Alaskans competing in the 2011 Joola NATT Teams

Andy Hutzel and Karl Augestad, Baltimore, MD in 2003. Karl first attended in 1989 when the Teams were held in Detroit.

Nov. 9, 2011. This year I am participating in the 2011 Joola North American Team Championships in Baltimore, MD during Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 25-27, 2011.  Andy Hutzel, 63 from Eagle River is also participating on team "Loop there it is!" with fellow players from New Jersey and elsewhere.  I am team captian on the "Arctic Frost Spin" team.  I am joined by local 5 time UAA college TT champion and current employee of Action Video Production, Kyle Yan, 23 from Anchorage.  He is familiar with Baltimore as his father lives there and has played as some local TT clubs including Club Joola in Rockville.  This will be his first participation in the teams.  

We are joined by Ralph Stadleman, 65 from Las Vegas who has played at the teams dating back to 1965 in Detroit. A friend of Andy Hutzel he recruited him while in Vegas just before the Huntsman Games.  Another teammate is Ryan Ghol

The above photo was taken at the NATT Teams at the convention center in 2003. This year will be my 7th time participating with my first appearance back in 1989 in Detroit, MI.

Like this year and in 2003 Andy and I will be on separate teams.  This year Kyle will experience the energy and excitement. Walking in to a venue and seeing and hearing 150+ tables all in play!

I encorage other players of all skill levels to get involved and come to this fun tournament.  Weather you win or lose you play lots of matches over the 3 days.  All round robin events so your team is guarenteed to play 9 other teams.  In 2003 I played 127 games on "4 in 24" a 3 person team and in 2007 the "Alaskan Assassins" (Haithem Salman, Jorg Heger, Andy Hutzel & Karl Augestad) made it to the finals in our division finishing 2nd place.

New Website & my exposure to ping pong

Nov. 7, 2011.  Well I should be doing my day job as a video producer but I am here at work building this new website adding information, photos, links and learning how to build a website.  

This is Karl Augestad.  I started playing Table Tennis since about the 4th Grade.  I was about 9 years old.  I remember visiting my neighbors home across the street who had a ping pong table in their basement.  We would play for hours and there were the "house rules".  Like no hitting to the far right on one side of the table as the edge of the Boiler room cabinet was sticking out and thus made that side of the table only 4' behind the back end of that table.  The other side had plenty of room do you become a blocker real quick.  I bought my first "real" paddle at JC Penneys in downtown Anchorage.  An Akitsu paddle with red rubber on both sides.  A pre assembled racket sold in their sporting goods department.  I really had my eye on the Yasaka rackets with Stiga Mark V 2.0mm red rubber... the classic All Around Kjell Johansson, Al Sier and Stellen Bengstonn.  They were out of my price range.  My friend Mike D. had one and everyone wanted to use it when he did not play.  Well I finally got mine the Kjell Johansson model with the "MARK V" rubber.  What a racket!  Light weight, spinny rubber and fast.  Almost too fast for me.  Just last week the "The Hammer" Kjell Johannson passed away Oct. 24, 2011 at 65 following a long illness according the the ITTF.  

My first reccollection of competition where I felt really nervious was when I competed in the 1976 Arctic Winter Games representing Alaska as a Junior athlete.  Boyd Bennett was my coach.  I was accumpied by David Evans and Doug Wollover.  Back then there were 3 junior boys, 3 junior girls, 3 adult women and 3 adult men on each team.  I was fortuant to have been placed on the team as during the tryouts I finished 4th.  Just out of contention to be placed on the team.  But 2 of the top players could not come up with the funds to cover their airfare so David and I got to be part of the team.  A life-altering experience.  I did not know it at the time though.  The Games were held in Shefferville, Quebec Canada.  My first charter flight to Canada with all the other athletes.  I competed in singles, mxed doubles and teams.  Ended up with 2 silvers and a bronze.  Mixed doubles with my then girl friend April Ward.  Boyd would always tease me about that I was "chasing the girls".  For some reason I don't remember it that way.  I guess at 17 years old it must have been so.  

Arctic Winter Games Team Alaska Tryouts

Oct. 28, 2011, Athletes are welcome to tryout for the Arctic Winter Games Table Tennis team:  Juniors Male and Female Singles, born in 1994 or later. Juveniles Male andFemale Singles, born in 1997 or later. 

Arctic Winter Games Tryouts: for the 2012 Team Alaska open to Male & Female born 1994 or after. Bidding for 2 Junior Male & 2 Junior Female team member positions 2 each Juvenile Male & 2 Juvenile Female. More info at: AWG 2012 Technical Package PDF at: http://www.awg2012.org/Files/TP%20-%20Table%20Tennis.pdf

This is a Blog Page

Weekly blog posts coming.  News includes in state tournaments and events.  Players traveling to other states or courntries for International or National tournaments.  Updates on players profiles.  Inductees to the Alaska Table Tennis Hall of Fame.  Clubs throughout the state.  Want to start a club somewhere in Alaska, contact me and I can show you how.