T
here are lots of pickleball tournaments, but
the Huntsman World Games is special. This
year, more than 11,000 athletes competed
in 30 sports in the largest senior Olympic-
style athletic competition in the world. St.
George, Utah, lends a spectacular setting
of mesas and buttes along the Virgin River. Zion and
Bryce Canyon national parks are nearby and the Grand
Canyon and Grand Escalante are not far away.
For six days on 38 courts at two venues, Little Valley
(24) and Sun River (14), David Jordan and his unsung
hero wife, Nancy, along with their well-trained staff—
Bryan Enarson, Bob Klarich, Bob and JoNan LeRoy,
George and Theresa McCulley, Ken Schoonover and
Melissa McCurley—managed to stage 1,764 matches
with 167 referees for 775 players from 35 states and
three Canadian provinces. The players loved the
sunshine, hospitality, the Pickleball Channel drone and
crew, vendors and the on-time schedule.
What makes Huntsman special is that it is a multi-
athlete sporting event. Everyone checks in at the Dixie
Center (St. George is in southern Utah, hence Dixie)
and players see friends from volleyball, track and field,
basketball, tennis and cycling.
Last year, a group of pickleball players cheered for
the U.S. volleyball team all the way to a gold medal.
This is a world-class athletic event, and many of the
pickleball players compete in other sports.
Californians Susan and Curt Dommeyer each won
gold in badminton singles, doubles and mixed, as well
as silver in 65 mixed pickleball! Sue also won bronze in
WD 60+ with Sharon Wartz. “We will return,” she said.
Husband and wife team Mary and Gary Gains of
Tulare, California, each play softball and pickleball.
For 15 years,
Joanne Tressler
of Toledo, Ohio,
has been coming
to Huntsman to
play racquetball,
table tennis, and
now pickleball. She
received her 15-
year ring from the
Huntsman World
Games this year.
Because St.
George is relatively
small and compact,
the venues are
close together
and easy to reach.
Players of all sports
meet in the local
David Jordan, Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Melissa McCurley,
George McCulley, and Audrey Phillips (seated).
restaurants and each sport is given a free banquet by
the Huntsman organization.
Former Olympians, including discus thrower Jay
Sylvester, have competed in the games. This year,
Susan Eastman Black, Brigham Young University
historian for the LDS church, played table tennis. St.
George itself is a very historic area—the Santa Fe
Trail passed nearby. Pickleball is just part of the fun.
Both age and skill categories are offered in
pickleball because Huntsman is a qualifier for the
National Senior Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
next June. While there were A, B, C, D and E divisions,
only the top four in each A division qualified for
Nationals. The skill divisions are capped at age 65.
Yvonne and Jim Hackenberg continued to win gold.
It was good to see Pat Carroll and Phil Dunmeyer
back on the tournament trail along with Ron Hohman.
Stephanie Lane and Jennifer Lucore made a fierce
combination, as did Cherie Chao and Rachael Kroog.
Ken Nishioka and Dick Johnson battled for gold
until Dick took a terrible fall and had to retire. Lola
Benneyan continued to be the epitome of women’s
pickleball—fun, fair and gold at 80, although she
played like 50. Barb Wintroub and Hilary Marold
made ladies’ singles well worth watching and Charlie
Marold held up his end of the partnership with gold in
MD 70+A with Tom Dunn.
Beautiful Doris Castenada took home 90+ gold in
singles and mixed. She sets the example for the rest
of us along with Joyce Jones who wore a lot of gold
medals from tennis. The Huntsman World Games
gives recognition to the older players and makes
sure each event provides a category in the respective
sports.
The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)
is working on a partnership with the Huntsman
World Games to promote the Games and to advance
pickleball around the world. Stay tuned. We may need
your support! •
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 |
MAGAZINE
77