Asheville Badminton Club

With Sadness – Norm Wilhelmi

  A gentle giant with an infectious smile; he made the game wonderful to play.
We will miss him on our courts.

Montreat College Hall of Fame Inductee 1999

MONTREAT – Norm Wilhelmi, 86 went home to be with his Lord and Savior early Wednesday morning, October 24, 2012. A long-time resident of Montreat and member of Montreat Presbyterian Church, EPC, he was born on April 3, 1926, in Cicero, Ill.

During WW II Norm served in the U.S. Navy and saw action in the south Pacific including Iwo Jima. Following the war he gradated from Taylor University, Upland, Ind., where he met his beloved wife of 60 years, Eunice Berg Wilhelmi of Charlotte, N.C. In addition to Eunice, he is survived by his five children and seven grandchildren.

Norm served as mentor and life encourager for many friends all over the world. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Taylor University or Montreat Presbyterian Church, EPC.

OLYMPIC BADMINTON 2012

Top 5 Badminton Rallies from the Olympics

Gold Medal Dates
Aug. 3: Mixed Doubles
Aug. 4: Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles
Aug. 5: Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles

July 29
9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Badminton is scheduled to air on NBC Sports Network.
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.: Badminton is scheduled to air on MSNBC.

LINKS:

NBC Live Stream
2012 Olympic Website
Results
Badminton World Federation Olympic Page

NEWS
*  Super Dan primed to defend title
* Late schedule change infuriates badminton players

Badminton for Life Articles

March Madness is huge in North Carolina but for Badminton fans, the fun is year round. Whether you’re a Carolina or Duke basketball fan (go Blue Devils!) you can still find time to pop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a great match on the court. We only have two courts but play is continuous and switching out is considerate of player’s abilities and wait time. BTW, if you get information about competitions, e-mail to me so that I can post here for everyone to see! Thanks!

Johnnie Ho sent members a couple articles from Badminton for Life - check ‘em out. Each article is by a different noted expert in the sport of Badminton.

Especially clarifying (even though it’s probably been said a hundred times, seeing it in print helps) was the article on

Mixed Doubles:
In the classic mixed formation, the woman stays in front of the man, playing along and just behind the short service line, while the man retrieves shots hit to his half-court or back court. In mixed it is even more imperative not to lift, since the woman is so close at the net and vulnerable to smashes. Classic mixed is a slower game with more finesse than in regular doubles, the better to bring both partners into the rally. Again, each team is trying to hit shots that make the other team lift. Avoid shots that your opponents can meet above the tape, unless you manage to get the shot behind the striker.

If you do lift, the woman should not stay at the T and duck, but run away cross-court from where the shuttle is on the other side and take a position about 2-3 feet behind the short service line, squatting down and keeping the racket head up. She is only responsible for smashes and drops directed at her; the man gets everything else, including the down-the-line drop.

Since you are playing in an up-and-back formation, hitting cross-court is risky since you are vulnerable to a down-the-line return. Hit cross-court only if both opponents are on the same side of their court as the shuttle is on your side, or if you know you can hit a winner through the opposing woman.

Source: Washington State Badminton Association Newsletter Newsletter, Fall 1996
Author: Eugene Kumekawa

UMI – Delicious Art!

After an evening of  badminton, some of us celebrated the New Year. You must take a trip (30 min. from Asheville) to Hendersonville and visit UMI Japanese Fine Dining. View this slide show of some of the incredible presentations of Japanese and Fusion dishes. I have to confess to being somewhat of a traditionalist when it comes to Japanese food since I did grow up with it,  yet I was very impressed and absolutely delighted with the dinner hosted by owner Stephen Wang.  Chef owner, David Zheng, amazed us all evening. The one word to describe the sushi and sashimi was FRESH. It was almost like being at the world famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo- that fresh and that yummy! The tempura and vegetable udon was spot on; light and flavorful. I experienced Mussels Dynamite for the first time and it was amazing! Can’t wait to have that appetizer again.

I’ll certainly return and bring friends and family; do the same, you won’t be disappointed. And watch out for Stephen’s cross court drop; he’s got quick feet! The consensus at the end of the evening was a return trip for the Asheville Badminton Club, perhaps in March.

See you on the courts!