Badminton is in Vogue.

Literally.

From French Vogue June 15, 1920.

Merry Christmas! :)

SBC on Living Social!

Stumbled upon a good deal on Living Social today:

http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/223/deals/194304-badminton-free-play-session-for-two

Copied and pasted from the Living Social website:

Seattle Badminton Club

Badminton Free-Play Session for Two Adults or One Child and One Adult ($12) or Four Badminton Lessons for One Adult or One Child ($25)

Get it before it's gone!

Portland Badminton Club

Ever taken a road trip down to Portland? The beaches are beautiful, the grass is green, and the drives seem short as the beautiful scenery whisks past your window.

But being cooped up in the car for long hours is never fun! Get out of the car and stretch at the Portland Badminton Club!

As Oregon's premier badminton club, PBC has paid great attention to detail in choosing high ceilings, natural lighting and oakwood floors. PBC offers 6 full-sized courts and one practice court for your convenience.


Practice court seems awesome--box game, anyone?


PBC offers year - round classes, from beginners "after-school" classes to competitive classes. (For more information: http://www.portlandbadmintonclub.com/monthly_classes.php).
- Owner and head coach Ralph Cervantes is a USAB Certified Badminton Coach Trainer with international experience, so he'll undoubtedly get you involved in tournaments in no-time! (Additional coach information: http://www.portlandbadmintonclub.com/coaches.php).


Try it out by dropping in. Rates are:
Weekdays (2pm-10pm)
$10 for adults
$5 for kids
Weekends (Sunday Noon-9pm)
$12 for adults
$5 for kids

Drop-in rates cover the entire day so you can play to your heart's content. Be sure to ask them for their affordable membership fees as well! After you start, you won't want to stop!

Portland Badminton Club opens its doors to all levels of players so don't be afraid to pay them a visit.

If you want to get more information, check out their website: Portland Badminton Club

I'll be posting their upcoming tournament information soon, so stay tuned! Hope to see you at PBC!

Russian Military is taking up Badminton!

Read the paper this morning? According to Business Insider Europe, the Russian Military is to take on badminton!  Why? "Officials have said that the game requires the same muscles used to throw a grenade or other projectile, while following the shuttlecock trains the eye and improves reaction speeds."

(Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-military-badminton-2011-11#ixzz1dkIcZRI1)

Unfortunately, the Russian Defense Military is denying these allegations. According to The Guardian, it's true that there are courts and rackets in existence, but the military [might not] have plans to actually take up the sport for military technique training. Who knows? 

(Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/14/russia-denies-service-personnel-badminton) 

Badminton's been taking Russia by storm lately-- if you haven't heard, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev was interviewed for his badminton hobby a few months ago. Believing those who play well can make quick decisions, he plays with his soon-to-be successor, Prime Minister Vladmir Putin, during his time off. Cool!

In terms of 'reaction speeds', a group of friends and I were talking about this around the dinner table yesterday, after the BCD+A. They managed to scare me with a screamer video via iPhone, and caught the phone as soon as I had thrown it in fear. At the same time, a nearby waitress had pushed a knife off a table by accident-- quick hands caught it in the blink of an eye. Badminton skills? Perhaps. 

Video: http://www.businessinsider.com/medvedev-putin-badminton-match-2011-10

So if you'd like to practice 'throwing projectiles', take up badminton! 

______________________________________________________________________________

In other news, BCD+A tournament results are up. You can see them here: http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=2C37EE5B-9820-485C-9DEA-2C9AD6BD19B7

Don't forget to check out Men's Singles A and BCD. Women's Singles A didn't have enough entries, so they were dispersed into the Men's Singles category. I wonder how well they did...

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BADMINTONSQUARE!!!!

November 7th marked the first anniversary of BadmintonSquare! The first tournament that was promoted on the blog was the BCD+A 2010, so it's only fitting that we celebrate in the very weekend of BCD+A 2011!

BadmintonSquare was created to expand the badminton community. Badminton has done so much for me in the past few years. Through this sport I've met so many amazing people--local players, international athletes and big time all-stars! My teammates and opponents became my friends, and these friends became my family. Without the badminton community, I have no idea how I would have kept my sanity throughout my high school and university years. BadmintonSquare is giving me the opportunity to give back, and hopefully I can share what I've learned with you.

It's been great fun running this blog for the past year, and there will only be more improvements to come! Here are some weird facts about BadmintonSquare to keep your hunger satiated:

The most popular post of all time, winning by a LARGE 'viewer' vote, the T-Shirt Design post!  Looks like badminton players are quite stylish. I've been collecting photos of designs from tournaments all over the world, so I'll be sure to post them up soon!

A majority of my viewers use Internet Explorer and Firefox to keep updated with their badminton news, but I've gotten a few other ones that I've never heard of before. Iron? Rockmelt? Snazzy-- where are you guys from?

iPods, iPads, iPhones....Androids, Blackberries-- glad you guys are keeping in touch on-the-go! Let me know if I can make the blog easier for your small-screen viewing pleasure :)

We've gotten hits from all over the world-- the US, Canada, Phillippines, Singapore, Myanmar, India, Malaysia, UK, Afghanistan, Romania, Latvia, Germany, France, Indonesia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Korea....AND MORE! Send me your tournament information and help me make BadmintonSquare INTERNATIONAL!


I got a little bored and googled "BadmintonSquare" and I found a song called "Breakdance on the corner of Badminton Square"......WILL DO! (Is it a remix of some sort?)

If there's anything you'd like to share -- tournaments, players profiles, tips and tricks...leave a comment in the comment box! BadmintonSquare is here to help you improve your game and expand your community, so let me know what I can do to help!

Well, I'm going to head out to watch the BCD+A to celebrate. :) Thank you all for following BadmintonSquare! Don't forget to send me feedback via "comments" below, and subscribe!

Can't decide what to do with your mountain of badminton T-shirts?

(taken from Reddit.com):
My mom and aunt made a quilt of all my old band/concert shirts. Best gift I ever received!

I have an insane amount of badminton T-shirts that have been washed so many times that they're almost unwearable. That, or they've been pushed to the back of my closet and have since been completely forgotten. Anyone want to make me a quilt?

Off topic, but BCD+A tournament draws will be up next week! Look forward to seeing you all there on Veteran's/Remembrance Day weekend!

Speedminton?

Ever hear of Speedminton?

I came across an article at Livestrong.com's Lisa Porter on the rules of Speedminton.

Differences?

Well, first of all, the court is supposedly less complicated. Two squares 18-foot squares separated by 42 feet, with no net.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Speedminton_court.png

 (Obviously, if you have issues with the box game, you're going to have problems playing speedminton...)

If that wasn't different enough, the rackets are different. Rackets look a little more like squash rackets, and the birdies are smaller-- shorter, so it'll fly faster. In a way, it looks like a mix of tennis, badminton and squash rolled into one.


The rules are pretty simple-- hit it into each other's squares, and hit it back before it touches the ground. Don't hit it out of bounds, and don't let it hit the floor. Games are up to 16 with a two point lead. You switch squares after each match, and you must win 3 matches to win a game. Loser serves in the next round.Sounds simple, right? But....how do you play doubles?

YOU CAN! With the same 42 feet in between the squares, your doubles partner will stand in another square adjacent to yours. They'll serve to the opponent that's diagonal from their square, serving 3 serves each time.

Frankly, it sounds incredibly hard, especially since I have a tendency to hit....in all the space between me and my opponent. That'll be a big issue to overcome. That, and I'm not very good at the box game as it is-- this would only make it more frustrating.

It sounds like fun to give it a shot, though. What do you think? Will there be a SpeedmintonSquare.com?

Husky Badminton Open (Recap)

When/if you lose, add a bit of humor to win back your audience :)

That concludes the second annual Husky Badminton Open!

Not only were there the typical players in Washington--but we had a few surprises as well! Players from the University of Oregon showed up and gave us quite a challenge on our own turf-- big thanks to them for visiting! 5 hour drive....well worth it, I hope!

Not only did the Oregonians surprise us-- but it looks like Nicholas Jinadasa showed up to give us quite a scare, taking home the mixed doubles trophy with Rochelle N., beating last year's champions Curtis and Amy in two games. Snazzy! I hope we'll be seeing him in London 2012-- he sure deserves it!

The Husky Badminton Club did a fantastic job running a fairly large tournament. With over 120 participants, they ran the tournament smoothly with the help of their friendly volunteers. Food was plentiful, announcers were fantastic, the opening and closing were organized and timely...as the years go by and the tournament gets bigger, I can definitely see the Husky Badminton Club dominating the Washington badminton scene very soon.

I do hope that the badminton community around the country gets bigger and bigger-- most tournaments can be joined by anyone, so give it a shot! You'll never know until you try, and it definitely gives an incentive to practice. So grab your racket, find your nearest badminton facility, and get smashing!

Thanks again for the great tournament, Husky Badminton Club. See you all next year.

Don't forget....!

Don't forget that the BCD+A Tournament Deadline is this coming Sunday, Oct. 23rd!

(Here's the link for your convenience....don't procrastinate! DO IT NOW!)

I already notice some Canadians on the list....and...Australian...?

For those of you who are playing the Husky Open 2011, best of luck! After you play some good games and win some trophies, challenge yourself with the BCD+A! :) 

In other news...

Does anyone else notice the huge increase in the use of Wilson Rackets? Maybe it's just me-- but I hear they're moderately priced for their quality, and the rackets that they currently offer aren't bad! Averaged at about $80 for rackets that are comparable to competitive brands...it seems affordable enough...any opinions?

WSBA BCD+A Tournament 2011

 Posted so many times to Facebook...I can't accurately credit it. :(

It's not the fact that he's juggling birdies while they're being fed to him-- it's the awesome, triumphant look he has at the end.

BADMINTON RAINBOW~

\_____(* 0  *)_____/

How fast time flies! It's almost the one year anniversary of BadmintonSquare, and I'm happy to announce that it is, once again, time to sign up for Washington's BCD+A Open Tournament!

WSBA BCD+A Open Tournament
When?: November 11-13, 2011
Where?: Seattle Badminton Club
10858 117th Place NE, Kirkland, WA 98033
How much?: $25 for the first event, +$5 for every additional
Deadline: October 23, 2011 (MUST BE RECEIVED BY THAT DAY)
Link: Here!
Why?: Unlimited Yonex AS-50's, a free T-Shirt, great courts, and draw prizes! At such a good price, what's not to love?
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: If you've played BCD+A before, and you've won BCD twice in the last two years, YOU CANNOT SIGN UP FOR THE BCD DIVISION. Come on, guys. Let other people have a chance at it. :) BCD and A divisions are separate in this particular tournament, and you can only sign up for one event--meaning if you signed up for Men's Doubles in A, you cannot sign up for Men's Doubles in B.

As quoted from the entry form: "For players in B, C and D skill levels. Within the last 3 years, you must not have reached “A” Semifinal (men) or “A” Final (women) in WSBA Closed, Semifinals in WSBA Open or have won a WSBA B-C-D tournament twice in last 2 years for the event in which you wish to participate, subject to tournament director’s discretion. A division is open to everyone. You are not allowed to sign up the same event for both BCD and A. Canadian players are welcome!"

 In addition, the badminton community in the NorthWest has been growing at an extremely rapid pace. Because of this, for you procrastinators, late entries might not get you in. There. I said it. The tournaments are filling up fast, and sometimes the courts can't accommodate to such a large draw, so if you don't turn in your entry on time, you might not be able to play.

And, for the record...

WSBA is famous for their amazing ability to execute such a large draw in an organized manner. Everyone always knows when they'll get there and when they'll be done, regardless of number of entries. Not exclusive to the BCD+A, it's nice to know that every tournament will always be the same schedule so I can organize ahead of time. Thanks, volunteers of WSBA. I don't know where our badminton community would be without you. :)


Start juggling those birds and we'll see you there! :)

Calendar!

Hey, badminton fans!

As a little gift, I added a snazzy new calendar to the left side of the page. It still needs to be modified a bit, but take a look!

For those of you who use Google Calendars, feel free to click the events and add them to your own calendar to keep up with tournament dates! Hopefully this will make it much easier for you busy players out there to keep up.

If you have any suggestions to add onto the calendar, feel free to leave a comment and I'll tend to them as soon as possible! (Will adding deadline dates to the calendar help?)

There will be tons of new updates on the blog soon, so keep checking back. Don't forget to subscribe with your e-mail to the right for more updates!


In the meantime, enjoy!

Husky Badminton Club: For students at the UW

Hey new/potential Huskies!

HUSKY BADMINTON CLUB WANTS YOU!

If you go to the University of Washington, the Husky Badminton Club can be found tabling in Red Square. 

I went to visit and help them out a bit today, and it's great to see how rapidly the badminton community is growing in the Northwest! They went through at least 7 pages of sign-up sheets! From beginners to competitive, it looks like this sport is well on it's way!

For you students that are interested:

Husky Badminton Club

Meets Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00-10:00PM and Saturdays 4:00-7:00pm

Located in the IMA in Gym B

If you're a UW student and you need a racket, no worries! The University of Washington will lend them out for free, as long as you have your UPass ID on you. :)  Go join, have fun and meet students of all majors and ages. 

BSquare Tip: As all older college students know, it's hard to make friends in such a big school! Clubs are the easiest ways to get to know people, and befriending people older than you will definitely make your college life a lot easier-- they provide great tips! 

If you don't go to the UW, don't fret! Ask around if there's a badminton club near you. If not, start one! Colleges are always open to students who want to create their own clubs, so get a group of friends and get it started! Before you know it, you'll have 7 pages of signatures LINING up to join you! 

Don't be afraid to e-mail or comment if you need tips and tricks on how to publicize your club! We'll be more than happy to help you out! :) 

MUSH!

It's getting colder, and the 2nd ANNUAL Husky Badminton Open 2011 is underway!

Congratulations to the Husky Badminton Club members for working so hard to put this together. It's incredibly hard to organize a tournament-- much harder than it looks-- and they did a FANTASTIC job last year! We're all looking forward to getting together at the Intramural Activities center and duking it out again!

Last year, the Husky Open had all the big players that we normally see all over Washington, and it was great! This year they're hoping to expand to Canada and Oregon, so make sure you spread the word and send them the link to BadmintonSquare! :)

 

Husky Badminton Open 2011

When?: October 22-23, 2011

Where?: IMA Center at the University of Washington

3924 Montlake Ave NE

Seattle, WA

How much?: $25 for the first event ($20 for early bird entry), + $10 for the second event, +$5 for the third.

DEADLINE: October 8, 2011 (EARLY BIRD: Sept 24, 2011-- get $5 off first event!) 

Link: http://students.washington.edu/bmtclub/wa.php

Why?: Get together with the younger generation of the badminton community! This event is held by the Husky Badminton Club of the University of Washington, and they're getting many new members this year! Not only that, but they supply birds (YONEX!) and refreshments, along with a collectable T-shirt and other additional prizes! For an entry fee that cheap, it's too good to be true!

Don't forget that it's only two days this year-- Saturday and Sunday, so you can rest up Friday night.

Additional note: Don't try to be too early. Early birdie doesn't get the worm this time around-- the IMA has strict opening times, and many people were left out in the cold last year waiting for the doors to open. And it rains.

ALSO don't forget that this is a university facility, not a professional badminton court. Warm up and get to know your surroundings before you get into the game.

[BadmintonSquare subscribers: Please don't forget to verify your subscription through the e-mail sent to your e-mail address! :) Updates soon to come, thanks!]

Portland Badminton Club - FUNDRAISER TOURNEY!

Ready to play for a good cause? Up for a road trip?

The Portland Badminton Club is running a fundraiser badminton tournament September 24, 2011 to raise money for CRY- Child Rights and You. Not only will you be playing badminton for a great cause, but you'll also be able to have fun and win prizes donated by Li-Ning and Cosmic Monkey!

The tournament is organized as an "Any Combination of Doubles", so keep in mind that there is no separation between Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles and Mixed.

Portland Badminton Club
When?: September 24, 2011
How much?: $30 the first event, +$10 every additional event (Under 17 is $15 for the first event, +$10 every additional)
Where?: Portland Badminton Club
7275 NW Evergreen Parkway
Bldg F#250
Hillsboro, OR
Deadline?: Monday September 19, 2011
Why?: You'll be playing for CRY, defending children's rights, and you'll be eligible to win prizes from both playing and from raffles from Li-Ning and Cosmic Monkey! It's a great way to end a long summer or start fall, and you don't have to worry much about trying to figure out who to play with for what event--there's only one event! Just focus on playing!

KEEP IN MIND, though, that you will have to supply your own birds if you want to play with feathered-- plastic will be provided by the club.

To register, entry forms should be posted on the Portland Badminton Club website soon.

While you're there, be sure to visit the sandy beaches of Oregon and do some surfing--I've heard great things about the view on the coast!

SUMMER BREAK: HAWAII!

Aloha!

My friend, who seems to have made numerous trips to Hawaii within the past year, was telling me how perfect Hawaii would be if it just had badminton.

Funny enough, there were none listed in NorthwestBadminton.org, either! :(

WELL...NOT TO FEAR!

After a little research (....or just searching Google), I found the e-mail to an incredibly nice man named Robert Kishi, who gave me a few tips on where to play on Oahu!

1) Aiea Recreational Center gymnasium (99-350 Aiea Heights Dr, Aiea; phone: 808-483-7859): Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursday from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Tuesday nights have instruction and/or drills. Sunday and Thursday nights are for members of the Hawaii Badminton Club, but visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Andy Tanabe at attatt63@gmail.com

2) McCully Recreation Center gymnasium (831 Pumehana St, Honolulu; phone: 973-7269): Mondays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. This is the closest gym to Waikiki.

3) Kaneohe Recreational Center gymnasium (45-660 Keaahala Rd, Kaneohe phone: 808-233-7308) Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 9:45 am to 12:45 pm. No badminton during Summer Fun. Contact Michiko Watanabe at mwhiusabadminton@gmail.com 

4) Kailua Recreational Center gymnasium (21 S Kainalu Dr, Kailua: phone: 808-266-7652): Fridays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm; Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  

5) Koko Head Recreational Center gymnasium (423 Kaumakani St, Hawaii Kai phone: 808-395-5189): Tuesdays & Fridays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am (private club play - limited membership) Contact Michiko Watanabe at mwhiusabadminton@gmail.com; Also, Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 6:45 pm, or 7:00 pm to 8:45 pm, call gym to confirm time.  

6) Honolulu Badminton Club (1336 Dillingham Blvd, Honolulu; phone: 808-354-0146 or e-mail: info@honolulubadminton.com): This new facility is the closest venue to Waikiki (about 3 miles) and is the only private badminton club on Oahu. Classes available. Non-members welcome. Check out their website at:  http://www.honolulubadminton.com

As usual, try and call or e-mail ahead of time to make sure that they're not closed/renovating.

:) Frolick in the sun and ENJOY! (and take some pictures...let me know how it goes!)

(And thank you, Robert Kishi!)

Lean, green badminton machine

I'm an avid recycler. I'm PEMCO northwest profile #17:




Unfortunately, for me, my brother is the opposite. Well, when it comes to badminton rackets, at least. That, and my brother is a big local stringer here in the Northwest...let me explain.

When it comes to rackets, my brother has broken one-too-many rackets throughout his badminton career. He never has the heart to throw them away, though, so we've stashed them Harry Potter-style in the closet under the stairs. Friends thought this was hilarious so, for some reason, they thought their trash was our treasure and proceeded to give us all of their broken rackets. Needless to say, we have...many. Any racket you can name-- we have them. Broken.

This is a little heart breaking to me because
#1) I clean the house. Or, attempt to. These rackets aren't helping me much.
#2) I hate to see this $100-$300 dollar rackets go to waste.

What to do? Well the good people at badmintoncentral (along with founder Kwun H.) compiled a great list of things to do when you want to recycle your old racket!

Here's what got me gawking with awe:

AMAZING?! My house is going to become an inky mess when I try my hand on making these!! What pen do you use? Oh, you know, I like them light so I have a Nanospeed 9900...easy on my hands, but sometimes I wish I had an Armortec so I could smash that final essay to oblivion. Feeeeeel the power.....

Any more ideas?

FIRST OF ALL, before you get overexcited and take your saw out (which, by the way, is very hazardous to one's health), make sure that your warranty is expired and you can no longer return it for a new one. SECOND, ask around your local badminton groups and see if anyone does repairs-- some mysterious character here does it for $30 dollars a racket. Not as good as new, but close enough!


1) Friends of mine have also taken old rackets and duck taped the head like crazy or covered the head with a racket cover and used them for wrist training. I wonder how much the amount of ducktape needed would cost, though...

2) I'm embarrassed to say that broken rackets can be used for funny [facebook profile] pictures, too-- breaking the racket on someone's head, putting it through their arm etc....(personal experience...sigh)

3) FLY SWATTERS! I thought this would be a little more obvious.

4) Outdoor BBQ/Picnic fun. (embarrassing personal experience #2). Friends and I got bored at an outdoor party and attempted recreate Fruit Ninja with a potato we dropped. We weren't as precise as we thought, though, so we ended up using a broken badminton racket and took turns swatting at the poor potato. Ended up raining fries all over the lawn....

5) Allow your child to be a badminton-prodigy by allowing him to dissect the racket. (This is a joke. Please don't.)

6) And don't forget, you can always take out the grommets and keep them for future rackets!

What about birdies? That's something I haven't really been able to figure out yet, but students at the local badminton clubs have cut off the remaining feathers and thread colored string through the holes on the bird and made cute little keychains. (In my honest opinion, the threaded-birdie-clad Christmas tree is hideous...but as keychains, they're quite creative!)

:) Get your toolbox out and be creative!

Martha Stewart plays badminton...?

I've been stopped by people who've read my blog...thanks for the support, guys! :)

Badmintology Flick Serve next weekend...who's excited? Their T-shirt looks amazing, and they have an enormous draw-- get ready for some great games, and don't forget to flick serve!

Meanwhile-- anyone let badminton interfere with their relationship? Maybe that's why there are so many inter-sport relationships...Lin Dan x Xie Xingfang, etc....dating on the badminton court is just so much easier, and you see each other for better or for worse...in sickness and in health...on the badminton court.



Hilarious! And Martha Stewart plays badminton...I'd like to challenge her someday...maybe for a batch of cookies.

Feed your own fish, woman. I gotta go play me some badminton...

The 2011 World Police and Fire Games

NEW YORKERS!

Link: http://usabadminton.org/news/2011/07/26/the-2011-world-police-and-fire-games-to-host-badminton-exhibition/43748

Your prayers have been answered. Both Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan will be in New York holding an exhibition to celebrate the opening of the 2011 World Police and Fire Games!  It's free for you to watch....can you imagine? New York City...where dreams are made of. (Cue Frank Sinatra....or Jay-Z...)

Where?:

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York 

655 West 34^th Street

 New York, New York 10001

 For those of you who are curious, the 2011 World Police and Fire Games is a string of athletic events, attended by more than 15,000 athletes in 65 different sports--from our beloved badminton to rifle shooting, paintball, soccer...you name it! Even "wrist wrestling"......badminton athletes should be good at that.

The tournament is a not-for-profit event held for the 10-year remembrance of September 11th, 2001. Athletes will gather together to remember those who lost their lives and give gratitude for the people all over the country and the world for lending their helping hands for New York after the tragedy.

If you're curious, get some more information and/or volunteer here!:

2011 World Police and Fire Games

Canada Open 2011

For those of you who are watching the Canada Open 2011...awesome!

If you don't know where to stream the games, you can check them out here at Badminton Life:

http://www.badmintonlife.com/

What makes it even better is it uses livestream. You can see how many other viewers are watching and join in on the chatbox to the right when some buttface gets in the way of the camera. Of course, the buttface won't hear your screams of frustration....but it's nice to share the pain with fellow fans.

77 viewers watching as I type this -- all at 10 o'clock in the morning! Where did all the day jobs go?!

Oh yes-- and if you haven't been able to check it out, the draws are on tournament software:

http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=F3E718F8-19A3-4FEB-9892-947B4E2B53CC

:) Have fun, get those clappers out and keep cheering!

It's that time of year again-- Badmintology!

For those of you who were waiting for the information about the Portland Badminton Club tourney, it has unfortunately been postponed until August 13th (as opposed to July 30th). More information on that soon! But in the meantime...

Season 3 of Badmintology is starting again...let the excitement begin! And what's great about the Flick Serve Open 2011 is that it's at SMASH Badminton Centre (previously called Yumo), so you can test out their courts while participating in a fun tournament!

They've made a few improvements....3rd and 4th place matches and recognition for the participant who plays in the most events for the season....so it can only get better from here! What are you waiting for? Plan a roadtrip and sign up!

Badmintology Flick Serve Open 2011
When?: August 6-7, 2011 (Only two days!)
Where?: Smash Badminton Centre (used to be Yumo) in Richmond, B.C.
How much?: $27 CAD for the first event, + $10 CAD every other.
Deadline?: July 25th, 2011--It's creeping up, SO SIGN UP NOW!
Link: http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=DC16F939-C6A7-4F9C-914F-7886D08AE3F9
Why?: It's Badmintology. That should be enough of a reason for you...but if you must....Badmintology is known for running great, organized tournaments with enough room for players of all levels! Cute T-shirt designs, lots of prizes, tons of nice people...and it's not expensive! Great experience for those who have been wanting to join a tournament but haven't gotten around to doing it. But if you play regularly, no problem there-- just sign up for the Red or Blue shell levels and you're good to go!


Can't wait!
____________________________________________________________________

Washington State Games pictures can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintonc111/sets/72157627081264645/

NHK?

Sign up for the WA State Games 2011!

 image taken from: http://www.washingtongames.org/site232.php

All right, you procrastinators. You know you've been thinking about it, and after watching those matches on Youtube, it's time to secure your spot for the WA State Games 2011!  Sponsored by SUBWAY, and badminton is one of the many sports that will be played during the State Games!

This year the Games will be held at Seattle Badminton Club, run by your wonderful Washington Organizers, Katherine Ip and James Lau.  The tournament fee is really cheap, too, at $20 for the first event and $5 for every other. Affordable way to test your skills against international players! Planned participants are going to be coming from as far as California and Canada!

REMEMBER: Sign up now-- a few players who had planned to play in the WA Open 2011 relied on e-mailing the organizers late to sign up, but due to the large turn out, the organizers had to turn them down! Don't let that happen this time-- sign up online on tournamentsoftware to ensure your spot on the draw!

You can count on unlimited birds, Gatorade, bananas/nutella...Washington's got you covered! Plus a Subway Games T-shirt that you can....wear while you wash your car or clean your house. :P

SUBWAY WASHINGTON State Games IV
Where?: Seattle Badminton Club
When?: July 15-17, 2011
How much?: $20 for the first event, $5 for every other
DEADLINE: JULY 1st, 2011
Link: http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=3A82E26F-E9F4-4F03-B322-9F20D8DCEEC0
Why?:  For a cheap fee starting at $20, you get unlimited birds, unlimited Gatorade and snacks, a free T-shirt, games with players from all over that you usually don't get to play with, and a whole weekend of badminton fun in the sun! (+ it's an awesome socializing event!)  Why NOT?

 Last year's State Games were especially fun--there's a rapidly growing number of participants every year, and everyone manages to get some great games in. It's even more fun when you bring a big group of friends and just call it a mini-vacation!

Plan your trips early, book your hotels soon, and get ready for a fantastic weekend with the rest of the badminton community! We all look forward to seeing you there!

SUMMER BREAK!

Summer break is here! That means that the rackets are out, planes are flying and the possibility of attending international badminton tournaments is FINALLY HERE!

For the next few posts I'll put some information on different places in the world where you might be vacationing this summer, and I'll hopefully find some places where you can cure your badminton addiction abroad.

I actually spent my summer in Taiwan last year and ended my long vacation with a BANG with VIP seats at the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open 2010. So. So worth it.  At the time, the VIP tickets for all 3 days were only 500NT (around $15 USD).

Here was the ticket-- lines at the actual gymnasium weren't too long at the time, and I went on the first day--so don't worry too much. Seating was bothersome, though--the VIP section is fairly large, so you'll still want to get there early to get a good seat.

You'll also get a goodie bag -- filled with lovely pamphlets of advertisements. Haha. That, and a bottle of water and inflatable clappers!!!

Overview of the courts. The first days weren't too exciting-- they were for me, since I was never able to see my favorite players in person--but the games weren't too important.  

THIS year, the Taipei Open is September 6, 2011- September 11, 2011. It'll be held at the same place: HsinChuang Stadium--on the outskirts of Taipei. 

No.66, Hesing St
Taipei County 242,Taiwan
Sinjhuang City
Chinese Taipei

There are MANY buses that can take you to the stadium, but you'll have to keep a close look out to make sure you're getting off at the right stop. Don't try to take the MRT/Subway-- it doesn't go this far. I actually got lost last year and had to duck into a 7-Eleven to call a taxi... and when I told him where I was going, he laughed and asked "How did you get so far away?!"......

TIPS FOR THOSE OF YOU GOING:

 - Get there early on the last two days to get good seats.

-  If you don't have a 'journalist' vip card, you don't have access to say hi to the players unless you wait in line when they're signing. 

- ^ Because of the above tip, try going around to the local small stores around the stadium. Rumor has it that many people have 'run into' the celebrity badminton players who ran out to get a drink and explore Taiwan a little. 

(** Side story--my favorite mixed player is Vita Marissa...she won mixed last year, and was high on adrenaline and decided to sign autographs, even though she hadn't planned to. I got really excited and waited in line for an hour...and was LITERALLY TWO PEOPLE AWAY when she stopped signing. Story...of my life. Anyone want to send me a Vita Marissa-autographed souvenir?)

- IF YOU WANT TO BUY A RACKET...DON'T be afraid to ask. I bought a Yonex Arbsaber 8DX, and they offered free stringing with BG65. After bargaining for a bit, they gave me BG80 (if I remember correctly) and they promised to finish it at a faster time. :) It's also strung by the Yonex 'International Stringing Team' member, who strings the professional players rackets. Great stuff!

- BRING A CAMERA WITH GOOD ZOOM! This should be pretty obvious...but also make sure you have a good amount of space if you want to get candid photos. I couldn't recognize a lot of the players when they were walking around the bleachers, so I just zoomed in and clicked away...

Lilyana Natsir when I didn't know that she was Lilyana Natsir....

ALSO-- EXPLORE the corners of the stadium!  I went to walk around the stadium and after walking for about 5 minutes in empty space, I found this: 

Testing Yonex rackets! The workers here were really bored --it's all about location, I'm not sure why they put this in such a hard-to-find corner! But you can test out the rackets on a mat and just have fun to cure your twitching fingers after watching the games.

If you're interested in attending, you can get more information here: http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=26503535-E5EE-4868-9565-813F9F1EE73D

**** OH YES~ and Taiwan is very hot in the summer. As soon as you exit the main entrance of the stadium, go down the stairs--there's a bubble tea shop right across the street. I don't remember the name, but I remember that it had one of the greatest hole-in-the-wall milk tea that I've ever had. :)




All right. So after all that Taipei Open stuff, you'll probably want to test out the skills that you've observed on the court.

There's drop-in badminton at HuaJiang High School. It's about a 10 minute walk from the main subway station. My friend and I got lost on the first day...so make sure you ask for directions-- there are a lot of other schools nearby that might throw you off.

There are 6 courts on a wooden floor. At 250NT (~$9USD) it's a little pricey, but you play for 4 hours (which is more than enough in Taiwan temperature). The people there are ridiculously friendly, and range from beginner to a young school coach who used to be internationally ranked #2 in Juniors...something along those lines. Don't be too afraid about meeting people-- they'll pair you with people they think you'll have fun with, and mix it up. I made some pretty good friends during my stay there!

They have a water cooler in the back, but make sure you BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE.

I'm not really an obsessive hydrater, but because of the weather I went through about 3 of these bottles...

By the time you get done, you'll feel as if you jumped into a pool of water, so try not to convince yourself that you'll 'just take a shower and change when you get home'. Bring an extra set of clothing. Or maybe 4.

Public transportation in Taiwan is fairly easy, but bring a map. Or a translator, if you can't speak Chinese. :)


Have fun!

Rumor has it...

If the badminton community is so anxious about making the sport more 'aesthetically appealing', why don't they just fund Chanel Rackets for all of the girls? I'm sure everyone will be more than happy to comply to the new rule....

Frankly, I still think the skirt-only rule is absurd...and there's no way everyone is going to comply. Telling people what they should playing in is a little messed up...On a brighter note, there's still some sort of common sense left in the world... they've decided to postpone it until further notice...to take time to 'study' the effects of implementing such a rule (Article: http://www.badzine.net/news/bwf-skirt-rule-shelved-pending-further-study/14682/)

....This needs studying? Any ideas on how to create a 'better presentation' of the game?

(And if they're going to tell girls what to wear...shouldn't the guys have some rules too? No shirts! Wait.....I'm sure I'll regret that....)
___________________________________________________________________

So rumor has it that Nicholas Jinadasa (from the WA Open 'Results' entry below...) is the new head coach for the juniors at Bellevue Badminton Club! Currently #4 in the US-- looks like they hit jackpot!  Since Raju R. and Xu Huaiwen took off for careers in California and Germany respectively, BBC looked like it was struggling a bit...but have no fear! With Pan-Ams right around the corner, the timing couldn't be more perfect. Can't wait to watch the juniors work their way towards more and more medals. (and pester us to buy more lunches at local tournaments...hehe just kidding!)

If you're curious, his website is http://jinadasa.net/..... (side note: sick logo! Woah!)  Looks like he's working his way towards an Olympic medal in London 2012, so if you can, support him and his cause by donating on his website! These little steps will make USA Badminton a little more prominent in the international light....

_______________________________________________________________

Ah -- last but not least, June 5, 2011 marked the first annual Solibad Flashmob, that was held in 65 cities in 40 countries all over the world. Some were big, some were small (Vancouver had a courageous 3 people!), and many many people participated in an attempt to create the largest flashmob in the world! Vita Marisa was there, Pi Hongyan was there, Koon Kien Keat, Rexy Mainaky....

They created a youtube account dedicated to this year's flasmob, and you can see them here: (http://www.youtube.com/user/Flashmob2011?feature=mhee) 

Hopefully next years will be even bigger, and we'll have one up here in the NorthWest! Dance + Badminton....can't get much better than that.

Hope you all are getting ready for the WA State Games, coming up July 15-17!

New post coming soon!

But, just for now, how many of you would be interested in video documentary interviews of some local players?

If you're more interested in videos than blog posts, give us a good idea as to who you'd like to see interviewed, and we'll get on that as soon as possible!

Thanks!

Washington Open 2011 RESULTS

The 74th annual Washington Open 2011 is over...and boy were the results surprising!

Jokes like to flutter around about how the US always gets their trophies taken away by Canadian players in Washington tournaments (or in general--check the results in the Sudirman Cup)...but this year, the tables have turned!

Nicholas J took the Men's Singles Open crown this year in 3 close games with young Canadian Jacky T. Fantastic game to watch--everyone was at the edge of their seats as each point was fought for...close games, for sure! (21-18, 17-21, 21-18). No matching USA #4, though, and I'm sure Jacky will be back next year, better than ever.

Nicholas J. actually double crowned this year with Curtis S in Men's Doubles, again, against Jacky T. It was much easier for Nicholas J. this time around, though, ending with two relatively shorter games (21-15, 21-15).

Jacky's MD partner, Chi-Lin L, had much better luck in Mixed Doubles, grabbing the crown with Mixed Doubles partner Crystal C., beating last year runner-ups Kevin S. and Rosalynn C. easily, ending the two games at (21-9, 21-8). Due to the draw, Chi-Lin and Crystal were matched up against last year's winners Sisavat K and Masako C earlier on. They definitely put up a good 3-game fight, but to no avail.

Matching duo Vicky C and Renata B took out Canadian pair Rosalynn C and Malisa L in Women's Doubles. Three fantastic games, ending in a nail-biting deuce! But I guess it's time for the young ones to shine, and they definitely stole back the trophy!

Speaking of which, Vicky C was able to beat runner-up Amy J in Women's Singles as well. Actually...Vicky completely DOMINATED the Women's Singles division this year, taking out all of her opponents in two games! The only deuce that happened was the first game with Amy J-- way to stay in the game, Amy!

Players from all over the country + Canada were present this year

                                                                              (*above T-shirt designed by me!)
British Columbia, Calgary, California, Oregon, Montana, and of course--Washington!

All in all, it was a fantastic tournament with a HUGE turn out this year-- 251 entries!  The organizers, as usual, did a great job at running the tournament, and everyone is looking forward to next year's 75th annual WA Open celebration! They're expecting even more entries, and what can I say-- who wouldn't want to come back?

_____________________________________________________________________

Miscellaneous WA Open news:

As always, the finals games were recorded by various cameras all around the courts. But there was definitely a new way this time around: iPad2.

iPad2s were scattered all around the courts this year-- anyone know if the recording is any good? Technology is definitely changing the way we watch badminton!  For those of you who have the recordings of the finals, there are a few people looking for their games-- so if you have them, please e-mail us! We'd love to relive the moment, as well!

Hope you all enjoyed!

For those of you who missed out, or simply want to relive the excitement, the WA STATE GAMES is RIGHT around the corner!!! Don't forget to register-- the post for the State Games is coming soon!

Pre-Washington Open Excitement

Draws are out! For those of you curious, check'em out here:

http://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=6ADB855F-A959-442A-8916-53EB79E861E3


Just for a little excitement, I figured I'd write an entry devoted to previewing the players and determining who I think will grab the trophies year!

*SPOILER ALERT....because I'm PSYCHIC...*

Tournamentsoftware reminds me of facebook, for you badminton-fanatics. Using the amazing search function, or by simply clicking the names of the players (granted they use the same name every tournament), you can check out their history--how well they've played against other players, what scores they got, who they used to play with, etc. From that, you can pretty much determine what kind of players they are! Helps you get a little ahead of your competition if you're up for doing your research!

A sigh of relief washes over Washington when they realize that Elisha L. can't make it down to Washington this year. She has a nasty habit double-triple crowning and stealing all of our trophies every year, so now's your chance to win'em back! (*hint to Amy 'Goddess' J.? Time to grab that Women's Singles!)

Unfortunately I'm not fluent with Canadian rankings, but the draw is implying a final of Vicky C. vs. Amy 'Goddess' J. The draw looks pretty mixed, though, and I'm looking forward to watching some great matches!

Rumor has it that Curtis' Californian(?) doubles partner Nicholas J. will be serving himself a platter with a few trophies of his own. It's no doubt that they'll make a great team, but against each other? That'll keep us at the edge of our seats. Could Curtis lose his Men's Singles trophy this year? (I guess it doesn't matter much, because Ernest S. is in the draw, and there's no doubt that 'God' can control the birdie with his mind.)

With that said, I'm surprised that Curtis and Nicholas aren't at the opposite end of the draw from last year's winners KSo and Vincent T. Instead, Ken F. and Jensen L. are--but they DID go into 3 relatively close games last year...it makes sense, looking at last year's tournament winners...so we'll see if they can keep their spots!

Rosalynn's back from Canada to defend her title in Women's Doubles--but with a new partner this year! Malisa, another Badmintology organizer, will be playing in Elisha's place! Can they take out their competition? I'd assume so--from my amateur guesses, I'd say their next best match would be against Christine C. and The Goddess. ("The Goddess" sounds better than just "Amy Goddess"). Then again, I'm not too fluent in Canadian rankings, so we'll see how it plays out.

Last but not least, mixed doubles. The finals for mixed always draws the biggest crowd--so much tension! The games against Sisavat and Masako against KSo and Ros were close last year-- 3 games, no doubt, one of them ending at 23-21. Grounds are shaky this year, since Long has been MIA from the badminton courts for a while (at least compared to last year...). Who knows what will happen! One thing's for sure-- neither is going down without a fight!

(*well...then again...Sisavat has been known for forfeiting matches before...but only in singles. So that shouldn't happen--no way.)



Of course, these are just blind guesses from the results last year. There are plenty of new names/faces this time around, so don't be fooled! SHOW NO MERCY! 21-0 if you have to--play it safe!


I hear the draw prizes this year are even better than the last, so no matter how your matches go, you could still walk away with a better prize in your hand! (I'd definitely take a racket or a bag over a trophy ANY day! But that's just me...)

We hope to see you all at the sunny, 74th annual Washington Open 2011!

Sendai Relief Open

For those of you who want to help Japan but don't know where to start, SBC has been doing some great things.

JK of Seattle Badminton Club is organizing a "Sendai Relief Open", a mini-tournament dedicated to raising funds for those in Tokiwagi Gakuen High School in Sendai, Japan. All proceeds are going to the Japan Relief Fund, so test out your badminton skills for a good cause!

It's in a co-ed doubles format, and costs $25 per team.

Players have to provide their own birdies, but there will be some for you to purchase there, so no worries!

And for those of you who aren't members at SBC, the drop-in fee is included if you join--so all the better!

SENDAI RELIEF OPEN

When?: May 14, 2011, 7:00PM

Where?: Seattle Badminton Club

How much?: $25 per team

Deadline: MAY 14, 2011 AT NOON (day of the tourney)

E-mail jaikannan@gmail.com for entry

Anything special: A great charity tournament going to a good cause. A/B/C format!

Link to the flyer: http://www.seattlebadminton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SendaiOpen.pdf

The Washington Open is coming up, so this is a fantastic opportunity for you to train for the big tournament! Get to know your opponent's weakness! There isn't much time left for training, and this is a good place to put it all to the test!

e-mail Jaikannan at jaikannan@gmail.com! DO IT NOW!

On another great note

The Washington Open 2011 has a GREAT turn out this year! The tournamentsoftware player's page has so many people that the organizers aren't allowing any more entries, and no more extra people allowed at the banquet or else the buffet will be FLOODED! This is FANTASTIC NEWS, everyone! The Washington Open is growing rapidly each year! (It looks like there are more Canadians than Americans...what's going on here?!)

(Also, rumor has it that a great new player is coming from outside of Washington to show his skills....I wonder who that will be?! Watch out, seeded players!)

If you weren't able to sign up this year, don't worry too much--another international tournament, the WA State Games, is coming up at the end of June! Make sure you sign up for that one early to get a spot, and remember to sign up early for the Washington Open earlier next year!

See you all soon!

Solibad-- Badminton Without Borders

Solibad, Solibad, Solibad, Solibad.

It's hard to Google badminton without the name 'Solibad' popping up--and I'm glad that it has, or else I wouldn't have been so curious to check it out myself.

Solibad hasn't even reached a year old, and it's already been doing great things with the huge international badminton community. Connected with the top players of the world, it brings sport and community together to do it's part in helping to make the world a better place.

So what is it?

Solibad is an organization devoted to channeling the badminton community-- to use it's networking power, to raise funds for various projects around the world, some of which relate to badminton, and all of which will bring smiles to childrens faces all over the world.

Some of their projects have included "1000 Rackets for Haiti", "CAREFORKIDS Bali" (an orphanage in Indonesia), and many more--check'em out at their website: Projects.

Each country has their own badminton star who devotes their time and efforts to spreading the word, and it comes to no surprise that our very own Tony Gunawan is the ambassador for the USA (player profile on him coming soon!). I don't know who's more fit for the role. :)

The biggest project they have now to raise awareness is their Solibad Flashmob-- which is just as exciting as it sounds! If you've been on YouTube, you've probably seen plenty of Glee flashmobs that have taken place in public places all over the country....(one of the biggest happened a few weeks ago in Seattle Downtown!). Now's your chance to be in one...and for a good cause!

In the US, Solibad plans to have one in Chicago and Los Angeles-- so check the website if you want to join in! They plan to link dancers internationally on June 5, 2011 (day after my birthday!) to come together, dance their hearts out, and spread the word about the great things they're doing.

If you want to join in, then head on over to their site. Check out the top right menu, and click the corresponding links to what you qualify as. You can donate, become a Solibad ambassador, or just help them spread the word!

It's such an inspirational thing--what they're doing--and it's great to know that so many wonderful people are out there, doing what they can, and loving it.

Let's bring the badminton community even closer together, and make the world a better place... one step at a time. Spread the word about Solibad and do your part today!

Racecar....NOT DOUBLE DECKER BUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_V38c4kDP8#t=8m29s

^ Link, because youtube doesn't let me embed to a specific time in the movie...

REMEMBER. RACECAR POSTURE, NOT DOUBLE DECKER BUS!

you are HUNGRY FOR THE SHUTTLE.

Not like having an X'Mas dinner. YOU ARE HUNGRY. FOR THE SHUTTLE. LIKE A RACECAR.

I won't lie, though. I laughed when I watched this video, but the next time I was on the court, I was definitely working on my racecar posture. Humor is the best way to teach, my friend. :)

Youtube is the best place for getting free lessons. So, I wouldn't be surprised if any of you've looked for badminton lessons before.

WedgeBC has uploaded a bunch of CCTV ones--with subtitles, too, so you don't have to worry too much about learning Chinese. Taught by 1991 World Champion Zhao Jianhua-- seems like such a laid back guy, and the lesson seems so casual, it's kind of comforting to watch. He's left handed, though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqiR2vVn-J8

I've heard that people learn the most from motivation by watching actual games. A personal favorite of mine are Vita Marissa's mixed doubles...and thanks to BadmintonFreak, you can watch all of your favorites, with easy searching on their sidebar :)

BadmintonFreak

But whatever you watch, remember

NOT A DOUBLE DECKER BUS.

Washington Open!

There's just something about that badminton junkie in me that loves seeing badminton being played in pop culture...

(Refer to 2:22 of the trailer above)

Playing badminton in the summer sun...isn't it fabulous? If you like that, there's no doubt you'd LOVE the...

WASHINGTON OPEN 2011!!

That's right, boys and girls, the official post that you've all been waiting for! It's finally here!

Both a competitive event and a social event, it's the biggest tournament of Washington state, and you're invited! Come join us for a great weekend of sun! For the Canadians, the tournament happens to lie on a 3-day weekend--just for you! So, if you don't have plans (or if you do, get rid of'em!), join us!

Washington Open 2011!

When?: May 20-22, 2011

Where?: Seattle Badminton Club (10858, 117th Pl NE 98033 Kirkland WA )

How much?: $35 for the first, event +$5 every other. (covers the T-Shirt, the shuttles, AND the Saturday Banquet where you can score a TON of free stuff!)

Entry Deadline: MAY 1st, 2011 11:59 PM

Link?: CLICK HERE

Why should you join? Have a habit of making pros and cons lists? Well, let me help you out there:

PROS

* Meet badminton players from Washington, British Columbia, Calgary, and California...and many more!

* It's awesome.

* Get AMAZING trophies!

* Challenge people you've never played before!

* It's awesome.

* YONEX SPONSORED EVENT?

* It's awesome.

* The sun will be out!

* GREAT Saturday night dinner--tons of food, with YONEX prizes and fun and games!

* YOU will be there. (and YOU will make it awesome!)

CONS

* May overdose on too much fun.

*NONE.

Last year was the first year that the generous Yonex organization decided to sponsor them. The tournament ended with happy athletes carrying away free grips, bottles, racket bags and RACKETS-- getting stage time to sing "A Whole New World", finding out someone wanted to be a monkey, and many many full stomachs.

Every year, the wonderful, hard-working organizers (Clinton Chen and Katherine Ip) get fantastic feedback, and every year the tournament only gets bigger.

For those of you who are traveling a long way, we've got great hotel deals for you:

Hilton Bellevue
Rate: $89 per night
Reservation: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/L/LION-HF-BADT-20110520/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
or call call 425-455-1300 and ask for "Washington State Open Badminton Tournament" group rate.

Marriott Courtyard Kirkland (2 miles from Seattle Badminton Club)
Rate: $95 per night
Reservation: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/seatc?groupCode=annannb&app=resvlink&fromDate=5/20/11&toDate=5/22/11
or call (425) 602-3200 or (800) 321-2211 and ask for Annual WA State Open Badminton Tournament group rate.
Need to reserve by April 29th, 2011

Marriott Fairfield Inn Bellevue/Redmond
Rate: $84 per night
Reservation: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/BVUFI?groupCode=WBTWBTA&app=resvlink&fromDate=5/20/11&toDate=5/22/11
Need to reserve by April 29th, 2011

All for us!

For more information, check out the REGULATIONS on tournament software

So there you have it! 5 people have already signed up, and it's time for you to join'em!

So get your game on, and sign up soon! Can't wait to see you there!