Pickleball Magazine 2019 USA National Championships | Page 37

T
he Pickleball Hall of Fame (PHOF) inducted its
third class on November 8. Three players in
the Competitor category and one individual in
the Contributor category were honored during
the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships
in Indian Wells, California.
Formed in 2017, PHOF recognizes individuals who
have achieved exceptional results in pickleball play
over the course of their careers, as well as those who
have made exceptional contributions to the growth,
development and leadership of the game. All inductees
must have also demonstrated a high level of character,
integrity, sportsmanship and consideration for others,
earning the respect and admiration of their peers. To
qualify for consideration, nominees in the Contributor
and Competitor categories should have impacted or
dominated on a national or international level for a
minimum of five years. Competitors must also have
played at the highest level in major tournaments. Each
of the 2019 PHOF inductees far exceeded the minimum
requirements in years of involvement, competitive records
and contributions to the growth of the sport.
The main event was a festive dinner held at the
Desert Horizons Country Club. As in the past two years,
inductees were introduced and presented stories of
their backgrounds and individual accomplishments.
Each honoree received an engraved ring, their official
Pickleball Hall of Fame jacket and a plaque highlighting
their achievements. The following day, the four honorees
were introduced to spectators and players at the 2019
Margaritaville USAPA National Championships on
Championship Court.
The first inductee, Dan Gabanek, was honored for
dominating the sport from 1988 to 2014. Born in
Czechoslovakia, Dan moved to the U.S. in 1969 at age 5.
He was first introduced to pickleball at Seattle’s McClure
Junior High School in 1976. Dan began competing in
tournaments in 1985 and quickly rose to the top. He
was ranked #1 in Men’s Doubles from 1989 to 1998
and ranked #1 in Men’s Singles from 1988 to 1992. His
record includes over 13 Open Mixed Doubles titles and
four National Championship titles.
Born in Mexico, Enrique Ruiz moved to the U.S. as a
child. This 48-year-old has dominated the sport for over
25 years. In addition to numerous medals won before
current majors, he is a 10-time National Champion with
six wins in Open events. He is also a five-time gold
medalist of the International Indoor Championships and
three-time winner of the Tournament of Champions. He
is an ambassador of the sport, promoting its growth and
expansion throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The third inductee in the Competitor category was
Jennifer Lucore, a Californian from Oceanside. At
age 53, she has dominated the sport from 2010 until
present. Jennifer has won gold at 17 USAPA National
Championships, 11 Canadian Nationals, six at the
Huntsman World Senior Games, six International titles,
four at the Tournament of Champions and two Minto
US Open Pickleball Championships. She holds the
most National and International titles of any female
pickleball player to date. In addition, with her mom,
Beverly Youngren, Jennifer is the co-author of “History of
Pickleball: More Than 50 Years of Fun!”
The fourth 2019 inductee was Steve Paranto from
Oregon. Following in the footsteps of his late father,
Arlen Paranto, who was inducted in the inaugural class
of 2017, Steve was recognized for his contributions. As
the co-developer of modern, non-wood paddles, Steve
was also credited with designing and creating the first
Magnum oversized paddles. The first lightweight paddles
were made from airplane floor panel materials that Arlen
purchased from Boeing’s Surplus Store. This innovation
revolutionized pickleball. Almost all paddles made today
reflect Arlen and Steve’s basic design. Steve is also a
highly rated player. He started playing in 1974 when he
was 18, and has been playing at the Open/5.0 level for
45 years. He has promoted the growth of pickleball by
teaching, coaching and directing tournaments for over
30 years.
The 2019 honorees join six who were inducted in
2017 and three who were added in 2018. Pictures and
biographical posters of all PHOF members can be viewed
where they are being temporarily hosted at Pickleball
Central’s Pickleball Station in Kent, Washington. Complete
bios of each PHOF member can be found at the blogsite
https://pickleballhalloffame.blogspot.com.
For more information about the Pickleball Hall of Fame,
visit pickleballhalloffame.com. Here you will also find
guidelines and forms to submit your nominations for the
class of 2020. If you would like to be part of the process
to determine the Pickleball Hall of Fame inductees,
there are three openings on both the nomination and
selection committees. Read through the guidelines at
pickleballhalloffame.com and submit a letter with your
background and qualifications for board review. •
2019 USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS EDITION |
MAGAZINE
35