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54 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2018 Ping Pong Fun, Fitness, Friendship. Our Dec. 9 the Ping Pong Club tournament was great fun. Randomly drawn, mixed doubles partners played double elimination games until one team was declared first place. Of the 18 teams, the team of Perry White and Jeannine Baker rose to victory. To celebrate, everyone enjoyed a fabulous dinner of hot pizza, barbecued chicken, salads and desserts, catered by Smitty's. Congratulations, Perry and Jeannine. We all enjoyed watching the exciting finals match against second place team, Neil Edelbaum and Tracey Laykoff. Thanks to all the members who participated. We get a lot of questions when residents first get back into ping pong. Many of us haven't played the game since high school! Things have changed. Remember when we played to 21 points with five serves each side? In 2001, the game was changed to 11-point games with two serves each side. You still have to win by two points. Table tennis, also known as ping pong, actually began in England and was first patented in 1885. The balls started as champagne corks that were being batted across the table. When the celluloid ball was introduced, the name "Ping Pong" became popular after the sound the balls made when they bounced. Table tennis became an Olympic sport at the 1988 summer games in Seoul, and is pretty much dominated by Chinese players. Today, the sport is officially regulated by the International Table Tennis Federation which was formed in 1926. Major changes have taken place to official table tennis balls. The size of the ball was changed in 2000 from 38 mm to 40 mm to slow down the game so length of rallies would increase and make the game more appealing to spectators. In 2011, the ITTF decided to promote plastic "poly" balls rather than celluloid balls, mainly due to the hazardous manufacturing process used to make celluloid balls. After 2014, celluloid balls would no longer be "legal" in ITTF events. Poly balls, could be slightly larger, indicated by a 40+ inscription on the ball. Balls can be white or orange, and the highest quality balls are three-star. Paddles, or "bats" are officially black on one side and red on the other. Many club members have purchased their own paddles based on their personal style of play. The type of rubber on the paddle determines spin, speed, and control. See you at the tables! ~ Sandra Butler-Roberts Fishing Club I am always looking for new places to fish. I was duck hunting in the Coachella Valley when I came upon a storm drain that was loaded with hand size Tilapia. I told my wife about the find and she immediately said we were going the next week to that storm drain to catch some fish. Now if you have ever seen my wife eating fish it is a sight to behold. We gut the fish, scale it and then she fries the fish whole. She starts at the tail and ends up eating the head of the fish. When she is through, only the bones remain. After we spent a couple of hours fishing at the storm drain, I wished that I had not found the honey hole. My wife caught over 80 fish. There is no limit on Tilapia and, guess who had to clean most of the fish? She bagged them up in several freezer bags and started calling friends to come over to get a bag full of fish. We have been to that new fishing spot three times now. Each time my wife catches over 50 fish to bring back home for me to clean. You notice that I said my wife is the one catching the fish. I am too busy taking them off the hook and putting them in a bucket to try and fish. The best way to find a new fishing spot is to ask your fishing friends where they go fish. Most of the new lakes that I have been fishing at were found by asking Four Seasons fishermen where they go and asking if I could tag along with them to give it a try. Never overlook a potential fishing spot and always give it a try. Always tell your fishing buddies about your new spot and invite them to go and give it a try. Tight lines to all my fishing friends and remember, the best way to catch fish is to go where there are plenty of fish to catch. The best way to have an epic fishing trip is to load up the truck or car and hit the road to a new fishing spot. I guarantee that you will have the time of your life. ~ Richard Carrasco Richard's new fishing spot Tournament champions Perry White and Jeannine Baker. Congratulations on a hard-fought battle.

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