RESULTS for the 2007 Black Sand World Racquetball Championships in Waikiki

Racquetball Legends Cliff Swain and Marty Hogan Invincible
2007 Black Sand World Championships
Black Sand Chronicles

Gale force winds and torrential rain showers did not deter an international contingency of Pros and Amateurs at the 2007 Black Sand World Racquetball Championships (BSWC) at Waikiki Beach. The BSWC lasted three weeks and was played under both stormy and beautiful conditions. With $10K in prize money on the line and over $50K in sponsorships raised, reputations weren’t the only thing at stake on Waikiki Beach as Cliff Swain and Mighty Marty Hogan, two of the winningest pros in racquetball history, each looked to add to their considerable legacies.

Current Motorola World Indoor Champ and outdoor WOR-Ektelon Singles and Doubles Champ 27-year old Rocky Carson of Southern California steamrolled to both the BSWC Pro Singles and Pro Doubles Finals, as expected, but Cliff Swain defied most odds-makers when he pulverized his way to a 7th World Championship Title by taking out Carson in hard fought straight sets 21-18 21-18. Carson had a shot at redemption later in the evening in the Pro Doubles finals, but Marty Hogan and Scotty Bauman stunned Carson and his partner current WOR-Ektelon Pro Doubles Champ Rob Hoff 31-28 in an uproarious, final pro match of the tournament, and a crowning 8th World Championship Title for Hogan.

The Swain-Carson singles final under a blazing sun was an electrifying culmination to a ferocious singles side of the Pro draw that saw local and international talent like Jimmy Lowe, Matt Robinson and Pete Britos of Hawaii, Alvaro Beltran and Raphael Filipini of Mexico and Jesus Ocana of Diamond Bar challenging world champs Swain and Carson deep into the draw. In the 16s, Ocana took out New York one-wall champ Freddy Ramirez in a long anticipated East Coast-West Coast smack-talk show down—most of the smack-talk till that point took place online in meet and play racquetball forums. Meanwhile, all-time military champ Lowe took out Los Angelino pro Sean Royster, and then quieted Ocana’s thunderous forehand in the quarters. Also in the quarters, 24-years old Beltran, the number three indoors ranked player in the world scraped by Britos 21-18 after Britos had him 13-3 early on. Carson took out a game Waikiki Champ Matt Robinson and Swain ousted resurgent touring pro Raphael Filipini. The semifinals featured the top four seeds: Carson versus Lowe, and Swain against rock solid all-time Mexican Champ Beltran. Both were slugfests with Carson overpowering cat-quick Lowe and Swain pounding left-handed serve after left-handed serve past the scrambling 6’1” Beltran.

All weekend Waikiki was packed with a steady flow of spectators, many of who were stunned to recognize some of the great racquetball pros of all time banging heads in the cage at the beach. It helped that hundreds of 16-page color BSWC Tournament Guides were being distributed with player profiles, photos and sponsor info. And there was good reason for the walk-by flow. That week, the Honolulu Marathon was on all the front pages of the newspapers and featured on broadcast and Internet media worldwide. 27,000 runners and their families were amassed in Waikiki and ready to race.

Paces away at the Waikiki racquetball courts, top international and local players grappled for racquetball supremacy in the last Grand Slam racquetball tournament of 2007. Originally built during WWII, the Waikiki Courts are arguably the first racquetball courts in the world. Repurposed from handball to racquetball in the early 1950s, players like 91-years young BSWC sponsor Commander Bill Robinson (Rear Admiral, Ret.) have played these courts for over 60 years. The courts are infamous for their caged-in atmosphere and unique, short sidewalls. As the tournament guide puts it the historic Waikiki Courts are an “ultimate test of the racquetball virtuoso.”

The BSWC began on Thursday with a well-publicized Pro Challenge doubles match that lined up Pros Pete Britos and Egan Inoue against Jimmy Lowe and Marty Hogan. Local news crews arrived early for interviews and the featured kick off match that saw the night end under the lights in a two game a piece performance. It was the first time Britos and Inoue had teamed up in careers that began in the early 80s when they were both Hawaii teenage prodigies. The next day Friday was a bust with a total of six matches played due to rain, but by Saturday the sun came out blazing and play resumed at assembly line pace. By days end, over one hundred matches had been played with rally scoring helping to facilitate the rapid pace.

Sunday was a steamy mud bath for the marathon runners; but at the Waikiki courts the asphalt dried quickly in the relentless sun. By 10 a.m. the caged courts were packed with spectators. On a roll, Carson pounded his way into the finals of Pro Singles and Pro Doubles. His coronation seemed rational and apparent. In singles he erased Bauman, Robinson and Lowe, all local, battle-tested outdoor pros. On the other side of the draw, Swain dispensed with local BSWC Junior Champ Robbie Collins (17) in the round of 16. He then handled Mexican pro Raphael Filipini in workman-like fashion. And finally, in a match punctuated with spectacular dives, he ended the run of Mexico’s top-ranked Pro Alvaro Beltran, who was making his first appearance—like Carson—at the Waikiki courts.

It was more classic Swain in the Finals as Carson repeatedly fell victim to Swain’s deep, lethal drive serves and pinpoint backhand. The final two points of the match were Swain backhand blasts down the line from 40 and 45 feet. But Carson served notice even as Swain crafted a perfect exclamation to a stellar career. Currently the number two ranked indoor pro in the world, Carson is the one top pro to claim multiple Outdoor and Indoor Grand Slam titles in the same year (2002, 2006, 2007). Cliff Swain is no doubt a great champion with legendary chops, but so too is Rocky Carson a legend in the making with his take-on-all-comers indoor and outdoor attitude.

The story could have stopped here with a perfect climax to a compelling mythology: an aging gunslinger Swain (40) beats a legend-in-the-making Carson in his prime. But the final match of Sunday night completely updated the mythology when 49-year old racquetball uber-legend Marty Hogan revived the competitive fires one more time in route to taking his 8th World Championship Title, this time in the Men’s BSWC Pro Doubles with local pro Scotty Bauman.

Once again, old school faced new school, and as the story goes, destiny and local knowledge prevailed against a battle-tested championship team. Carson and Hoff have storied outdoor careers, most recently dominating the 2007 WOR-Ektelon Doubles Championships in Southern California. Clearly Carson-Hoff were odds on favorites. Hogan and Scotty Bauman (fresh off a steel knee replacement) seemed long shots at best to capture the title, especially with the exceptionally strong field in contention: Benny Torrez and Freddy Ramirez of New York, Jesus Ocana and Jesus Ustarez (Jesus2) of Southern Cal, Big Rod Felton and Matt Robinson of Honolulu, Swain and Royster of Boston/Los Angeles, Rich Dew and Daryl Smallman of San Diego/New Zealand and Beltran and Bill Donges of Mexico/Waikiki.

But never underestimate the heart of a champion. Players should have taken heed earlier in the day when Hogan volunteered to referee the Pro Singles finals. It was quite a scene with three world champions on the court, Hogan, Swain and Carson, and Hogan calling the shots. Hogan introduced Carson as the hottest player on the pro circuit; and then Swain as a great player and multiple world champion. Someone from the crowd yelled out “the greatest player ever.” Not skipping a beat Hogan blurted back: “greatest left-handed player ever.” The crowd erupted in laughter, and even Swain and Carson cracked up hard at Hogan’s repartee.

Now in the finals of the Pro Doubles after beating Lowe and Southern Cal pro Gary Martin in the semis, Hogan was making a serious statement with his focused play. Playing the right side and controlling middle court, he was all about efficient mechanics and no easy points. When Hogan stepped back, Bauman from the left would step in ripping laser beam forehand pinches to the corners. Carson and Hoff were game, no doubt about it—they handled local heavyweights Big Rod Felton and Robinson in the semis. But Hogan and Bauman were a relentless one-two punch. The raucous crowd was roaring on each point as the tight match wound to its inevitable conclusion. Then, at 30-27 match point, Bauman hustled forward and hit an apparent game-winning backhand dink into the front left corner. Referee Pete Britos called it game and match and the crowd went wild.

But Bauman immediately called a skip on himself, which sent the crowd howling in disbelief. On the verge of his greatest victory ever, Bauman overturned a call on himself. In rally scoring, which is what the tournament played, every rally is a point. So now, not only did Bauman give up his serve, but the Hogan-Bauman duo as well lost a point. A two point turn around. Carson and Hoff lined up at 28-30—still match point, but with Carson in control of the serve.

Carson served an overhead drive to Hogan and after a seesaw rally Bauman ended it with a forehand deep up the middle that jammed Carson-Hoff. The crowd went wild again and the BSWC tiki trophies were lugged onto the courts under the night lights.

Swain received a one of a kind three-foot high tiki trophy carved from a hunk of solid Hawaiian koa and a check for $1500. Pro Doubles Champs Hogan and Bauman also received unique matching tiki trophies and a check for $2000. The Pro Singles and Doubles Champs also received designer Black Fly sunglasses, a package of Black Sand Clothing, Ektelon shoes and other assorted prizes. The tournament paid through the quarters and as well dished out $1000 to the Masters Division Champions and finalists.

While most of the Pros finished play that Sunday evening, the BSWC continued for two more gorgeous weekends. By the end though, the Black Sand tiki goddess, bearer of all good things, had left the beach, and a single sign remained fastened above the cage as a reminder of the play: “Only the Brave.”

2007 BSWC FINALS RESULTS
Pro Singles: Cliff Swain beats Rocky Carson
Pro Dubs: Marty Hogan/Scott Bauman def. Rock Carson/Rob Hoff
Masters Dubs: Rod Felton/Matt Robinson def. Rob Hoff/Gary Martin
Advanced Men Singles: Robbie Collins def. Dave Knox
Women Open Singles: Sarah Houghtailing def. Kaili Britos
Mixed Open Dubs: Mimi Greene/Bill Donges def. Michelle Luke/Scotty Bauman
Junior Singles: Robbie Collins def. Ethan Murao
Junior Doubles: Robbie Collins/Ethan Murao def. Micah Mizumoto/Kaili Britos