The badminton club
Locals get a good workout from twice-weekly open gyms
Thwip! Thwap!
Back
Bright yellow shuttlecocks explode off rackets, sail through the air and drop like wounded ducks on the other side of the net.
Players in this doubles match careen across the court, coordinating their moves to cover their side of the net and fend off a fast-paced flurry of shots.
Forget about "backyard" badminton. This is serious exercise, fun and sport rolled into one.
For decades, Juneau badminton enthusiasts have gathered regularly to share the sport, building friendships and a community along the way.
Currently there are four weekly two-hour badminton open gyms to choose from in town - on Monday and Thursday evenings at the Auke Bay School gymnasium, and on Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Gastineau School gym in Douglas. Badminton is also offered at JRC/The Alaska Club.
While the open gyms cater to all skill levels and work to advance the knowledge and love of the sport, one thing they do not perpetuate is the myth of badminton as a leisurely-paced activity.
"Most of us go home dripping with sweat," said Theresa Walden, one of the organizers of the Auke Bay open gym. "It's such a good workout, and people don't realize it."
Walden played badminton in high school and college, and has kept up the sport since coming to Juneau 25 years ago. She said the game is fast-paced and the movement constant. Shots from world-class players may reach 200 miles per hour; matches here in Juneau are slower-paced, but can still get intense.
"Your reaction time is very quick," Walden said. "A typical volley might be five or six shots, and in that time you're all over the court."
Juneau players have been covering the badminton court for more than a half-century. Community calendars in the Empire from December 1950 carry badminton listings, and longtime Juneau player Herb Jaenicke said badminton clubs in town date to the 1930s.
Jaenicke has been playing badminton in Juneau since 1958.
"I got tired of the rain," he said of his introduction to the sport. "I had to do something. I heard there was a group of people playing badminton at (Capital School), so I got started."
Jaenicke said the badminton group has been meeting at Auke Bay for more than 20 years; he stopped by at a session last week to swat a few shots and visit with other regulars, who range from teen-agers to adults. In addition to Jaenicke and Walden, several other Auke Bay players have been active with the sport in Juneau for decades.
At the other end of the spectrum are younger players who have learned the game at Auke Bay.
University of Alaska Southeast freshman Sarah Lowell has been playing badminton for about one year, and was one of three local youths to play badminton at the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland last March. Lowell said matches require a lot of energy.
"It's one of the hardest sports I've ever played," said Lowell, who also plays tennis. "The first day I played (in Greenland), I was so sore I couldn't sit down. ... With badminton, you have a lot more movement (than tennis)."
The Douglas open gym is a much newer group, and organizer Jag Yellesetty said players there tend to play at a beginning to intermediate level.
The open gyms charge $3 per person, per session to cover the cost of gym rentals. Organizers at both locations said they are willing to lend a racket to newcomers so they can try out the game and decide if they want to continue and buy their own equipment. Younger players are welcome, but should be old enough to pick up the game and join in matches with the rest of the group.
"It's inexpensive. You can play with a $20 racket and non-marking shoes," said Dennis Gellhouse, who plays at the Douglas open gym. "It's a great deal of fun. It's fast and furious."
Players at both sites extolled the virtues of badminton as an excellent way to keep active during the dark winter months.
"It's a great all-around exercise," said Auke Bay player Birger Baastrup. "It exercises speed and agility, and it's a fun game because there's a lot of challenge. You can play hard or you can play soft, and win either way.
"The main thing is to come out and have fun. It's good camaraderie for young and old alike."
"It's more than just a badminton group," Walden said. "It's a group of friends."
For contacts and more information on local badminton activities, see Sports in Juneau. Andrew Krueger can be reached at akrueger@juneauempire.com.