Lindenhurst, NY
Following up on an earlier article, paddlepro.com was given a sneak peek of the 2 new paddles Viking Athletics will offer later this year. view larger image

Smithtown, NY
Viking Academy Trainer George Zink (photo on paddle court) wins Jaguar Huntington-Landrover Smithtown USTA Men's 35 Indoor National Tennis Championship May 30th - June 3rd defeating Jeff Wright 7-5, 6-0. Visit USTA website for more detailed results.  On the Hard Courts Tim Heath defeated Juan Patino in the finals of the Eastern Hard Court Championships May 12-15. Visit USTA website for more results.

Lindenhurst, NY
Viking Athletics will be adding two new paddles to its line for the 2005/2006 season. AVALON is a light weight, super soft paddle designed for those players who want the utmost in control. The PRO V-1 will be Viking's new high end offering. Designed for top players who only want the best, the paddle features a super-dense core that allows breathtaking power while the heavier weight slows the swing speed to create added control. Viking is also offering a two-year limited warranty, with the PRO V-1, an unheard of benefit in the industry.

Lindenhurst, NY
April 14, 2005: Viking Athletics announced that Viking's national sales manager Dave Ohlmuller will be leaving Viking after nearly four years and is moving to the mid-west to start a new independent sales rep and sports consulting organization. Viking has signed with Ohlmuller's new company as their first client.

"We are sorry that Dave will no longer be working with us on a full time basis, but we are happy that we will be able to continue working with him in the future as he represents our growing interests in the mid-west," says Viking CEO, David Kjeldsen. details

Toronto, Canada
The 2005 Canadian Open had all the elements of a movie of the week – Brother against brother, driving rain, heavy snow, border stoppings, ambulances….we had it all. Mike Boire / Mike Stulac defeated Paul Stulac / Scott McFaden 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) in the finals. full tournament details

Englewood, NJ
Even torrential rains couldn’t postpone the annual reunion known as the Senior Men’s National Championships. Players from each of the APTA’s six regions participated in this event, held this year at the Englewood Field Club in New Jersey. full tournament details

Pittsburgh, PA
Congratulations to 2005 Champions
Bill Anderson / Mike Stulac defeat Mike Cochrane/ Mike Marino in the Mens Open
Kerri Delmonico / Alia Main defeat Cindy Prendergast / Lauren Zink in the Women's Open
view full tournament

Scarsdale, NY
More than 50 pairs competed at the Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale to claim 4 National titles. Scott Bondurant paired with Bill Fiedler to oust last year's champs, John Adams and Tim McAvoy, 6-4, 6-2 to win the 45+ category. Hank Irvine & Steve Baird topped brothers Jeff & Dave Hodges 6-1, 6-2 in the 55+ event. Roy Anderson & Joe Holmes beat Ray Crosta & Paul Marshall in the 65+ tournament by scores of 6-3, 6-2. Bob Brown and Howard Sipe outlasted Herb Bascome and Blair LeRoy in 3 tough sets, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, to claim another National Championship in the 145+ division.

Pittsburgh PA
Registration Deadline is Tuesday March 1st.  A list of current entries can be found on the Men's Draw, Women's Draw, and Presidents Cup pages. Official 2005 webpage is www.paddlepro.com/nationals. Check for the latest news and updates.
Chairman, Martin Sturgess

Apply Online Now for the 2005 Nationals

Short Hills, NJ
Sean Flanagan and Steve DeRose took home the gold in the Men’s B Nationals, defeating Dave Broderick and Pat Kelly in a display of athleticism and ball control. Quick hands and quick feet were put to good use in three closer-than-it-appears sets, with Flanagan/DeRose riding their second set momentum into the third and triumphing 1-6, 6-2, 6-1. Other Men's results: Joe Holl and Ed Coughlin – Consolation winners; Eric Claman and JB Nickles – 32 Reprieve Winners; Ken Persson and Ed Tiltmann – 16 Reprieve winners; Ray Crosta, Sr. and Jim Ward – Last Chance winners.

Short Hills, NJ
Seasoned players Ruth Ann Connors and Louise Cash overcame a slow start to defeat tournament newcomers Lynn Elliott and Katie Freeman and capture the gold medal in the Women’s B National Championships by a score of 7-5, 6-1.Other winners include Jeannie Critchley and Craig Hunter in the Quarterfinal Reprieve, Lamia Beydoun and Debra LaMountain in the Reprieve, Kim Colville and Carolyn Tierney in the Consolation and Brooke Goode and Kelsey Bennett in the Last Chance.

The APTA Mixed National Championship application deadline is Monday Feb 28th.  If you have not yet applied for the Mixed Nationals, Husband & Wife Mixed Nationals, or the 50+ Husband and Wife Mixed Nationals. apply online below. For more information click here

Apply Online Now for the 2005 Mixed Nationals

Lindenhurst, NY
Viking Athletics released the all new pink platform tennis ball. Viking Athletics CEO, David Kjeldsen says "The pink ball will provide a high contrast against all courts and maximum visibility in all playing conditions." David also notes:  "There is a very limited quantity produced of this first run to test the market, if people are interested I suggest they dont wait to purchase."  Pink platform tennis balls are available in the proshop now.

Pittsburgh, PA
The 2005 Pittsburgh Nationals sets another precedent by making logo merchandise available online prior to the event. Caps, Short Sleeve and Long Sleeve T shirts, and Fleece Jackets are on sale now in the proshop. Quantities are limited and they will not last long. buy now in the proshop

Morristown, NJ
National mixed is gearing up for largest draw in years. Don’t wait too long to sign up for the APTA National Mixed Championship, to be held this year at the Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, NJ. Traditionally signing up at the last minute was never a problem, but the Husband/wife is almost full and there are some 15 spots left in the 64 team Open draw. Senior Husband/Wife (50+) is close to its 16 team capacity.

Anthony Cosimano and Steve Haller once again proved themselves to be the toughest team to beat in New Jersey with their 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat of Mike Atkinson and John Milbank in the finals of the New Jersey Men’s State Open. Good food, athletic play and ample beverages were the order of the day. The NJ Men’s 50+ State crown will be decided on Sunday when Mark Cook & Ken Persson face Scott Estes and Ivan Harlow. view complete draws

Summit, NJ
208 enthusiastic junior paddle players arrived at the Beacon Hill Club on January 29th hoping to take home the gold.  This fun-filled afternoon is sponsored by Viking Athletics, Marsh, the NJ Men's Platform Tennis Association and the NJ Women's Platform Tennis League. Their generosity makes it possible to run a first-class event at little expense to the participants. Each child took home a Viking backpack. The finalists in each age group received new Viking paddles and APTA medals, with the winners also receiving Champions Chairs from Viking.  Winners and Finalists

Summit, NJ
Bobo Delaney and Tonia Mangan reclaimed the Women’s 40+ National crown with an impressive victory over last year’s finalists Janet Faig and Judy Takach.  Helen Garrett and Sandy Simmers met Winnie Hatch and Sharon Hummers in the finals of the Women’s 60+ Championship for the third consecutive year. Garrett and Simmers were victorious for their second title in three years. draws

Short Hills, NJ
Kerri Delmonico and Aila Main have not lost a match since their fifth place finish at the Chicago Charities in November. They added another title this weekend, winning the Short Hills Invitational.

The exciting Men’s final featured a 3-setter, with Dave Ohlmuller and George Zink winning another title.
read more and view completed draws

Westchester NY by JOY VICTORY
Last Tuesday night, during the height of the recent Arctic blast, the temperature was 10 degrees and falling. It was so cold that even the outdoor lights at Scarsdale Golf Club were struggling to heat up and illuminate properly.see article visit The Journal News.com for full story

Montclair, NJ
It was January…holiday fun over, money gone, the blues knocking at the door. Surprise, the New Jersey State Tournament had just begun. Wow! What a blowout time it was, too. This was the 38th year for this championship and it just may have been the best ever. Bobo Delaney and John Milbank proved once again just how dynamic their game is by defeating Marina Ohlmuller and Anthony Cosimano 6-4, 6-1. read more

Bailey, CO
Louie McKee and Derek Fisher def. Pete Chandler and Will Shafroth in the finals of the Colorado Open on January 22 at the Arapahoe Tennis Club. 6-2, 6-3

Westchester, NY
Congratulations to Kerri Delmonico and Aila Main winners of the Women's open 7-5, 7-5 over Tonia Mangan and Bobo Delaney. Men's matches played through snow till 3pm.  Anthony Cosimano and Steve Haller repeated as Men's Champions 6-3, 6-3 over Brad Easterbrook and Jim Kaufman. All B draw matches are rescheduled to Saturday 1-29 @ 11am check here for further details.

The 2005 edition of The Midwesterns Platform Tennis Tournament was held last weekend in Cincinnati. Included in the 208 players who participated during the weekend were over 100 players from the Greater Cincinnati area while the remainder of the players came from Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Toronto, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Baltimore, Winston-Salem, Milwaukee and Short Pump, VA.   Full Report

Pittsburgh PA
Pittsburgh will host 64 Women's teams and 96 Men's for the 2005 Nationals. 25 women's spots and 30 Men's will be reserved for presidents cup teams so register early to guarantee your spot in the 2005 Nationals.  (Draws may be increased by tiers of 8) Official 2005 webpage is www.paddlepro.com/nationals. Check for the latest news and updates.
Chairman, Martin Sturgess

Apply Online Now for the 2005 Nationals

Detroit MI
Competitive ping pong, platform tennis, chili and spirits characterized the Detroit Invitational 2005. The first-year Women’s Ranking tournament had a full 16 draw, with National Champs Mary Doten and Susie Keane winning the title. Pittsburgh’s Brett Englesberg and Brad Kelly upheld their #1 seeding and defeated Chicago’s Mike Chabraja and Jean Kempner in the finals of the Men’s.

Boston MA
Despite the "Winter Storm Warning", the paddle community in Boston was rejuvinated on the weekend of January 8th. Players from New Jersey. New York and even Ontario, Canada came and weathered the snow, sleet and freezing rain for a one-day tourney that brought 26 teams to battle. read full report

Save the date! The APTA Mixed National Championship is back in the heart of paddle, The metropolitan New York Area. The Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown, NJ will be the site for the 67th National Mixed contest and the first time it will returning to New Jersey since 1999. read more

Pick up a copy of the Sunday NY Times on 01-09, look in business section for article on Platform Tennis by Harry Hurt. View article on NY Times website requires login (free account)

Westchester, NY
Friday January 21, 2005 - Sunday January 23, 2005
Men's Open, Women's open, Mens 50+ Mens 60+"B". Mens 65+
view full details about this year and see prior results and pictures here

Atlanta, GA
When northerners head south in the winter, it is usually to escape the cold and enjoy the sun and golf in a warmer climate. Platform tennis players, however, are not fazed by the cold – and will go to great lengths to find a game. In that spirit, some seasoned platform tennis players from Connecticut, New York and New Jersey will head to Atlanta, GA on Saturday, January 15 to help introduce our sport to a new group of competitors. more on this event

Long Island, NY
On Saturday, December 11, 2004, the Long Island Platform Tennis Association hosted its 2nd Annual Viking Junior Tour tournament at the Garden City Country Club and Cherry Valley Club. Among the four age divisions, we had twenty eight (28) teams participating (56 kids!), and countless parents and grandparents cheering. The level of paddle was extraordinary, the good sportsmanship was commendable, and the smiles were constant! John Cerga and Alex Bancila, the Directors of Racquet Sports at the Garden City Country Club and Cherry Valley Club, respectively, volunteered their time and helped make it a memorable day for the players. We expect to have even more teams next year, so sign up early! The Champions and Finalists were as follows:

Paddlepro.com wishes everyone a happy new year and would like to offer some great ways to start off the new year.

January 8th
Detroit Invitational - Apply on Line
Boston Open - see region 2
Kansas City Open - see region 5
January 15th-16th
The Midwesterns - see Cincinnati website
January 22nd-23rd
Sound Shore Invitational - Apply Online
January 29th-30th
Lagunitas Open - See Region 6

Bronxville, NY
The Village of Bronxville is following in the footsteps of the Hinsdale Public Courts.  The community members have vowed to raise $30,000 to support the facility and build 2 new courts.  The Hinsdale IL Program was a huge success, Bronxville residents are taking the same approach to keep the winter sport alive in their town.
read more and help support public paddle.

Grosse Pointe, MI
The Detroit Invitational will be hosted @ The Country Club of Detroit and area clubs January 8-9th 2005 . For the first time the Women's draw will be a National Ranking Tournament.  View tournament details

Apply for the D.I.T. Online

Scarsdale NY
by Chuck Vasoll www.platformtennisnews.com
The Platform Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum Foundation present their proposal for establishing a Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame at Fox Meadow Tennis Club, Scarsdale NY. View article
Reproduced with permission from platformtennisnews.com

The American Platform Tennis Association (APTA), in conjunction with industry leaders, wants to get to know you better. Armed with accurate information, we can better direct our efforts to serve your needs. We can also use this profile to build marketing relationships with desirable potential sponsors. This will help the APTA with its #1 objective: to grow the sport of platform tennis.

If you have not already done so: please follow this link to take the survey it will take about 5 min to complete

Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Open Kerri Delmonico and Aila Main won their second tournament of the season, beating Sally Cottingham and Chris Sheldon 6-2, 6-3. view Womens draw
Dave Ohlmuller and George Zink outlasted David Caldwell and Blake Cordish 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 to capture the Men’s crown. view Mens draw

Madison, WI
by Barry Adams
Wisconsin State Journal
During the early 1970's, it lasted about three years outside the UW- Madison Nielson Tennis Stadium.  Very few people played the sport.....But after a 30- year absence, Platform Tennis may return to Dane County. view full article here

Hartford, CT
The Draw for the Hartford Women's R & PCQ tournament is posted. 

The tournament will be held Saturday November 20th @ Hartford Golf Club, Hartford CT
Find News - Women's Draw - Directions in the Hartford Women's Directory on paddlepro.com

New Canaan, CT
Last year, in an effort to "Grow the Game" in New Canaan, we ran a small round-robin tournament on Thanksgiving weekend...we called it "Pilgrims and Indians." The idea is this: Indians are the experienced veteran paddle players and the Pilgrims are the novices...mostly tennis and squash players that have never played paddle. We throw the names of all the Pilgrims into a hat and the Indians pick a partner to play with...always pairing up a seasoned paddle player with a novice. view more about this event

Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Open held December 11-12th announces that it will have CASH prizes this year of $1,500 to $2,500 (depending on draw size).  There will be open draws for Men and Women. Simon Peppiatt, building from his success hosting the 2003 Nationals announced that The Philadelphia Open will be hosted will be hosted online by paddlepro.com.  view details and latest news about the Philadelphia Open

Apply for the Philadelphia Open Online

Greenwich, CT
The 2004 CT Classic is promising to be a very strong event - see who has already entered. Apply before Wednesday 11-17 This tournament will have a Mens Open Draw and a Mens 90+ Draw. The draws will be posted Thursday before the event in our special Connecticut Classic section   -

Apply for the Men's Tournament Online

Chicago, IL
Chris Gambino and David Ohlmuller repeat as winners of the Chicago Charities over Flip Goodspeed and Scott Mansager 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. click here to view the mens draw full results of the Chicago Charities will be posted shortly.

Pittsburgh, PA
The 2005 Nationals Committee has announced that for the third year in a row paddlepro.com will be the web host for the National Championships, to be held March 10 - 13, 2005 in Pittsburgh PA. Registration will begin online later this month. Official Merchandise with the 2005 Pittsburgh Nationals logo will also be available.  click here to view selected logo.

New Canaan, CT
At the first annual New Canaan Community Platform Tennis Day on Saturday, October 30th, 2004, the Town of New Canaan, CT celebrated the grand opening of their new public platform tennis courts in Waveny Park. view full story here

Indianapolis IN
paddlepro.com would like to welcome the members of Indianapolis Platform Tennis League to the site.  This league is hosted at four clubs and six private houses. We wish the paddle tennis enthusiasts in Indiana all the success and hope for continued growth of the sport in Indiana. This league marks another first for paddlepro, this will be the first league that will update and maintain their own pages. Visit the IPTL and wish them luck on their message board.

A recent submission of the photo (see right) encouraged us to start another photo contest.  The rules are simple - take a photo (has to involve paddle) and send it in to contest@paddlepro.com .  At the end of the season we will award the winner will receive a 22" x 29" photo print of Fox Meadow oil painting by Robert Strickler. see 2004-2005 submitted photos here.

New Canaan , CT
Waveny Park will officially open 4 new platform tennis courts to the public on Saturday October 30th: start time 11:30am. A Pro Exhibition starts @ 12:00pm including #1 ranked David Ohlmuller, Mike Cochrane (#5), David Caldwell (#9), & Viking Academy trainer John Milbank.  The event is open to the public so make plans to join the festivities - click here for more details and full schedule

Greenwich, CT
The Connecticut Classic is coming! This tournament will have a Mens Open Draw and a Mens 90+ Draw. The draws will be posted Thursday before the event in our special Connecticut Classic section (paddlepro.com/cc2003). The tournament takes place from November 20 - 21. Click here for more information on this year's event.

Apply for the Men's Tournament Online

Milwaukee WI
The first national ranking tournament of the season is complete. Mary Doten and Susie Keane pick up the season right where they left off - Winning the Milwaukee Open over Leslie Hough and Kelly Rudolph in the women's finals 6-3, 7-5.  On the men's side Blake Cordish and David Caldwell breezed their way through, never dropping a set, defeating Mike Cochrane and Slade McGauran 6-3, 6-1 in the men's finals.  Full Results can be found here.

Westchester OH
Benefit for Ashley Rose Herr, daughter of Peter and Cathy Herr. This 5 month old recently had a heart transplant and is fighting for her precious life. Please help one of our own and support this great family. All proceeds go to the Ashley Rose Herr Fund. Come celebrate a night of platform, raffle items, fun, and supporting a family in need! You do not have to attend to help donate. If you wish to donate please contact Fifth Third Bank @ (513) 759-3800 and ask for the Ashley Rose Herr Fund. All donations are greatly appreciated! For more information please contact Jason Gray @ Beckett Ridge Country Club @ 513 874-9909.

Nantucket MA
The Nantucket Mixed Invitational Tournament has a long standing tradition of great paddle and great fun. For over 15 years, NPTA has hosted this wonderful event, welcoming old friends and newcomers year after year. The paddle is competitive, the food is fantastic, and the friendships formed are long lasting. Participation has declined over the past several years, and we're trying to renew interest in this special weekend. We will have to cancel the tournament again this year if there is not enough interest, so please consider coming to Nantucket Nov 13-14, 2004 for a beautiful fall weekend - you won't be disappointed! - Margaretta Andrews

The first national ranking event of the season is in Wisconsin, The Milwaukee Open will be held October 22nd – 24th, 2004 at The Town Club in Milwaukee WI. It will feature tournaments for both Men and Women Ranking, PCQ as well as 90+ combined Men's event, and a great party.
2004 Milwaukee Open entries are listed online view draw sheets for Mens Open- Women's Open - Deadline for Entry has passed

Sign up Online Only				2004 Live Results
Schedule Of Events		Directions		Men Women

Viking Runs Overtime to Keep IGNITE™ Paddle In Stock
David Kjeldsen, CEO of Viking Athletics, told PaddlePro.com today, that sales of Viking's new IGNITE™ paddle are way beyond the initial forecast and expectations. So much so that Viking has recently been forced to work overtime to keep the paddle in stock. Kjeldsen acknowledged that for the first time in eight seasons, the Viking OZ™ has been displaced as Viking's number one selling paddle.