clear...plenty of fish and the coral reefs were amazing to see....I certainly suggest this trip for anyone visiting the Big Island. Aloha!

2/18/2009 1:38pm

OK, well, lots has happened since the last entry..........the house next to ours in Hawi is up for sale, anybody want to move here & buy it? We can have a great table tennis training area! Last night, after putting up MANY flyers for our free ping pong tournament in Hawi, including getting a few newspaper articles about it, a few online sites mentioning it, and passing our flyers everywhere we could think of; we had our tournament. It was a FANTASTIC success! THANK YOU IF YOU PARTICIPATED. Thanks goes out to all the helpers....Joe, David, Debbie, Lesi (umpiring & keeping score), Shigemi, and John. We had 17 new players enter and there were some darn good players. I have uploaded some pictures and a video from the event here: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawittc.htm It has random video of players and points, but has the recreational final match in full. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality of these recreational players. They can be pretty good in a short time of training. The next Hawaii tournament is in Waimea in April, a USATT Sanctioned event. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009bigislandopen.htm

2/4/2009 1:23pm

This is the 3rd straight day of rain up here in Kohala. We have gotten over 4 1/4" in the 3 days.....Looks like time to mow again VERY soon....Had all our tables out at the Hawi Club last night and players were still waiting, so we may need 1 or 2 more tables. We'll see how many players we get at the ping pong tournament on the 17th. Looking forward to it. I started a Hawaii Table Tennis group on Facebook, then "in place" to be these days. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59289598222 Anyone can join.....I ask any players or clubs in Hawaii to send me information and I'll post it there as well as my website....let's get table tennis promoted as much as possible in Hawaii...all the islands. I'll be at the Waimea Club this evening to give a few lessons and play. Last week, we had all our tables out and players waiting.....just great to see an increased demand in playing. The more, the better. Looking to have a Hawai'i Island meeting of every table tennis club or even playing group. Have the meeting in Waimea to discuss clinics, publicity, coaching, playing, team events, tournaments, exhibitions, getting table tennis in schools, and more. Let me know if you're interested in being involved. Hard to believe how low airfare prices have come down.....looked at prices from the Mainland to here for our April tournament and saw prices of about $300.00 round trip, not bad at all. We are looking at having about a dozen players from our island go to the US Nationals in Vegas in December. If the economy is half way decent, we should be able to do it. If you want to go and have not told me yet, let me know as we will try to get some group airfare rates as well as other lower cost travel options. Keep in touch, Aloha.

1/28/2009 2:20pm

Online registration is now available for our FREE ping pong tournament in Hawi, on Tuesday night, February 17. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawiregister.htm It is for beginners that live in Kohala. We're giving out prizes and trophies and should be a fun time for all. Looks like the Hilo Tournament was a real success with them getting more than 25 players to show up at their club on playing nights. That's WAY WAY up from 4-8. Looks like Hilo's next tournament is in May, while we'll have our USATT Tournament in April, in Waimea. No doubt about it; table tennis is ON FIRE on the Big Island........

1/23/2009 4:57pm

ONLINE registration is now available http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009bigislandopen.htm as well as a form to print out and mail in http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/entry.htm for our upcoming USATT Sanctioned Tournament in April. We are looking for a few more sponsors so we can give out more prize money, but the economy is a bit slow as we all know. If anyone wants to help sponsor or knows who we should contact, please let me or John Romoa know. The Hawi TTC is having a ping pong tournament for fun and to hopefully increase membership, during the month of February. The Waimea Club this past week had a real large group of players show up, including some kids. The Hawi Club had 5 players under 12 years of age there this week also. I'm always looking for suggestions, ideas, comments on increasing visibility of table tennis on the Big Island. I hope you will consider coming and playing in our April Tournament. Aloha

1/18/2009 8:21am

WOWWOWOWO is all I can say about the ping pong tournament in Hilo yesterday. Hopefully, I will be getting a bunch of pictures that were taken from the event, as I did not bring my trusty camera. We had 56 players entered, 40 of them in Novice division. I made 10 groups of 4 and played 2 out of 3 games to make it run quicker. Worked out great. And, we had 8 players in each of the other 2 divisons. We had players from Hawi, 2+ hour drive, players from Honokaa, an hour+ drive, and players from almost everywhere on the Island. We had a great group of spectators, probably about 30+ that came just to watch. The event had promotion on the radio and newspapers. Terry moon did a great job promoting table tennis on the radio station that had him on. And, best of all, the Army was overjoyed by the response....in fact, I would say there was a look of astonishment from all the people that were there....it was, indeed, a HUGE success and the next one will be in May. Results & pictures at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hiloresults11709.htm Of course, in April, we have the USATT Sanctioned Tournament in Waimea that I hope many of you can come and attend. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009BigIslandTournamentFlyer.htm I was able to give some lessons while I was in Hilo, help run the tournament, get a chance to meet and greet many of the players I never met before, and even sell some equipment. I got back home at 5pm, ate a great dinner, and went to bed at 6:30pm! Woke up today at 6am and waiting for Lesi to be here for his lesson, then we'll watch the Cardinals play in a Championship Football Game...unreal! I want to REALLY THANK Stewart Hunter and his wife for letting me stay at their home. It was GREAT and they are tremendous hosts. If you are in the Hilo area and want a GREAT place to stay, I suggest their Bed & Breakfast.... http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/accom/bibhi.htm On that page, go down to OLD HAWAIIAN B&B........Thanks to the Hilo Club for putting it all together & the Army and CAPTAIN CHAD for for letting us use the facilities. Clyde Young won the Elite Open Championships! Aloha!

1/13/2009 5:10pm

I know, why has it been so long between blog entries! Well, sometimes not a lot to report. Anyway, this weekend, Hilo has its first tournament in awhile. We already have more than 30 players signed up and expect more. Should be a good event with lots of new players which may help to supercharge table tennis on this island. We'll also have clinics after the tournament for newcomers to learn. The next USATT Sanctioned tournament will be here April 18 & 19, 2009. More info at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/2009BigIslandTournamentFlyer.htm I have been looking at airfares and the prices are going down. You can travel now from Kona to Phoenix for less than $400.00 round trip! Make your reservations soon. We got a bit of rain the last few days, which we need, but overall, the weather is always beautiful and never lower than 61 and not higher than 85. Deb & I go to our resort club to work out twice a week or more and today, we stayed by the pool for a few hours to relax. Audi & Loco just love it here and I am about to celebrate my one year anniversary of living here ONE week from today. I was looking back at this blog and reading; wow, lots has happened in a year. I am going to Hilo on Friday and staying at a friend's home to get a good night's sleep for the tournament on Saturday. It takes about 2 hours 20 minutes to drive there from my home. Let me hear from you; keep in touch....Aloha

1/2/2009 3:22pm

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou

So, it's 2009 and this year is suppose to be better than 2008.....we'll see. The President-elect left Hawaii for DC yesterday and we'll all see how that goes as the year goes on. I had a visitor here from Texas, Mike Gopin, and we played for an hour or so before my first student came by for his lesson. It was good to hit with a 1600+ level player. If you are visiting from the mainland or another island, please let me know you're coming. A player from New York area was in Hilo the past week, 1900+ level, with anti-spin, and played the Hilo guys a few times. I have been getting a few more entries for the Hilo tournament in January. If you want to play, it's free, just register online at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hiloregister.htm Also, I uploaded a very short video of the End of Year Party we had at my home, see it here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-865782875389604870&hl=en I got a bunch of New Years greetings from many of you, so mahalo for them....Aloha

12/28/2008 8:50am

Since it is holiday season, not a lot has been going on over here......Am encouraged by the increased amount of publicity table tennis is getting in the newspapers across the country...the more publicity, the better. The new ratings are out from the US Nationals and congrats to Filex, Andrew, Derrick, and Jay, who's ratings went way up. Matt uploaded 4 or 5 videos from the Nationals; if you want their location to watch them, just e-mail me. Have you made your travel plans yet for our April tournament? Aloha...............

12/21/2008 12:48pm

Aloha! Had some good pizza last night in Waimea, along with chicken wings and a pitcher of ice cold beer. Takes me about 30 minutes to drive there, but food was good, company was good, and prices are fair (for Hawaii). The Holiday season is here but life is as usual here, slow paced and lots of small talk. Debbie has been substitute teaching a lot lately and really enjoys doing that. The US Nationals table tennis tournament is over in Las Vegas with a few surprises. Congratulations to all the players and especially to some of our students that did REALLY well. Looks like there are 2 more Phoenix players that will have higher ratings than Matthew, as his coaching/playing/training buddies, did really well in Las Vegas and may get close to 2200. Way to go Andrew & Derrick! I have a new laptop and love it! Amazing how much technology changes in a few short years. My old laptop is still great but this one is unreal; has BluRay read & write. Using it to playback on my 1080P lcd tv, the picture is fantastic.....looking forward to the Hilo tournament in January and then we have 2 USATT Sanctioned tournaments scheduled for next year, here at the Parker Gym in Waimea, so mark your calendars now to be here for them, in April & November. Happy Holidays to all and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR........let me hear from you. Aloha

12/14/2008 6:34am

Aloha & Happy Holidays All........had a fun Table Tennis & More Party yesterday at our home. Some of the pictures I took:

Raining this morning which is always good as we are still very dry in my part of the island. I've been a bit tired of late since I got a new laptop and began the slow moving of all my files from one computer to the next; but I love my new laptop so far. Let me hear from you and stay in touch.........

12/2/2008 8:42am

Aloha all. A reminder that the Hilo club has a tournament on 1/17/2009; more info under tournaments on my webpages. Gave some lessons of late and it is reassuring seeing the quick improvement by players like Lesi, John, Joe, David, Jeffrey and Shigemi. It shows that taking lessons once or more per week and then practicing what we train on works wonders. The quick changes being made by David and the others is amazing. I can visualize how good they will be at this time next year; ready to make the trip to the USATT Nationals in Vegas! CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Manginelli as he is now a USATT Certified Coach and helps at our facility in Phoenix. Andrew is a lefty two winged looper, with great serves. I recall his beginning in table tennis and he has really improved rapidly to become one of the top players in Arizona. Both my kids had their birthdays this past weekend; wow does time fly! My granddaughter is already 3+months old and I'm not getting any younger either!!!! I hope you all had a GREAT THANKSGIVING....I ate too much as we all probably did, but we had a good time and the food was super. We had 3 couples over here and ate everything in sight and still had plenty of leftovers. I am hoping, starting in 2009, we can schedule beginner table tennis clinics and promote table tennis more and more here on our little Island. Some good news of late is that a few new airlines are now flying direct to Kona (our Island). We now have Alaska & Delta, as well as US Air, United, and Hawaiian. Because of the new airlines, we have more seats available and prices have come down a decent amount. I just checked and you can fly from Phoenix to Kona for $445.00 which is half of what it was 6 months ago! Come & visit................

11/26/2008 10:20am

Had some rain here yesterday and again today........saw a beautiful rainbow and a nice DOUBLE rainbow, all from my lanai. For an Arizonian, this is a unique sight.

11/25/2008 9:39am

Just uploaded a short video of Matt & I, as we drove up to the summit of Mauna Kea, an absolutely surreal sight, as you are way high above the clouds. It was a beautiful, warm, and NOT windy day.... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9217663279885696475&hl=en

Yesterday, with the winds really strong in North Kohala, a huge tree was blown down on the upper road. Our power went out, and my student from Waimea had to turn back home as the road was closed. Funny, earlier in the day, Lesi called to ask if he could come by later for a lesson and I said yes; then John called while I was giving a lesson to another student and he wanted a lesson also; but alas, no time. As it turned out, Lesi knew about the tree and the road closed, and he stopped by and took a good lesson...he is DEFINITELY improving rapidly. On my website, you can look at the students I have coached or Matt has coached. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/students.htm There is an (H) next to a name if the player is from Hawaii. Click on the picture and it may become a larger picture; click on the name, and it will show the players current USATT rating, if they have one. It also shows the top 10 players that we have trained in Arizona & Hawaii....lots of information on our website if you look closely....LOL....ALOHA and HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE..........let me hear from you.

11/20/2008 9:39am

A quick update.......we're expecting a HUGE RAIN EVENT this weekend...not sure what that means, but doesn't sound reassuring. The Hilo Club is having a fun tournament January 17, 2009. Not a USATT Sanctioned event, but should be fun with plenty of ALOHA, including a free clinic for beginners and money prizes for novice players. More info at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hilotournament109.htm

Had a fun night yesterday at the ever expanding Waimea Club. Some good players came by, a new player, and Andrew from Hilo. Good to see him again. All the tables were busy and lots of fun for all. I sure feel as if table tennis is starting to gain some momentum here on the Big Island. I have a lesson to give in a few minutes and tonight is the Hawi Club.....so more & more table tennis.....ALOHA

11/12/2008 7:15am

Aloha all. Matthew went back to Phoenix last night and, yes, I already miss him. We had a fairly busy 12 days together and I'm sure as a dad, I enjoyed his company here more than he enjoyed being here....o well....hope we can do it again very soon. This past weekend we had our 2nd USATT Tournament with 21 players, 31% more players than our first tournament last April. It was a fantastic success thanks to hard work by some local players and I want to thank everyone for helping and all the players that participated. There was some tremendous action and in the Open Singles Final, a great match occurred. Even the U-1000 finals was fun to watch and went to 11-9 in the 5th game! Results, pictures, and videos are all available at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/resultshawitournament42608.htm We had 7 new players that joined the USATT and that was great. I hope all the new and updated ratings can be on the USATT website by the end of this week. So, now life gets back to normal here in paradise. I will start practicing some new serves that my son suggested and hope to play a bit better with some new ideas. It was amazing to see the progress of some of the players at the tournament. By this time next year, I think we will have a group of fairly high level players here on the Big Island. More to come..........Be sure to check out the results page for all the action.

11/8/2008 6:21am

Top (l-r) Ed Lima, Stewart Hunter, Jamie Stokes, Stephen Freedman

Middle (l-r) Joe Ayer, David Ebrahimi, Shigemi Degawa; Bottom (l-r) Matt Winkler, Clyde Young, Debbie Winkler, John Romoa

A fantastic clinic was held last night in Waimea. We had 13 people there and we trained on serving, return of serve, footwork, and the opening attack. The time went so fast, but all had a good time. I'll post a group picture tomorrow. The tournament starts today and should be good with some competitive matches, some fun, and lots of ALOHA....................plus some GREAT PRIZES!

11/4/2008 7:23am

Matt has been here since Friday and we are enjoying the time together. I got to play a little table tennis with him and will play more the next week till he leaves next Tuesday night. I think we are all set for this weekend's tournament and coaching clinic; should be a fun time and a good learning experience for all. We've been getting a bit of rain here in Hawi the past few days and that's great, as we need it. It's a shame about Circuit City closing so many stores and not opening their store here on the Big Island as we sure could use an electronics superstore. Maybe, Best Buy can open instead. See many of you this weekend. Aloha

10/27/2008 12:46pm

ALOHA.......Busy few weeks ahead for me. Matt comes this Friday and we want to show him the Island so we'll go touring, and, of course to the beach, getting in some table tennis also. We have the tournament in 2 weeks and the coaching clinic. Debbie started to sub teach at the local elementary school today to keep busy as well as work a day each week at the local art gallery. And, she has been playing table tennis lately & will play in our tournament and get her first USATT rating! Should be a fun event with 20 players entered so far..........still time to enter if you wish. We planted some cherry tomatoes and cannot wait till they start growing. We are also going to expand our vegetable garden to grow some lettuce, onions, peppers, and more. My granddaughter, Bryn, was 2 months old Saturday. Keep your comments about my blog coming in to me; I enjoy reading them and respond to all....let me hear about what you're doing..........

10/17/2008 7:14am

Aloha All: Lots of wind last night and some rain; good, as we need it badly. Had a good turnout last night for the Hawi TTC. Everyone was exhausted when they left. TOMORROW IS THE DEADLINE to NOT pay a late fee at our upcoming tournament; so get your entries postmarked or enter online. Noticed I never commented on the IRONMAN Championships from last Saturday, here on the Big Island. They will be televised on NBC, December 13. I went to town and watched as the bicycle riders turned around and went back from Hawi. We were the half way point. It is hard to believe that people can be in such great condition to be able to swim, bike, and then run a marathon, and the winner did it in about 8.5 hours; simply amazing!

10/8/2008 8:51am

Received a few more entries for our tournament in November. A few weeks remain before the late fee deadline, so get your entries in. Remember, we're giving away some good money prizes in the fun filled Giant Round Robin. You cannot be eliminated and there will be 2 champions in that event. Also, remember to enroll for the special coaching clinic on Friday night to improve your serves, serve returns, footwork, and opening attack strategy. This stock market roller coaster is crazy stuff. What about bailing out companies with Government money and then the executives go and spend hundreds of thousands of those dollars at a spa! DISGUSTING..... I sure hope the economy worldwide turns around. We can use some more tourism here in Hawaii....this week, though, our Island is overcrowded with 10,000 participants in the IRONMAN World Championships here. We see bicycle riders practicing everywhere. What a grueling event this is. They will swim more than 2 miles, bike over 100 miles, and THEN run a full marathon! I'm tired just thinking about it! Aloha

10/3/2008 8:43am

Aloha! Clyde Young & The Hilo TT Club had a newspaper article printed about them in the Honolulu Advertiser. Check it out at http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081003/COLUMNISTS02/810030368/1120/LOCALNEWSFRONT

A new player, 12 years old, showed up at the Waimea Club this past week and is really excited to play and learn! I have 2 10 year olds I am teaching at the Hawi Club and 2 more are expected this coming Tuesday night to start. Also, I found out that the Boys Scouts have a merit badge for table tennis and more kids may come and play so they can learn and earn a badge. I am also hopeful that we can get table tennis into the schools as without new players that are young, all we'll have in a few years is old players, like myself. LOL We had a super session at my home last night with 2 tables going full strength for almost 3 full hours. Our November Tournament is fast approaching; get your entries in. So many crazy things are happening in this world, with politics, terrorism, business problems, energy crisis, etc; it's good we have table tennis to take our minds off that and focus on some fun and exercise, for both the mind and body. Do everyone a service and bring 2 new players to your club. Aloha

9/25/2008 7:20am

I am floored by the generosity of a company in Waimea. The BIG ISLAND ENDOSCOPY CENTER, Dr. Ron Ah Loy, MD, specifically, an avid table tennis player, has given a large TITLE SPONSORSHIP to our upcoming tournament. Thus, we have a new name for the Tournament.

BIG ISLAND ENDOSCOPY CENTER 2008 Big Island Open...............PLEASE call or write Dr. Ron Ah Loy and thank him at 808-887-0600 or 64-5188 Kinohou St., Kamuela, Hi. 96743. Also, please use his up to date modern services when necessary. he has more than 20 years of experience, trained in great schools and is also a GREAT guy.

9/24/2008 10:00am

We are going to re-order new Table Tennis & More shirts. These are going to be MUCH better than previous ones. First off, the material is super, quick dry, athletic, anti odor, and very stylish. They will be in black and royal blue; both available. Our logo will be on the front & back, but MUCH smaller on the back that past printings. It will be higher up on the back and about 4"x4". I'm telling you, they look REALLY COOL! Will be 3 color screen printed by a local Hawi Hawaii company. Matt will bring them back to Phoenix after his trip here in Hawaii, in November. If you have not ordered them yet, or want to add or change your order, please e-mail me as soon as possible. They are $25.00 each. ALOHA!

9/21/2008 11:54am

Yesterday was a GREAT day in Waimea. I had 4 players come from Hilo to take some table tennis training. They all arrived early and ready to train...HARD! It was great to see Clyde, rated close to 2000; Yen, rated around 1800 with ability close to 2100; Steven, rated around 1600; and Terry, rated about 1200. I worked one on one with each of them on specific problems in their game. John Romoa was there very early and brought cold drinking water and some delicious iced tea for us to drink while training. John had to leave but came back later for some playing. Also, Lesi, rated around 1100 came and trained with the Hilo players. Lesi was EXTREMELY generous as he bought a fantastic chicken plate lunch and cold beverages for all players. THANK YOU..... The group arrived before 9am and we all left around 3:30pm........a very tiring but very rewarding day. I hope that I was able to get each of them to think a bit differently towards the game and to improve some strokes and strategy. I look forward to doing it again soon. It appears that I may travel to Hilo every few months to conduct a beginner's clinic and have "fun" tournaments as the Hilo Club has entered into a new agreement with KMR Gym. I also want to thank the Hilo Group as they graciously donated some money towards our upcoming November tournament, making it even bigger and better......get your entries in. ALOHA

9/18/2008 6:58am

Finally going to get some t shirts made again with our new logo (Hawaii & Arizona). The shirts will be super stylish, excellent quality, the quick dry and odor resistant material. They are $25.00 in royal blue with logo. The price is kind of high but it is a really high quality shirt and our logo has 3 brilliant colors, so costly to print. Let me know how many you want and in what sizes....have a table tennis clinic this coming Saturday with some players from Hilo. Looks very promising as they will get 5 hours to train and practice which should help for the upcoming November tournament. I'm really looking forward to helping their level improve and increase the quality of play in Hawai'i. It's amazing how much better Shigemi, John, & Lesi have become in the past few months due to the new strokes and training we have been working on. The only one not improving, as usual, is ME.....LOL Looks like Debbie will start working as a sub teacher soon as she has her teaching certificate, got fingerprinted, and is ready to go. They pay decently for a day's work. We're still hitting the exercise room 3 times a week and it's doing our bodies some good. Keep your entries coming in for the November Tournament and stay in touch, ALOHA.

9/14/2008 8:54am

Looks like we'll have a TT clinic in Waimea next Saturday, for the Hilo players. It's much closer to Hilo than Hawi so the travel is easier, since gasoline is so expensive these days. I am looking forward to helping to improve the skills of all the players here, thus raising everybody's level. The upcoming tournament in November should really be a good one, especially with all the cash to be won. The winds have changed a bit here the last 2 days and we have VOG here in Kohala. Hope it's gone soon as I think it makes me a bit tired. I had a player here for a few hours yesterday from Hilo, another here today from Honakaa, and another tomorrow from Waimea; so slowly we are growing. This Thursday night, I'll take some pictures and post them here, and maybe some video, to see a little table tennis get together I am having here. I still really like my new rubber that I am using. I got the first sheets about July 18 and it is still good, 8 weeks later. I am playing far less than in Phoenix, but the humidity is so much higher and I think that may affect the rubber more. I think I am playing about 15 hours per week; so this rubber is about 120 hours old.......I changed my rubber once per month before, but used speed glue twice a week and it was Chinese rubber, playing 40 hours or more each week. Will be interesting to see how long this rubber does last......................ALOHA

9/11/2008 7:06am

Aloha.....Remember today in New York, 2001; where were you when you saw it or found out? I will never forget. I was getting my thrice daily injections of antibiotics for a bad dog bite, and while the fluid dripped into my veins, Debbie turned the TV on. What a nightmare that was! Last night at the Waimea Club, we had a new kid come that is an exchange student from Georgia (the Country). He will be there each week to learn and play. He has good contact with the ball and may become a very good player. We also had 2 others come and were excited to play and learn. It's great to continue to increase the number of players, albeit very slowly. I think the quality if play has vastly improved lately. John is playing better, as is Lesi, Chuck, David, Debbie, and Shigemi. I also have a new kid, Kyle, 10 years of age, that started playing 2 weeks ago and is thrilled with the opportunity to play and learn. John Romoa has secured some sponsors for our upcoming November tournament http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawai'iislandtournament2008.htm and we now have $400.00 we will give away as CASH PRIZES, with possibly more on the way........We are always looking for more sponsors (hint, hint). Keep those entries coming in.

9/6/2008 3:43pm

Back home in Hawi. It was fun going to Denver; change of weather, but most of all, seeing my daughter and first grandchild. Didn't get a chance to play any table tennis, but seeing Bryn was a better choice. I put up more pictures of Bryn as well as a video and more to come, so if you wish to see some baby pictures, click here. Our flight home was interesting as they switched us to a whole different itinerary due to a plane delay. But, we ended up getting home within 5 minutes of our scheduled original time, even though we went through Los Angeles instead of Frisco. I am looking into possibly going to The Nationals in Las Vegas, in December, as an Umpire, but only if airfares go down. They are close to $1000.00 now! Have a lesson to give Sunday, then Monday, then Tuesday, Wednesday, and next Saturday; possibly Friday also. Have received in a few new entries for our tournament in November. Looking forward to the Giant Round robin where you will play many more matches than in a regular event.....with NO ELIMINATIONS. Also, looking forward to seeing my son here again...not sure yet if he will play in the tournament, but he will help run the Friday night coaching clinic. Aloha

8/31/2008 1:50pm

Aloha: I'm in Denver meeting my granddaughter, Bryn, for the first time. Everything is good; she's very pretty...Deb & I are tired from the travel, but we had some good pizza yesterday and will eat some other things we miss in Hawaii.

8/26/2008 8:19am

Aloha all: I became a grandpa yesterday. My daughter gave birth to Bryn Karen, 6 pounds, 10 ounces, at 7:59am Denver time. It's my first and I'll be going to see her later this week. Pictures are available HERE. The next USATT Sanctioned tournament here in Hawaii looms closer everyday. Be sure to get your entries in. We're getting some sponsors lined up and more and more prizes will be announced. Yes, even some CASH PRIZES will be awarded.................leave any comments you may have in the comment box above.....Mahalo

8/23/2008 10:07am

Table tennis in the Olympics is over. Just as I predicted (as well as everyone else), The Chinese Team won Gold, and China took ALL the medals in ALL the single's events! Of course, if any of them did not win, the Chinese Government would have probably killed them. lol I am very happy that Jorgen Persson, of Sweden, did well, making it to the semi finals. Personally, my favorite matches to watch included Persson against Primorac and the women's match between the 2 defensive players that resulted in the expedite rule coming into play, and the match actually ending on the 13th return! UNREAL......watch it on REPLAY, online, if you get a chance. Let me see some of your comments in the comment's box above..........

8/21/2008 2:15pm

Getting ready for our trip to Denver to see my new grandchild.......love the new rubber I have been using, actually called J.O. Platin, not platinum. I like the 2.0mm as it has been more than 3 weeks now, still has the sound and power, and seems to be very durable. I suggest it for players of 1400 skill level and above, with good strokes. The Olympics have been fun to watch. Many good matches live on NBCOLYMPICS.COM. We cannot fault or women's USA team, as 2 of them made it to the top 16, and Wang Chen made it to the quarterfinals. Congrats to them. Let's look forward to 4 years from now and an Olympic medal in table tennis. It would be really great if we can all feel a popularity bump because of the Olympics. I heard on TV, that table tennis in America is the 3rd fastest growing Olympic sport. I know tennis was #2, but forget #1, basketball? I added a comment box above. I hope you will take the time and type something there. If you have questions, comments, etc, type it, and I can comment or another reader can. Be sure to sign up for our upcoming USATT Tournament here in Hawaii, and the coaching clinic, November 7-9, 2008. Aloha..........

8/10/2008 3:19pm

Updated the 2008 Hawai'i Island Tournament page and added a tournament entry form page to print out. You can enter online or by mail. The Olympics have begun. It is really a shame about the Americans killed in China, but hopefully it is a random act and nothing like that will be repeated. Be sure to watch online or on TV for table tennis, at it's best, at the Olympics. Also, expect some friends that do not play to ask you questions about table tennis, since it will be shown on TV.....give them positive feedback and hopefully we can see a surge in table tennis interest in the USA.

I am using the new Donic JO Waldner Platinum Soft rubber. It has the speed glue sound and speed glue effect. I would say that effect is about 75% of a freshly glued rubber, so that is very good. I am going to stay with the 2.0mm as the max thickness is too difficult to control for me. The only question now is length of time a sheet will last and it's durability. Only time will tell. I have some of the rubber in stock, here in Hawaii. I only recommend it, though, for higher level players, not beginners. Aloha.........

8/7/2008 11:22am

Aloha: We scheduled the next USATT Sanctioned Tournament, for November 8 & 9, 2008 http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawai%27iislandtournament2008.htm However, it is not TOTALLY completed, so you can look, but some additions and some changes will be forthcoming. If you have questions, suggestions, or comments on the proposed tournament, let me know. Also, Matthew will be here at that time to help co-ordinate a coaching clinic on Friday night, focusing on serve, serve return, footwork, and initializing your attack. GOOD STUFF......Make your reservations now.

The Olympics are fast approaching and I applaud NBC for all the coverage they have planned. Should be great! Too bad Waldner is not playing.......At least in the Team Competition, China can only win one medal, leaving room for 2 other countries to win something.....Be sure to watch online at nbcolympics.com all the streaming action. Table Tennis begins on the 13th and ends on the 23rd. Hopefully, with it being in China, and with NBC showing lots of table tennis, the sport in the USA can see another boost. There has been a very gradual increase in popularity & visibility in the past few years and this may be a big catalyst. Only time will tell.

I just received in more of the rubber I am trying. Some of it in maximum thickness. I am trying just 1 side in max. So far I really like the 2.0mm as I am getting used to the different throw angle and extra speed. I don't think I am losing any control as my short game is still decent and my serves have lots of spin. I am working on keeping them mid distance and I love not having to re-glue. After about 2 weeks so far, it still has a strong glued sound, no wear & tear showing, and doesn't attract dust & dirt like my older stuff. I will discuss more after 1 week with the max thickness.

I have a new student starting next week. He is not young but he is very committed, so anxious to improve him rapidly. I have seen improvement in the past week with John, playing lefty now, and last night, another of my students made super progress......WHO'S NEXT?

Looks like I will be a grandpa a day earlier than was expected....no surgery room available on the day my daughter wanted, so August 25 will be the birth of Bryn Karen.........

Had a phone call from a former student of mine who is thinking of coming for the November tournament here.....I hope he and his wife do....would be great to see him again. Let me hear from all of you; keep in touch, Aloha......

7/24/2008 2:36pm

Aloha.....We finally got some rain Tuesday & Wednesday....yippie! It has been so dry here that I have only mowed one time since early May, and that was not really necessary. We got a little over 3" and the grass, flowers, and trees loved it and showed their thanks by turning from brown to green, overnight!

I have been using this new rubber on my racket. I speed glued one side and regular glued the other side. I used it with my Butterfly robot, Tuesday night at the Hawi Club and yesterday in Waimea. The speed glued side, where the effect is almost all gone, does feel a bit softer than the other side. I am not sure yet of this rubber, but I do think the ball comes off quicker and the loops are more explosive. I'll give a final thought about it and name the rubber, sometime next week. I have been asked about the next USATT Sanctioned tournament in Hawaii. Well, we are now working on that, and we're tentatively looking at the 2nd weekend in November. When confirmed, the info will be here and on our website as well as out in e-mails. We are looking for interest in a coaching clinic along with the tournament. I may try to have my son here for it to help out. Let me know if you would be interested in participating in a clinic as well as playing in the tournament. Lastly, we are looking to have new Table Tennis & More shirts made. They would be the moisture free fabric, best type now available, in either royal blue or black; price is coming. Let me know if you want some.............probably 4-8 weeks from now before they will be available. Let me hear from you. Stay well. Aloha!

7/21/2008 10:11am

Aloha All.........Don't always have lots to write about so sometimes my frequency of posts is low.......Just received some new rubber to try on my racket. Not going to say which it is until I test it a bit longer. I speed glued one side and regular glued the other......I note almost no difference so far between it so that is good, implies no speed glue needed. It is only 2.0mm and that may be bad for me as I think I need the thicker version. It has very good control, is EXTREMELY light, and not a tacky topsheet, which I like. My serves still have good spin and loops are strong........I'll definitely write more by the end of this week about the rubber..........but it looks kind of promising as I need something after the speed glue ban. Yesterday, Deb & I were invited to "our club" for a beach day. They provided lunch, drinks, and free use of all beach equipment and canoes, kayaks, etc. We had a very nice time. OK, now hold your laughter at the next stuff..........

You know I have been spending lots of time at our club, exercising. I am use the weight machines a lot. I use the elliptical for 10-15 minutes to warm up, then use the machines. I do lots of ab bends, leg pushes, chest pushes, fly, lats, etc etc etc.......Then, I stretch for about 10 minutes and use a 15 pound dumbbell as a table tennis racket doing a loop stroke. I think of it as the same as a baseball player adding a weight to their bat for practice swings. I think it really helps.........Anyway, I have gained a few pounds, I am thinking mostly muscle. My arms are definitely bigger/stronger, and my legs muscles are also stronger.......It has been 2 months so far and look forward to seeing the change by the end of the year. Deb is also toning and gaining strength.......I sincerely suggest all of you start doing more and more of this.........Aloha till later.........Let me hear from you.............

7/6/2008 5:40pm

As they say, Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore...........and, for sure, we're not in Phoenix either! OK, what the heck are you talking about, Len? Alright, 2 things.......(1) On the way home from working out at our Beach club and enjoying the sun and water, we stopped at a place to eat. Had GREAT hot chicken wings, pizza, and beer.......THAT was a good thing. (2) Turned on the TV, started watching and then Deb & I hear what sounds like a chicken screaming and looking out the window, we see feathers flying! Audi (our dog) has a chicken by the throat! I run out and grab Audi. He lets go of the chicken as the chicken runs into a hole in the cement under our house, but only half his body can fit into the hole! I put Audi away, in the house. I come back, look at the chicken, who ran into the hole, head first so it's butt is handing out.......Deb & I have no clue what to do now.......so Deb phones a neighbor, Dick, who walks over with a large garbage can and rake. I get on a pair of gloves, get a big stick and we're ready.....I was sure the poor chicken was dead, as it was not moving, or at the minimum, severely injured. I found at least 100 feathers all over the yard. Dick used the end of the rake and forced the chicken out of the hole, backwards and he went into the garbage can! I think the chicken was happy to be in it and felt safe there.....it looked like it was in shock but not badly hurt. I saw no bleeding. Deb ran through our jungle and yelled for our neighbor Leah. She answered and Deb asked if she had a chicken....YES! It was their pet! So, I carried the garbage can over to their yard and deposited the garbage can over the fence. Leah opened the lid and said, "Ella", are you OK"? Ella was their pet chicken and she was so happy to get her back. I saved Ella's life! I am a HERO! lol

Anyway, another day in Paradise........................Aloha! Let me hear from you.

7/4/2008 10:44am

Happy 4th of July Holiday to all! Been very busy giving lessons of late........gave an 8+ hour lesson to Ed from Oahu on Saturday, Lesi was here Sunday, Ziggy here on Monday, Hawi Club Tuesday, on to Waimea Club and some lessons Wednesday, Steve from Hilo here Thursday for about 3 hours (he is really improving), and the Hawi Club Thursday night. Today, we're going to our beach club to work out, sit by the pool, play some table tennis, eat dinner under the stars on the beach, and watch some fireworks. Last night we had another new player show up. He is fairly good, has some rust, been hopefully becomes a regular. I have added some new pictures of new players at the Hawi Club on the Hawi Website http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawittc.htm Spoke to my son the last 2 days. He is in Las Vegas coaching his students at the US Open table tennis tournament. The lady, Bhoo, that plays at the Phoenix Club now, won the Over 40's US Women's Event and I interrupted Matthew when I phoned earlier, as he was coaching her against Tawny Banh in another major women's event. I saw the Gao Jun beat Tawny in the Over 30's Final. It would be kewl if I can get 4-8 players from here, that I coach, to go to the US Nationals in 2009.

This is the first place I ever lived where firecrackers were legal to buy for residents. So, it figures, that at my advanced age, I am no longer interested in lighting them off! Really wierd that in Phoenix, firecrackers, even sparklers are illegal, but you can walk around with a gun on your hip........here, guns are legal, but only in your home. You are not even allowed to have them in your vehicle unless it is to or from the gun store, gun range, or police station. In fact, you need a permit to buy bullets!

Been listening to the the History of Howard Stern on Sirius Satellite Radio; very interesting and funny. And, the Diamondbacks finally won a game in the 9th inning! hurray! After losing 5-0, bottom of the 9th inning, they scored 6 runs, winning the game, not even making one out......let's see if this build their momentum as they need it badly, after losing 2 of their stars to injuries.......ALOHA ALL, and keep in touch.

6/26/2008 1:38pm

Good lessons yesterday with John & Lesi in Waimea. Lesi is doing better & better, actually moving now, every so often and takes me 3 or 4 loops to get past him if I don't move the ball around lots. John is improving now that he is playing lefty. It's kind of amazing how good is left hand loop is, but, having no bad habit with his left side, he is progressing fast! There were 4 kids that showed up to Waimea TTC and played, so that's encouraging. Our Hawi club meets in 90 minutes as we do meet Thursdays from 3-5pm due to basketball on Thursday nights. We still have Tuesdays from 6-9pm also. This Saturday, Ed comes from the Island of Oahu for an 8 hour training session. He improved a few hundred skill points from his 1st to 2nd visit here and we'll see how well he does this time.....he is talented and certainly enthusiastic; a shame he doesn't live on this Island!

Always looking for new players here in Hawi and one showed up Tuesday night.........but we can use more. Deb & I really love the life here, weather is great, and people are nice. Gas prices you ask? Well, earlier this week, I paid $4.68 a gallon; cheaper than parts of California or other places; Germany is more than $8.00 gallon! Been eating some of our avocados that fall off our trees, YUMMY.........

6/23/2008 10:28am

Aloha! I heard the Grand Canyon State Summer Games went well this past weekend, run my Matthew and his crew. Good to hear. It was good to also see a Table Tennis & More player final in the OPEN....Derrick Cone beat Andrew Manginelli to win it all!

Deb & I are still going to the club 3 times a week. I can feel the muscle development, slowly but surely. Sadly, though, still gaining weight and stomach is still growing. I try to do ab exercises, but not really helping a lot. O well, not going to give up. Still love our WII Fit game on the WII. I strongly suggest it for everyone. A fun way to exercise for everyone, young & old. Boxing is very tiring.

Had a new Hawaii experience yesterday. Finally went to a restaurant with DELICIOUS HOT wings. I was in hog heaven! First place that had good Hot Wings on this island along with good beer and more.

Played table tennis at the pool yesterday with John Romoa. Of course, while getting the ball from an obstacle course, I tripped and fell on some lava. Scraped my arm but my left side is in pain. I should be OK, but am in pain. Tough getting old.

6/8/2008 6:43am

Last night was a new treat for me and Deb. We were invited to a graduation party for a local high school student. The student is the daughter of a friend of ours. WOW! It was at the place we play table tennis at and they did a great job of transforming a gymnasium into a banquet hall. First we eat the pupus, of which there were plenty. The pork was delicious as was the salad. I left the fish heads. When they opened the table with the dinner foods, the line formed quickly; but went very fast. There had to be 15 or so different items to choose from, so we took a little of everything, and a lot of the Ahi! There was rice, pork dishes, special pork steamed in seaweed and too many other things that I have no idea of what it was. We ate it all and everything tasted super! I guess I can live without poi. The desert table was incredible with at least 20 varieties of sweets. We ate too much of that!!! Anyway, there was OVER 400 people there. I don't know that many people to invite to anything! I could not believe the crowds as I think all of Kohala was there! They had some great entertainment. There were so many young children there, but all very well behaved. I was truly impressed by the entire occasion and am happy we were invited and could attend. Today I have a lesson to give in 2 hours and then another after that. I have just begun coaching a player that is about 1500 rated who hurt his right arm; so I am coaching him to be a lefty. After his first lesson, he was looping and blocking pretty well. I think he's close to 1000 level left handed....we'll see what this challenge brings.....after the lessons, we'll all go workout at our club......Aloha!

6/4/2008 9:13am

Been going to our Club a lot of late, working out at the facilities, using the weights, and workout machines. Deb is still working every Monday at a local gallery and has taken a 2nd day to work once or twice per month. She enjoys the change of scenery and meeting people there. Deb & I made our reservations to go to Denver for the birth of my granddaughter at the end of August. Table tennis is constant on this island, albeit at a very slow rate. You get a new player here and there, but we are on a small island with few people, so table tennis is not the number 1 activity here. Also, there is so much to do here from hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, etc etc etc etc, that table tennis takes a backseat. We had an article in this week's local paper about the tournament we had at the end of April:. Keep in touch and let me hear from you........Aloha.

5/26/2008 2:30pm

Sorry for my long absence........My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this past Saturday and went to a great place for dinner, at the Fairmont Orchid, Browns Beach House. It was beautiful, right on the beach, watching the sunset.......the food was great as was the setting, and the place was surprisingly crowded. Deb started swimming and we joined a beach club which is great. We can now use their spa, workout facilities, tennis courts, swimming pool, beach (great snorkeling there), and get a nice discount on all food and beverages. When you come to visit us, we'll bring you there as our guest! Also, Deb & I bought a Wii game for our anniversary present, and were lucky enough to also get a Wii Fit game. It is really good. I recommend it for everyone. Use it for muscle strength, aerobics, balance, yoga, and for fun. We use it 4 times a week and go to the "club" 3 times a week to work out....also, we never forget table tennis. Had a student come for lessons yesterday morning which was a good workout, and have a players flying in Wednesday from Oahu to take a 3 hour session. Also, Wednesday may bring some players here from the University in Hilo for some training, as the Waimea club is closed this week. I hope everyone is doing well, improving their table tennis game, enjoying life, and thinking about a short trip to Hawaii! Aloha

5/15/2008 5:09pm

My daughter left, back to Denver and we had a great time while she and her husband were here. This island of paradise has been a bit hazy of late. Our flowing volcano, Kilauea is spurting out of a new vent and causing VOG to cover most of the Island. It's beautiful here when the wind blows, but days without wind causes the VOG to even get to where I live, more than 100 miles from the volcano. Even Oahu, some 250 miles from here is getting the VOG. Our microwave oven died yesterday morning, so we travel to Kona tomorrow and pick up a new one; about 3 hours of driving. We'll stop at Costco, Macys, and Home Depot before returning.

And, I am VERY proud of my son, Matt......he was called today and told that he is now a USATT Certified Referee and, also, according to his work, a test, and the USATT website, he is now upgraded in his USATT Coaching level also.......

5/9/2008 8:12am

Last night at the Hawi Club, we had 4 new players come by, 2 players were visiting from California. Alex and his wife. Alex is about 2000 and we played over an hour which was great! Had a chance to practice serves, return of serves, backhand & forehand. I took no pity on poor Alex who was playing with my spare racket and his flip flops.....so he could not move well and my rubber gave him problems to use...LOL..he was still a very good player and extremely enjoyable to hit with. His wife played for an hour with my wife and a good time was had by all. The 2 other new players that came by; one was from Kohala and he was there to watch Matt & Leo play back in August, but this was his first time back to play....and he brought his friend from the East side of our Island. Hopefully, they will return as they are both decent players and could be very good with a bit of practice and some coaching.....It was good to see Ziggy and Nella show up also and play. Both are 9 years old and getting better, so a new crop of players are upcoming..........if you are reading this and going to be in our area, please let me know and come by to play! Keep in touch, and Aloha..............

5/7/2008 6:46am

My pregnant daughter and her husband came in yesterday from Denver to visit........She's due end of August with my first grandchild, a girl. They'll be here for a week, so we've got lots of places to take them to see. Our volcano is acting up a bit of late and a new vent has opened expelling lots of toxic ash and smoke. If if continues to vent and the winds are bad, we'll have to pass on seeing it while they are here. But, I must say, up here in Kohala, it is simply beautiful; clean air, sunshine, and cool breezes. Our April table tennis tournament is now only a memory and we are looking at possibly having another one later this year and trying to promote table tennis more and more on this Island. A tournament took place in Phoenix this past weekend and my son's double's team won the Open Doubles Event which was a toughie with all the great players entered. There are a few more 2000+ players in Phoenix these days......if you plan on coming to Hawaii, especially the Big Island of Hawai'i, be sure to let me know so we can play a game or two....Aloha!

4/29/2008 6:44am

Aloha! The tournament is over and the results, along with pictures and video is up at: http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/resultshawitournament42608.htm

We ended up with 18 players signed up and all but one, came and played. A good time was had by all. We used 7 tables, the 5 new Stiga Tables and 2 Butterfly Centrefold Tables. There was some great table tennis action. The Open was won by a Hilo, Big Island resident, Yen Wen Fang, and both, the U-1400 & U-1800 were won by Big Island resident, Charles Moore. The Unrated event was won by Big Island resident John Romoa, and the Seniors event was won by Oahu resident, Kiyoko Endo. We had players signed up from Oahu, Kauai, Big Island, Maui, and the Mainland, but I guess the Big Island location helped the Big Island residents win. From the results, it sure appears that the Big Island Table Tennis Community is alive and well and getting stronger everyday...........The food prepared and available at the tournament from the Kohala Cultural Center was excellent and well priced. There was a delicious Dorito salad, hot dogs, pork plate, chicken plate, and more. Thanks to Gambler for their great Platinum Balls. John Romoa was a great help in getting the tournament prepared and the trophies he put together for fantastic! He used epoxy and more to create a lava flow as the base of our trophies. Our Open winner won some great coffee and a Koa Wood paddle. My Mainland guests have gone home and now I prepare for my daughter and son-in-law to arrive next week. My daughter is 6 months pregnant with my first grandchild, so it is exciting. I am still exhausted from the last week and will try to rest up this week for next week's activities. Mahalo/Thanks to all of you that attended the tournament and hope to have another very soon..............keep in touch. Aloha.

4/25/2008 6:40am

Mark came in on Wednesday from Phoenix; good to see him again. Alan came in from Kauai on Monday; gave him a lesson Monday & Tuesday and he is trying to change some of his strokes. Good turnout Tuesday night at Hawi club, many there to practice for this week's USATT tournament here. Then, yesterday, it happened! The new tables were delivered! Mark & I unloaded them from the truck with some help from the driver. We sure could have used another person or 2 as there were 7 tables with each box weighing over 225 pounds, and no dolly or hand truck to use. So, we ended up using a plastic mop bucket to help roll the boxes into the gym. Mark hurt his back a bit as did I. Then it was time to put the tables together........well, it takes 3 people and there was only me & Mark. So we waited till late afternoon and John was able to arrive and help. He & Mark lifted each half as I steadied the wheels sections into the table slots. After Mark & I both losing blood, the tables were put together. The empty boxes were loaded on my truck and Mark & I threw the trash in the recycle bin at the transfer station. We set the tables up and a really good turnout was at the club last night. The tables have a great surface to play on and everyone commented how good they played on them! Lesi then went to my home with me, John, & Chuck. We loaded my 2 Butterfly tables on Lesi's truck; John tied them down really good, & Lesi brought them to the Club. We are now ready for the tournament, table wise......it will be a long day of LOTS of playing. I heard from many of the entrants that they wanted to play LOTS of games, so I have events planned out, some as large round robins....there will be lots of matches......everyone will be exhausted, but hopefully will have lots of fun. We'll have food available at the tournament and some, small, but unique trophy prizes, along with special prizes for 1st & 2nd place Open Single winners. Tonight we have practice starting at 5pm...My friend Joe and his wife will arrive at my home today, from Phoenix, in time to practice and be ready for the tournament...........just a shame we have so much darn VOG on the Island past few days.................and one new entrant into the tournament, Marcus Vincent, from Hilo....

4/22/2008 6:39am

Current player's list for upcoming 2008 Big Island Open Tournament.......more entries are in the mail....

UPDATED 4/22/2008......current list of players entered, more coming.

Players List 04-19-2008 07:34:56: Ah Loy, Ron UR ,Degawa, Shigemi UR, DeWitt, Mark A. 1583, Endo, Kiyoko 1055, Esterle, Richard UR, Fang, Yen Wen UR, Meadows, Todd 1855, Moore, Charles 1291, Oda, Harley D. 1454, Papapetrou, George Alle1494, Pierotti, Joe 1599, Romoa, John UR, Sekona, Lesi UR, Tone, Ben 1456, Young, Daniel H. 1352, Freedman, Stephen, UR

4/13/2008 3:25pm

The uploads are finished. I used YouTube instead of Google.......

For the video on our cat, Loco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n6fZ5xGhDo

For the video of the Parker School 2 day table tennis class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsanyQVIwWo

4/13/2008 6:28pm

First off, thanks for reading my blog and thanks also go out to those of you that send me comments and those that have complained, nicely, that I do not update my blog often enough! lol Actually, I have been holding updating the past few days as I have been attempting to upload a few files of video to GoogleVideos but they are having problems....many people are complaining that they upload the video and it is blank. So, as I type this, I am trying to upload via youtube, instead. The videos are about my cat, Loco that arrived in Hawaii with me, and a nice video of the kids John Romoa and myself taught table tennis to, last Thursday & Friday. I will update here again when those videos are available. Anyways, Loco is doing GREAT with Audi. He loves it here and Audi is happy to have him here again with him, and they play a bit together. I think they keep each other company. Loco has found a great hiding place; going under our platform bed from the back, then jumping into MY drawer of sweaters and making himself very comfortable. He also enjoys sitting in the window and watching the birds as well as listening to them 24/7...John & I spent all day Thursday & Friday teaching 17 students at Parker High School in Waimea, table tennis. Thursday saw me going over all the rules of table tennis, telling them some history of the sport, explaining the types of rubbers available, the grips, stance, and then we worked on forehand and backhand counters. We had some time for pushing as well as practicing legal serves. I must say I was extremelt happy that by our "impromptu" tournament on Friday, almost all of them were serving legally and having a good time. We crowned double's champs as well as Group A & Group B Single's Champions. Again, the videos will be available soon, I hope....

Our Hawi Big Island Tournament is within 2 weeks now.... http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawitournament42608.htm We will have a small, cozy turnout of about 20 players, but it will be fun and we will play lots of table tennis. Friday night will be practice. A friend comes from Kauai a week from Monday and another of my friends/students, from Phoenix arrives on the 23rd and another 2 days later. It will be a tiring, but fun time. My wife goes to Oahu next Sunday for a week to help run a Corporation Convention at Turtle Bay. We are still waiting for the 5 new tables to arrive in Hawi and the 2 new tables for the Waimea Club. Hopefully, they show up before our tournament; but, if not, we will go with plan B and still be fine. Loving it here and keep in touch....Aloha

4/4/2008 10:14am

Made it back to Hawaii with my cat, Loco........he and his brother, Audi (dog), are loving each other and are thrilled to see each other again! Loco was in bed with Debbie enjoying old times.......made it back in time for the Hawi club last night. John from Waimea came by as well as about 8 others. Ziggy, 9 years old came by and I fed him multi-ball etc for about 20 minutes. He may be incredible with his first serve actually bouncing low over the net with enough backspin, that it jumped back over to his side! He is already backhand looping underspin and has only been playing 4 weeks....received a few more entries into the Hawi Tournament http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawitournament42608.htm Grass has grown much and I will need to mow again, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3246721818911687934&hl=en

Will go to Waimea tomorrow and exhibit some table tennis. Also, next Thursday & Friday, John Romoa and myself will train kids at Parker School and have a tournament........If all goes well as planned, we'll start a class at Parker School in the fall! Was REALLY GREAT seeing all my friends from Phoenix and thank you to Robbie for taking me at an UNGODLY hour to the airport. Aloha

3/31/2008 7:41am

Just finished the Arizona State table tennis Tournament over the past weekend. Results are up at http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/GCSGResults308.htm

The tournament went great! We had more than 60 participants in 15 events with some great action. The tournament went so smooth with so many players telling me or Matt how much they enjoyed the "Aloha" pace of the tournament and the fun atmosphere. It's a shame that when the tournament was almost done, with just 2 double's events left to play, that one player that only played one event, complained about the timing of events and how badly the tournament was set up. I have received e-mails and even a phone call since then, telling me that that player that complained is a nutcase and bothered everyone he was complaining to. Other than that, the tournament was a complete success. I now look forward to our Hawaii Island tournament on April 26th http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawitournament42608.htm

So far, being back here in Arizona has been great! I have been able to spend time with my son and see some of my favorite things in Phoenix. Last Friday night, I even got to go to a Diamondback's baseball game, albeit an exhibition game. I sat in my regular seats and enjoyed just being there. They built a new jumbotron screen which is in high def...FANTASTIC! I have gone to eat at all my favorite places that I kind of miss. Had some delicious pizza & wings, great Mexican Food, and even had on tap Kona beer at a local place near the house. It has been super to see all my friends from here at the tournament and talk about table tennis and "teach" them about Hawaii.

Lastly, I must say that I was very happy to hear from so many people that I really looked rested, relaxed, and seemed to have a more calm feeling about me, plus I really looked good as I have more color and seem to have gained some fullness to my face. I do feel so much better since the move to Hawaii and am glad that it actually shows......now to prepare for my going to back to Hawaii at 5:30am Thursday with my cat, Loco.....Aloha

3/22/2008 4:13pm

OK, you asked for it, you will get it now............I have put up a video to show I do mow the lawn here! Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5MytA0GozQ I cannot believe the number of e-mails I have got from people that looked at pics of my house and wondered who mows the lawn!

3/21/2008 9:05am

Lots of rain last night........great for our fruit trees, grass, and keeping the air absolutely fresh and clean......temperatures are delightful. I go to sleep each night with all the windows open, about 65f; and wake up in the early morning, keeping all windows open and opening our doors, to 68f, and later in the day it gets to about 78f........a gentle and sometimes strong wind, but very nice.......Played table tennis lots yesterday; with the senior group in the morning and with the Hawi Club at night. Hit with Chuck at the Hawi Club and had him serve and attempt 3rd ball attack....he is doing well and preparing for the upcoming April USATT Tournament here. When I return his serve easily, he is really good at finishing the point.....potential 1800 level player..........More good news this morning......not mentioning names but a 2nd player from Phoenix is coming to play in our April Tournament.........FANTASTIC! Also, got news that a player from Maui, who actually I met years ago, when he stopped into my Club in Phoenix on 32nd Street, will be coming to the Big Island to play in our tournament also........he is close to 1900! The April Big Island Tournament is starting to shape up as a really fun, exciting event.....hope you will be there......Like getting e-mails from those of you that read my blog...keep in touch and ALOHA!

3/19/2008 1:47pm

Not a bunch of new things happening here..........just enjoying life......leaving for Waimea in an hour to coach and then play at the Waimea Club...The new tables for the Hawi Club should have been shipped and I expect them within 4 weeks; in time, hopefully, for our April 26th Tournament. Been helping a new youngster at the Hawi Club and also had him at my home. He's only 9 years old but catches on so quickly. He is a natural athlete. I have 3 other kids that also play and that I am training, but this kid can be the best! I'll be looking forward to seeing my friends in Phoenix next week as I go there to run the State Tournament. When I return, I'll bring our cat, Loco, back with me. Weather here has been interesting, with lots of wind, periods of intense, then light rains, and lots of sunshine. The grass grows fast! Think I'll mow on Friday....keep in touch......Aloha

3/13/2008 2:35pm

WOW! I cannot believe how many days have gone by since my last entry! I guess time flies when you live in Paradise! Some good things have happened recently regarding table tennis. We were given the go ahead by the local Government agency and they purchased 5 new Stiga tables which will be shipped to us shortly. At the same time, both the Waimea & Hilo table tennis clubs, on the Big Island, ordered some new tables for their expanding clubs also.....We have started the Senior's Table tennis league http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/seniorleague.htm and I gave a presentation to the Kohala Senior's Club about table tennis http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8718451266692175420&hl=en

I have also uploaded an 11 minute video about Audi (our dog) and his new home in Hawaii http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7613604654143611934&hl=en Debbie has a new job......well, a very part time one that she is enjoying, working almost a full day once per week at a local art gallery. I had discussions with a private middle school/high school in Waimea and in April, John Romoa and I will spend 2 days training students and running a tournament for them. Then, hopefully, I will be able to start an elective program in September for them, with a goal of starting clubs in many schools throughout the Island and then playing each other in a table tennis league.

/So, lots has been happening. We have gone to the beach a few times, and just enjoying life here in the Islands.......Come and join us! Hope to hear from you all soon......Aloha!/

3/5/2008 8:21am

Been a few days since my last entry..........but things are so relaxing here that sometimes there's not much to discuss. I am getting entries to the Grand Canyon State Games that I am going to run at the end of March, so that is keeping me a bit busy. Yesterday was a super day! Robert Shapiro from the Hilo area was on this side of the Island, so he and a friend from Wisconsin came by. Rob is a fairly new table tennis player, but pretty good for his limited experience. I estimate his rating around 1100-1250. We played together for almost 3 hours, then went to my Hawi Club. We had a great turnout there last night with all tables full by 6:15pm. By 6:45pm, we had people waiting. I think we had about 17 people play last night which is not too bad for a city of less than 800 residents! John Romoa drove over from Waimea to participate and it was good to see him there. And, more great news! The funds have arrived at Parks & Rec here in Hawi and the bid process is on to buy 5 Stiga tables for the Hawi Club! Fantastic news....hopefully, we can have them in time for the April tournament here.....Today, I drive to Waimea, give 2 private lessons, then help train a few players at the Waimea club.......so, things are moving along.......SO, we are now ready to train hard in my "facility". Do you want a great vacation get-a-way? Take a trip to Hawaii, to me, and enjoy Hawaii, take some lessons, play at our Island Clubs, and I'll guide you around the Island........let me hear from you.....ALOHA

2/29/2008 7:42am

Another good day yesterday........we started our Senior's League table tennis...each Thursday morning for a few hours. We had 9 people show up to play and a good time was had by all. Then, at the Hawi Club last night, we had a decent turnout and I coached a few of the new kids, helping them learn the sport. One of the new kids (17 years old) is a natural talent and can be really good, really quick. We have been cleaning out our jungle in the backyard. It is getting thinner and less insects are being seen, thankfully. We got some great Apple Bananas off our trees.

Debbie made a couple of banana breads from them; YUMMY! We had an incident with our neighbors 2 days ago. We saw Audi running near the back fence earlier and then heard somebody yelling at him, then hosed him with water! Our neighbor! So, I walked over to the back fence and confronted him. He tells me that Audi was about to grab his cat from near the fence and would kill his cat! He then told me that I needed to build a new fence closer in my yard to stop my dog from going closer to MY FENCE that we built! Then he says that he has lived here 26 years and he will make big trouble for me. I told him I will cut down all the trees he likes, ON MY PROPERTY, so he has no shade and no privacy, and walked away. His wife comes over 2 minutes later and speaks to Debbie. She admits that THEIR cat came over ON OUR PROPERTY and Audi confronted the cat. Anyway, we built the fence to keep our dog inside and that works, but somehow, they think it is our fault that THEIR CAT CAME INTO OUR YARD and we should build a new fence. So Deb told her to build her own fence on HER PROPERTY.....anyway, it seems the incident has blown over and they will prevent their cat from coming over here. Just to sum it up, we spent lots of money to have a quality fence built all around our property to keep our dog INSIDE, and it has worked well as Audi doesn't even try to jump over it, but somehow we are blamed when other people's cats come into our yard! O well, you live and learn....back to table tennis, PLEASE!

2/26/2008 12:58pm

Yesterday morning at our weekly "old age" group, actually, Senior's Group of Kohala, we had our sign up sheet ready for the Senior's Table Tennis League, which I am beginning, this Thursday morning, from 10-noon. I was expecting a good group of about 4-6 players, but, unexpectedly, 16 people signed up! Whether they all show up or not, we'll see, but that is a great start! I'll be sure to take some pictures, maybe even video, and put it up on my website...Next week at the "group", they will have a speaker talking about the Big Island Senior Olympics taking place in a few months. But, alas, there is no table tennis, only 19 other events! She will DEFINITELY hear from me at the meeting. And, the following week, March 10, I am the featured speaker to discuss table tennis and will explain all the rules, types of rubber, etc., and show some videos. That may spark even more interest. Aloha!

2/23/2008 2:50pm

Went to Waimea this morning to meet John and do a little table tennis P.R....John brought his "little" table, .......actually a full length table, only 1/2 the width. People stopped by the entire time and played We had a few kids that played really well and gave out some flyers promoting the Waimea & Hawi Clubs; and, a GREAT time was had by all. And, if you want some BEAUTIFUL ORCHIDS, this is the place to go....John and Gloria have some of the most beautiful orchids that they grow

2/21/2008 4:04pm

Tuesday night at the Hawi Club was FANTASTIC! Because of the great newspaper article, which you can see on the TT&M Hawaii page, http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawaiittm.htm we had MORE than 20 players show up to play! A few were kids, but mostly adults thanking me for offering a place to play their favorite sport.....We put up the 4th table, from John Romoa (thank you), and all tables were filled, with players waiting to play, from 6pm till we left a bit after 9pm. I want to thank each of you that came to play and hopefully, more will show up every time. My first "student" comes here to train in 30 minutes..........the facility looks great! I have all our TV's set up now, and Deb has been clearing our forest. We will have a helper early next week get the forest even more clean, trim a few trees, and it should look super......then we can eat some of the fruit! We got some pillows delivered today for our couch and they look good.....let me hear from you..........Aloha

2/18/2008 1:18pm

Great weather weekend................could not ask for better weather......76 days and 62 nights; mostly sunny and nice breezes. I am getting spoiled, FAST...read the results in the Phoenix tournament this past weekend and good to see Table Tennis & More winning the Open Doubles. Congrats Matt & Andrew. Congrats also to Trevor Traylor for winning the U-1300.....he is improving rapidly. I painted my garage here on Friday and put a 2nd coat on this morning. It'll be ready to play on next week. The garage here is about 4 1/2 feet longer than in Phoenix, 5 feet wider, and 2 feet taller.....so make your training reservations NOW..........

2/15/2008 4:50pm

Had a nice Valentine's day........Deb & I spent the day with John Romoa and Gloria. Went to lunch and then to a nice hike along the beach and to a hot tub and pool....we saw Humpback whales as we walked along the shore....FANTASTIC, to put it mildly.....Dropped off a new/old table tennis table to the Hawi club, making 4 tables, thank you John Romoa and the Waimea TTC. The local paper had a super article, with pictures, of the Hawi Club yesterday that hopefully will bring out a few more players in the next week or so. Got a few more entries in for the Hawi tournament. Deb has been busy planting flowers and other plants in our front yard. The garage is starting to look more & more like the Phoenix facility......weather has been delightful with 74-78f days and 62-65f at night with a little rain each night, after midnight. Let me hear from you. Aloha!

2/13/2008 8:23am

Yesterday, another great day in Paradise...........weather beautiful and we went to Kona to get Deb's car registered; then to our insurance agent, then to Home Depot, then to our furniture guy to get some pillows, then to Costco, then to the BBQ guy, so we can do use our BBQ we brought from Phoenix, then to the post office, gas station, and finally, back home.....rested for a few then out to the Hawi Club last night. Well, guess what! We had a blurb in the newspaper yesterday & I got 3 phone calls from players asking about the Hawi Club. One of them showed up to play last night and is not bad; plays lots of tennis so has some of the wrong strokes, but wants to take some private lessons, and will become a pretty good player in time. In all, we had 13 players last night on 3 tables, 1 of which really sux! Hopefully, more tables are coming soon. Also, had some GREAT news in that a player I coach from Phoenix, and his wife, will be coming to the Big Island to play in the Hawi tournament and visit the Island....The Hawi Tournament is now shown online at the USATT website....Today I have to go to get fingerprinted for my handguns, get an inspection decal for Deb's car, go to the local bank, and then off to Waimea to give 2 private lessons, then play at the Waimea Club tonight. I hope the people that read this blog give me some feedback.....keep in touch. Aloha

2/10/2008 10:09am

WOW.....3 great days in a row; now I feel like I really am in Hawaii. Yesterday was a first.....I used my new lawn tractor and today I will try out my weedwhacker & edger.....all gasoline powered. OK, so I need to learn about tractor mowing. I figured to put it on the lowest to the ground setting so I need not mow as much......well, anyway, I have a few depths of grass now in the backyard; but could be worse....will mow the front today...put up so many pictures in the house yesterday, but now it is more & more like "home"....even have my troll out protecting us again! Went to Ruths Chris last night in the Mauna Lani for the absolute best deal in Hawaii! They are my favorite steaks anywhere and between 5-6pm, they have a super special which includes your choice of salad, Filet steak, potato or vegetable, and a great bread pudding with whiskey sauce dessert, all for $39.95.....it was GREAT! Deb & I keep pinching ourselves as we drive and cannot believe we live here now....what's funny? well, we have no stoplights in our town of Hawi, nor in the neighbor town of Kapaau; and on the drive to RuthsChris, about 30 miles, not one stoplight! and almost no traffic.....a HUGE change from the mainland.....and refreshing. OK, off to remove some weeds, lower the front lawn, and get my audio/video equipment set up in the family room.......Aloha!

2/8/2008 8:57am

Another great day yesterday; NO, REALLY it was! It was a beautiful day...no rain, great temperatures (70f), and sunny. Got all our boxes unpacked and putting stuff away. Got our Plasma operating and lots of other stuff.......went to the Club last night; had a decent turnout, and the photographer, Darren, from the newspaper was there. He took lots of pictures and was extremely nice. Next Thursday, the article will appear so we should get some feedback from it, I hope. A table tennis player from Kauai, Allen, was kind enough to make the Hawi tournament entry form into .pdf format, so it is easy to download now; thank you, Allen. Today, we will meet friends of ours at the Hilton, and have lunch next to the Dolphin pool.....KEWL! I finally finished setting up my office here so feeling more "at home"....Let me hear from you from time to time for feedback and up to date info on your playing progress or just in life, in general. Aloha!

2/7/2008 6:26am

Yesterday was an unreal day! I need to get a REAL job so I can have some rest! lol Anyway, early yesterday, Cindy, from the local paper came to my home and interviewed me for an upcoming article about table tennis in Hawi and the Hawi Table Tennis Club. She is a very nice lady and I think I got all the important things out about table tennis & the club. Tonight, at the club, the paper is sending a photographer to take some pictures; hope we have a big crowd. After she left, the movers showed up..............with close to 200 boxes and pieces of furniture. Amazing the process needed to get your items here from the Mainland. The movers had to box each item, wrap them well, seal the boxes, load them in lift vans very compactly, nail the vans shut, metal band them, drive them from Phoenix to California, load them in a 40' container, load them on a ship, the ship sails to Honolulu, the container is then reloaded on a barge to Hilo, the container unloaded, the lift vans for us are sorted, loaded onto a 20' truck, driven almost 2 hours to our home, lift vans opened with hammer and other tools, all boxes unloaded and put in garage (thankfully it stopped raining here for the 4 hours of unloading), boxes opened and then put away stuff, boxes broken down with all the wrapping papers, then loaded on my truck, dropped off at dump! We still have about 40 more boxes..................Then Kelly showed up, our yard guy who built our fence and kept our lawn groomed while we were in Phoenix; he did some edging and then taught me how to use my new Lawn Tractor...what a nice guy! After that, we ate a frozen pizza, and had some phone calls. Matt called to report that he is so busy he cannot believe it! Sold lots of rubber, blades, etc and is trying to keep up....LOL....while on phone with him, spoke to a gentleman from Hilo and then heard from a guy in Kauai that I met 2 years ago while vacationing there, trying to decide with Debbie, which island we liked best. He's a good player and I was very happy to hear from him. He is thinking about spending some time here, on the Big Island, to play more table tennis, play in our upcoming USATT tournament, and maybe take some training....and "rent" my Butterfly Robot. It was so good to then go to bed with our regular mattress and pillows.....feels much more like home now, especially this morning with our Expresso machine...........more work today unloading the boxes, setting up 1 of our HD tvs, registering my handguns, and more.....then off to the Club tonight for pictures and a bit of the PingyPong.........................

2/5/2008 6:46am

Got Debbie's car yesterday. It was in perfect shape........well, almost....the battery was dead! But the man at the port was very nice and had a portable car jump kit and the car started right up. This is sure a small town. The guy saw we lived in Hawi and said he does also. So, he introduced himself and said he owned the liquor store in Hawi. We went there last night after dinner, and bought some ice cream. I was given the opportunity to give a table tennis presentation on March 10 to my senior group. We have Sears delivering today and our furniture tomorrow. I have a local newspaper reporter coming to my home tomorrow morning for an interview about table tennis in Hawi. Thursday night, we'll have a photographer there to take pictures for the newspaper......I already received my first entry for the Hawi tournament in April. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawitournament42608.htm Still raining lots here, but it's a change we enjoy. Have to get Deb's car inspected this morning at 8am so we can register it for plates on Thursday..........

2/1/2008 3:06pm

It sure can be wet in Hawi, Hawaii! Yesterday, we had 1.89" of rain and we have had .34" today and it is still coming down! I want my suntan! I think I have seen more rain in the week and half here than in my 30+ years in Phoenix.....O well, I love it.....Guess what else: Debbie found that a Maui Male Cardinal lives in our little forest on our property....he is beautiful.... http://www.micktravels.com/maui/kahana/maui-male-cardinal.html

Also, got confirmation today that the newspaper is doing an article on the Hawi Club and will even have a photographer here next week....things are moving along............

1/31/2008 11:01am

Went to the Waimea TTC last night. A nice trip, about 35 minute drive each way with beautiful scenery on the upper road.....Went to "real" grocery stores as well as a huge Ace Hardware that seems to have everything. Was able to help John coach an 11 year old boy that looks to be improving; his strokes are getting better. Our riding lawn tractor has come in at Sears and they will deliver...soon...our furniture is sitting in Hilo and hopefully they will deliver it this year! Guess I'll watch the Super Bowl in high def on my 26: screen....bummer! Met a doctor last night at the Waimea club. He is about 1000 or so. Very nice guy. There are a few good players there in the 1000-1500 range. Had a very interesting event this morning....well, interesting and funny to me, anyway! I walked down my road to get the morning paper in the paper delivery cyclinder, and as I was about to get the paper (6:30am and still no sunrise), a big head came up from behind the newspaper box....there were 2 horses there, grazing.....I reached to pet them, but scared them away and they trotted away! Never happened to me in Phoenix like that......going to lunch in a few and to shop at the new shops that recently opened......tonight we meet again at the Hawi TTC. We were approved for the first Hawaiian USATT sanctioned tournament on April 26, 2008.. http://www.tabletennisandmore.com/hawitournament42608.htm ......let me hear from you.

1/29/2008 9:39pm

Another day in paradise......Actually, it's been raining a lot...so much, in fact, that I truly believe I have seen more rain this past week here than in the 30 years I lived in Phoenix! But my fruit is growing, so that's good. I got tentative approval for Hawaii's first USATT sanctioned tournament ever,,,,we'll have it in Hawi on April 26. More info to follow but it will include age, doubles, and rated events. We had 11 people at the Hawi Club tonight and I spent time feeding multi-ball to one of the kids that will be a good player, in time. We also worked on serving. Still waiting for our furniture and hope it comes this week so I can watch the Super Bowl on High Def on my big screen.....feel like a real resident as we opened a bank account at the local Hawaiian bank, ate lunch at a neighborhood bistro, and our dog, Audi has made a friend with Arnie, a yellow lab next door......he also likes BJ, the horse in our backyard! Tomorrow night I go to the Waimea club............

1/28/2008 2:59pm

OK OK OK, so now it is confirmed; I am a senior citizen! Deb & I went to an invite meeting this morning at the Kohala Senior Citizen's Club. We filled out intensive applications, went before the Executive Committee, spoke before the entire group of about 65, and we admitted to the club! Deb & I also each won, after the meeting, in Bingo! OK, so I am an old fart; you guys already knew that anyway! Now we are entitled, with our OLD PERSON card, to no sales tax on many items sold in Hawaii and special other discounts for meals, etc. Aside from all that, the people there are truly nice. They have a competitive softball team playing this Saturday, bowling a few times per month, and I am starting a senior's table tennis league. Got my vehicle inspection decal today so I am a real resident. Our stuff arrived at the port today, available for pick up by the moving company tomorrow. Then they must make arrangements for delivery to us....hope it is soon as I need my printer and....ping pong tables!

1/27/2008 10:49am:

I am sitting here watching the rain fall...it is simply amazing how much rain there is! We had 1/3" yesterday and almost that amount already today. I guess the severe drought on this Island is over. It's about 67 degrees, windy, with the rain. If I were to drive less than 20 minutes, it would be 82 and sunny, on the beach! We had DirecTV installed and it takes TWO 4 1/2 foot dishes for the service with high definition as opposed to a small single dish in Phoenix, so my front yard kind of looks like Moon Base Alpha!.........If you have never been to Hawaii, you should visit....the clouds are simply amazing! They are constantly moving, and fast. We see rainbows on most days and sometimes a double rainbow; awesome! I have not seen the Humpback Whales yet, but supposedly they are crossing the water in my view many times per day. I hope to get a glimpse soon and have a telescope ready.....

1/26/2008 10:31am:

Aloha!

Sitting here watching the rain and hearing the wind......it's a warm 71 right now with, as usual, high humidity. It is still winter for another 10 days or so.....then the rain usually ends, or so we are told. Life is slower here and people are very warm. There is a genuine concern shown by most and there is a feeling that all should share in the ALOHA spirit (a feeling of warmth, kindness, helping to your fellow citizen)...

Am waiting for our furniture, belongings, and table tennis stuff to arrive from Phoenix. It should be in the local port on Monday and they will deliver soon after. Took the 70 minute drive each way to Costco and Home Depot yesterday, spent almost $1000.00 there for food and other essentials, but now we are stocked up with goodies.....We are going with a friend to Salsa Night tonight in our town and are invited to a Senior's event this Monday at 9am.....Table tennis is Tuesday thru Thursday nights and I do have some students lined up for private lessons starting after I get my tables.......Keep in touch,

1/24/2008:

Aloha all!

Hope Phoenix is doing well………….

Just a VERY quick update on me……….am home now in Hawi. Got my truck in almost perfect condition on Tuesday, got Debbie & Audi in perfect condition yesterday, and expecting our furniture next week, along with Deb’s car.

Went to the Hawi Club Tuesday night and about 10 or so players were there. Many were absent due to a “major” basketball game in Waimea. We had a lady show up from Kona that is a very good player from Japan, possibly 1800-1900 range….she is Japanese Penhold with Long Pips that she can hit with on the forehand and a reversing long pip on her backhand she uses sparingly. We have another good player from Waikoloa, about 14-1500, about 20 minutes away, and, John Romoa was also there, another 1500 level player; so we are on our way….In fact, there was a local article about the table tennis in Hawi just this week!

We tentatively have our first USATT Sanctioned tournament EVER in Hawaii, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2008, awaiting approval from USATT. You are all welcome to come and play in it! We even have an 8 room, cozy Country Inn, right next door, with reasonable rates for all you “MAINLANDERS”…..

Keep in touch.