Mark Donaldson serves w partner Mark Bird in Spikeball. They came from SoCal for this tourney. Oldest team playing. Hear & read more @WTOP pic.twitter.com/2M08gFaPcu
— John Domen (@JDDsays) October 15, 2016
Another example of Spikeball. Hear about it @WTOP today pic.twitter.com/NvivkitirV
— John Domen (@JDDsays) October 15, 2016
What the heck is Spikeball?! Find out @WTOP today... pic.twitter.com/Ak1mJhuFo2
— John Domen (@JDDsays) October 15, 2016
WASHINGTON — The biggest Spikeball tournament ever took place Saturday at West Potomac Park, drawing hundreds of players from all across the country.
But first, just what is Spikeball?
“If volleyball and four square had a baby, it would be called Spikeball,” said Chris Ruder, the CEO of Spikeball.
“You’ve got […] what looks like a mini trampoline, but you don’t jump on it,” Ruder said. “You spike a rubber ball off it. You play two-on-two. Rules are almost identical to two-on-two volleyball.”
Most of the serious Spikeball players have a background in tennis or ultimate Frisbee, Ruder said. The motions used in tennis are the key to scoring in this game.
“A lot of people think that you hit overhead and straight down,” said Ruder. “And while, yes, you can do that, that’s going to result in the ball going straight back up in the air, and that gives your opponent that much more time to get to the ball.”
Ruder demonstrated a tennis swing.
“You want a low angle that’s going to go far from the net,” he said.
Playing as part of a team called “Golden Set,” Harding Brumby flew to D.C. from Atlanta to play with his friend Eric Zishka, who lives in D.C. They both played tennis before picking up this sport.
In addition to likening the game of Spikeball to volleyball and four square, Brumby said he would also add “a dose of randomness and fun” to the game’s description.
“You’re diving all over,” Zishka said, “and you’re just trying to make plays. Trying to get the ball in the air and keep it alive. The bump, set, spike sort of thing.”
The self-proclaimed oldest team in Spikeball is made up of Mark Donaldson and Mike Bird. They flew in from southern California to play against teams decades younger than they are.
“We started as volleyball guys,” said Bird. “We’ve been playing doubles volleyball together for 30 years, and been best friends for 30 years. We kind of picked up this game about five or six years ago and just fell in love with it. There’s so many great things about anticipation and competition and working with your partner. We just love the competition of it.”
“And the people out here are phenomenal,” he added.
Donaldson echoed that sentiment: “The community here is amazing,” he said.
“The truth is,” said Donaldson, “anybody we’ve played today hasn’t even added up to one of our ages.”
Whoever wins the top prize will go home with $5,000. Of the 500 or so players competing, Ruder said about half arrived in D.C. on an airplane.
