The Bike Tour was the most grueling and fulfilling experience of my life. The uncertainty and doubt upon embarking upon this monumental journey was quickly replaced with substantially more uncertainty and doubt as we pedaled through the snow and rain in Reno, the stifling heat of the Nevada Desert, and the punishing mountains in Utah. With our legs dead, our butts unbearably sore, and our spirits nearly broken, we arrived in Salt Lake City for our first clinic.
All of the soreness and near mental breakdowns were immediately forgotten as we were embraced by the Handball Community in Salt Lake City. Michael Fendrick met us in the parking lot, and we were doing a clinic and playing in a tournament within 30 minutes. The players were so passionate about this game, improving their game, and hosting us, that we were immediately energized. We spent the weekend playing 8 matches each, and holding several instructional clinics. Their passion was so contagious that The Team played each other in a 1 wall match just 2 hours after finishing an 8 match tournament.
Our next stop was a short ride to the home of Kevin Price and Jason Jones in Grand Junction, Colorado. These guys put together a world class clinic, complete with tv and print media in 1 day. On our way to the clinic, The Team stopped to play Fronton, the Spanish version of Handball, with our host Jason Jones. I developed a Hematoma the size of a softball on my shin as a result of a temper tantrum after losing a trips game to 11 with The Rock and JJ, and it was so painful I was only able to play 1 game at the Grand Junction clinic.
Denver was up next, and we arrived to a packed house as we were challenged by hometown heroes Bear Meiring and Mark Hammond. After defeating these Denver Legends in singles, The Team faced a very hungry and motivated hometown team in doubles. All we were able to do was receive serve, as Team Colorado surged to a 12-0 lead to the delight of 200 faithful in the crowd. DF put El Rock in the I formation, and took over, overcoming the deficit to rally to a 21-14 win. Ok, the comeback may not have gone exactly like that. Following that sensational comeback, The Team hosting a clinic and played all of the locals, many of whom were under the age of 18, and all of whom will be beating me next time we play.
After being reenergized, The Team embarked on the lonely highway from Denver to Wichita. There was no mountains, no lakes, no trees, just unbearable heat and tornado style winds. Our decision to do the Bike Tour was once again called into question as we struggled to complete each mile. We were weary and exhausted, and we arrived in Wichita at our breaking point. Curt and Olina Creed welcomed us with the brightest smiles and warmest midwestern hospitality, and helped to bring us back to life. After a long rest, we headed to the Wichita YMCA to find the best players we would see on the tour. These guys came to play, and we battled them for over 5 hours. These guys were prepared to play for 5 more hours, but The Team through in the towel, and jumped back on the bikes en route to the Nationals.
The Nationals was a success for half of The Team, and a complete disaster for the other half. After licking my wounds and receiving an ego check in Kansas City, The Team headed east towards Tennessee, picking up young Suhn Lee along the highway. We were greeted by Joel O'Connor in the Hollywood of the South, and we quickly laced up our gloves for 3 days of handball in The Country Music Capital of the World. The Handball was phenomenal, but the hospitality was sensational. We were welcomed in the beautiful home of John Gawaluck on the first night, complete with a tennis court, pool, and all of the amenities of a 5 star resort. Handball fanatic Joel O'Connor and his lovely wife Tina hosted us on the second night, and The Rock treated the crowd to an unplugged concert featuring songs from his debut Album, Under Roses.
We headed south to Rob Pearse country, Chattanooga, TN for our next stop. Rob is a legend in Chattanooga, and he ensured The Team was treated like Kings. The Team defeated former top 12 pros Rob Pearse and Scott Kelley in a doubles exhibition, and were then treated to a day on the river, courtesy of the Mr. Rob Pearse. We were unquestionably the worst rafters on the river, most of that due to the shear incompetence of The Rock with a paddle. It was now time to head north, as we were making our way to Pittsburgh, and eventually to New York City.
We hosted 3 clinics in Pittsburgh, all of them extremely successful. Rodney Fink was the big winner in Pittsburgh, as he was the only player to play undefeated Handball. He also treated this traveling circus to his home, and many parties he threw in his honor. Andrew Joseph hosted a clinic at his club in Pittsburgh, and it was a tremendous night of handball.
We jumped back on our bikes for the last leg of the tour. The end was near, and as The Team saw the outline of the Statue of Liberty, we knew our journey was nearly complete. After dipping our bikes into the Pacific Ocean on May 19th in San Francisco, we dipped our bikes into the Atlantic Ocean on July 14th, completing an epic journey filled with memories and experiences we will never forget. We were able to reach hundreds of Handball players who had never seen pro handball, teach these players some of what we had learned in our experiences playing the game, and make hundreds of friends along the way. This is the beginning of the rejuvenation of the greatest sport there is, and we will see this great game go to places we never envisioned.
Many thanks to Lonnie Stalsberg, Brit and Diane, Jason Jones and Kevin Price, Jed Siegle, Curt and Olinda Creed, Joel O'Connor, John Gawaluck, Rob Pearse, Rodney Fink, Mike Semplice, Andrew Joseph, Jeff Patterson, Chris Sammrone, Jim and Marjorie Peixoto, Raul Retain, and especially to David Charles Vincent IV.
-David Fink
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