Enough is enough! Let's get back and start doing stuff again! Let’s get this party started! That's what this crew of merry Jesters set out to accomplish and the more who wanted to join the fun and games, the more joyful.
Due in great part to the benevolence of several members of the Jesters Club, over 80 Doubles enthusiasts from the US and Canada, on the weekend of January 24-26, eagerly journeyed to San Francisco, and gathered together for the 51st playing of the Pacific Coast Squash Doubles Championships, rejoicing in the annual celebration (continuously played since 1972 that was rudely interrupted during the height of COVID) to hear the reassuring echoing sound of a wall-smacking squash ball once again.
Last year, in 2023, even with my playing days well behind me, I was invited by fellow Jester and friend, Gary Johnson, to join the party at the Multnomah Athletic Club, in the welcoming city of Portland, OR. as an invited guest of the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Coast Squash Doubles Championships. Was there any doubt that I would not accept his invitation? Such was the pull of our beloved game.
At the Saturday evening social (hosted at the home of accomplished player Phoebe Trubowitz), Portland's own, the recently departed Chuck Williams, was eulogized and awarded the annual Stanley D. Woodworth Sportsmanship Award presented to his widow, Jackie.
It was a glorious reunion! Competitive matches became fine entertainment bettered by copious amounts of beer and wine that were drunk with unmeasured abandon.
So here it is - 2024 - and it was the City by the Bay's turn to host the event. After the tremendous job done by Stumptown, the San Francisco doubles community was hard-pressed to host a memorable “Coast” as well.
Where to start? The recently appointed Squash Chair of the UClub, Austin Bennett, (he too journeyed the previous year to Portland and experienced the “Coast” firsthand himself) and I were engaged in periodic discussions for months.
So duly inspired, Bennett stepped up, took on the task, and was given the reins of Tourney Chair - a daunting undertaking; as this was his first stint.
However, a meaningful international tourney like the “Coast” could not be possibly run on entry fees alone. Sponsors and patrons needed to be found.
Alas, none answered the call. We were up against it.
That is when this troupe of Jesters stepped up. This filial group, like a fine bottle of wine, immediately breathed life into the party.
"We few
We happy few
We band of brothers (and sisters)”
(with apologies to Shakespeare)
Wine, beer, and Irish Coffees (a first-rate addition, Austin, if I must say so, myself) was served. The Saturday social was at a dim sum restaurant a few blocks away from the UClub.
John
******
from Peter Susskind:
I have been going to Portland and Vancouver for many years now, and this tournament has always been one of my favorites, both because all 3 of our cities are wonderful in their different ways, but much more because it is a great chance to reconnect with a wide number of squash players who have known each other for so long.
There has always been a very warm camaraderie between players, especially those who take the trouble to travel to other cities.
Some years ago, I was asked to arrange a dinner for our Oregon and Canadian visitors, and I persuaded a French restaurant to open up most of their lower level to accommodate a large crowd of us. It was a great success and enjoyed by all. The only problem was that we drank much more wine than we had been allowed by the restaurant in our negotiations!! Squash players will be squash players.
As I am on the UClub Athletic Committee it seemed inevitable that I would be asked to arrange a meal for our 2024 tournament. I took this on with great pleasure.
Last time we each paid our way. This time we decided to treat all the participants to dinner as part of their entry fee. So, my job was to find a place that could accommodate 60-70 people but still remain within our budget.
I consulted with several players who had recently had the same task with other tournaments at the club and was recommended several places. The curiously named, Osmanthus, (an East Asian plant!) fitted the bill. It is advertised as “Dim Sum,” but they provided large trays of many different main courses, from beef, pork, chicken, calamari, prawns, noodles, veggies, rice, and even desserts at the end!!
Confession: Some of us went up at least twice for refills, and every time there was something new!
Not only did they guarantee us enough space for the 65-70 who eventually came, but the price was reasonable in this, one of the most expensive cities in the country!!
The bar provided drinks for those who wanted them, and a good time was had by all. We started at 7:30ish and by the time I left at 10 or so, the party was still going strong.
Peter
******
from Austin Bennett:
As a first-time tournament director, there was SOOO much more to organizing an event than I had initially imagined. Many intricacies and hiccups occurred, esp. before the tournament even began, but we got ‘er done.
Fortunately, the bulk of the community seemed to understand this was the case; so most were patient and accepting that tournament organizers, like myself, do try to do their best and organize things for the benefit of the overall group. There will naturally be details that could have been planned better. However, accommodating every player’s whims would have been difficult. I now have developed increased empathy for other organizers when I travel to future events.
Once we kicked things off and after arrivals on Friday, we did not have too many problems, and there were only a couple rather minor scheduling issues which I had overlooked even during the many hours spent trying to get the draws and schedule to be sufficiently well planned out. Some little bits of catering, prizes for winners, and other matters could have been better planned -- but we now have a bit of well-earned experience and can apply the learnings for the next event we host.
Overall, in addition to the great squash spread over 9 classes of competition, it appeared that the players, -- our tournament committee was overjoyed by the tremendous participation (particularly the Canadians from Vancouver [we want to grow this game even more!] — were quite happy with the social offerings that hopefully showed that we were good hosts, displaying the vast potpourri what San Francisco has to offer [and that generally, our city belied the reputation of the current news that people read about].
I hope that many of our local playing participants now see what organizing a Pac Coast Squash tournament entails, enjoyed themselves, and will be so inspired to gather once again in Vancouver next year, and to Portland the following year after....
Austin
******
Oh, and by the way, here are the results.
Open
1. Jason Del Vicario/Justin Todd
2. Creighton Foules/Affeeq Ismail
Women's A
1. Libby Eyre/Casey Wong
2. Phoebe Trubowitz/Rachel Scherman
Mixed A
1. Rachel Scherman/Kenny Chan
2. Phoebe Trubowitz/Justin Todd
Men's 40+
1. Gary Evans/Richard Wendell
2. Nick Eaton/Andy Fremder
Men's 60+
1. Rick Ng/Derrick Cameron
2. Dennis Foreman/Will Stipout
Men's 70+
1. Gary Johnson/Habib Rahman
2. Charlie Maddison/Will Stipout
Men's B
1. Bevan Moss/Hussein Salemwala
2. Jongo Kim/Mikhail Din
Mixed B
1. Elisha Liu/Mark Level
2. Juana Chaus/Michael Din
Div II
1. Kunal Jham/Jose Molina
2. Terry Eagle/Peter Susskind
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