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....)
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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....

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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?

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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!