DIary of a day at the Lapiplasty World Championships
MXD 3.5: (Left) Duffy Okimoto with her partner, Charlie Muller, and (Right) Carol Cabanlet and Alan Mukai
Hawaii PB friends, together in Texas, from L-R (Back): Jennifer Schettewi, Kimberly Bisnar and John Bisnar (Front): Duffy Okimoto, Evie Lahti, Carol Cabanlet, Alan Mukai and Phil Schettewi.
DALLAS, TX---It was lucky that I ran into Duffy Okimoto at the Aloha PB Games and found out she was leaving the next day for the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships. She agreed to snap some pictures to share with the HI PB community, and also agreed to pen a column about her personal, first-hand experience at the tournament.
Held at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, the event ran from November 4-10, 2024.
Without further ado, Duffy, take it away!
(1) Alan, Carol and Duffy with Ben Johns, and (2) Duffy and Carol’s first 3.5 Championship women’s doubles match with Leslie Sauter and Pamela Schirmer from Maryland.
After qualifying, what made you decide to enter the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships?
After receiving our silver medals at the 2024 Hawaii State Championship Tournament in Kapalua, Maui, my partner Carol and I were interested in participating in the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championship in Dallas, Texas.
The decision to enter the tournament occurred about a week later after receiving wonderful encouragement from my family and husband Darren who couldn’t attend because of work commitments.
It would be the very first time for me to play at a tournament outside of Hawaii, which I was excited to do with Carol. So I registered for the championship women’s double 3.5 (60-69) division.
Then, Darren encouraged me to request for a blind date partner for the championship mixed doubles 3.5 division. Within a week I received an email from Charlie who is from Dallas asking if I would like to play with him.
Charlie and I spoke over the phone about the tournament, his association with the PPA, and familiarity with the Brookhaven Country Club, the host site for the tournament.
I also learned that Charlie had done extensive travel to Hawaii and was very familiar with each island. He also offered to pick us up from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which was a gracious gesture.
So I was all set to play in two events at the tournament on Monday, November 4, 2024 in the women’s doubles matches and Wednesday, November 5, 2024 in the mixed doubles matches.
Selfie with Anna Leigh Waters
Did you end up staying in accommodations associated with the tournament? What was that like?
Yes we did. The tournament website had a list of hotel accommodations to choose from at a discounted price ($120/night) and shuttle service to and from the tournament venue.
We ended up staying at the Candlewood Hotel, which was adjacent to the shuttle pick up site. The room had a full kitchen but no restaurant on site so we ended up walking over to other nearby hotels for breakfast and dinner.
Would you do it again? If so, what would you change to make it even better? If not, why?
Yes, would definitely participate in this tournament again with Darren and other friends from Hawaii. There’s so much fun activities going on throughout the tournament including music concerts every night, clinics, pickleball vendors, sponsors’ booths, and free give aways.
Lesson learned include: packing warm clothing and wet weather gear, bringing my glasses with me so I could take out my contact lenses if needed, and bringing a thermos with a hot drink or soup.
Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships; posted on IG by the PPA Tour and the Brookhaven Country Club
