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! :)