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Len's Hawaii & Table Tennis Blog

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.