DF’s WPH Outdoor: By the Numbers: Through WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Season V
The WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Tour started in 2012 and has hosted 30 Big Ball Handball events in California, Mexico, Nevada, and Utah through its first five seasons. WPH Outdoor has provided a platform for the greatest big ball handball stars in the world to showcase their talents on an international stage, with WPH Outdoor elite stars featured live on ESPN3 several times a year. WPH Outdoor elite stars also serve as role models and coaches to junior handball players at WPH Outdoor stops.
Let’s break down some of the WPH Outdoor stats and trends in the WPH Outdoor By the Numbers
The first WPH Outdoor event was held in May of 2012 in Huntington Beach
WPH Outdoor has hosted 30 official ranking events since May of 2012
The youngest singles champion in WPH Outdoor history was Juan Santos, 17 years and 11 months
The largest junior clinics in WPH Outdoor history were the Venice Mega Clinic and 1-Wall Junior Shootout ’15 (85 junior players), the Back to School Bash Junior Clinics and 3-Wall Showdown (120 junior players), and the Vegas 3WallBall Outdoor Championships Junior Clinic and Tournament ’15 (75 junior players)
Juan Santos and Samzon Hernandez own the most WPH Outdoor singles titles in the history of the WPH Outdoor tour (tied with 12 each)
The only players to win a WPH Outdoor Big Ball Men’s Pro Singles titles besides Santos and Hernandez are Alfredo Morales (1), R. Ruiz (1), B. Medina (1), L. Valencia (1) and T. Gonzalez (4)
Juan Santos and Samzon Hernandez are the only players to be ranked #1 in men’s pro singles on the WPH Outdoor tour
The oldest WPH Outdoor men’s pro singles champion is Lobo Valencia at the 2015 Venice Xrossover (34)
The WPH Outdoor has hosted 19 women’s pro singles events since May of 2012
Tanisha Groomes has won the most WPH Outdoor singles titles (13)
The only players to have won a WPH Outdoor women’s singles title besides Groomes are A. Moler (1), T. Davis (1), C. Casey (2), Ciana Ni Churraoin (1), Danielle Daskalakis (1), Sandy Ng (1)
Tracy Davis was the oldest WPH Outdoor pro singles champion in history (39 at the 2016 X-Fest II 1-Wall Big Ball singles)
The youngest WPH Outdoor women’s pro singles champion in history was Ciana Ni Churraoin at the 2016 Vegas Lte (19)
Timothy Gonzalez won the first 1-Wall pro singles WPH Outdoor ranking event in history (Downey ’16). Gonzalez added 1-Wall ranking event titles at the Las Vegas 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships ’16 and the Simple Green U.S. Open ‘16
Marcos Chavez is the oldest WPH Outdoor singles finalist in history (42 at the Salt Lake City Aces ’16)
The only players to hold simultaneous Big Ball and Small Ball rankings on the Race 4 Eight tour and the WPH Outdoor Tour are Marcos Chavez, Mando Ortiz, Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin, Shorty Ruiz and Ashley Moler
WPH Outdoor Men’s and Women’s Big Ball Pro (A) Singles and Doubles entries by the season:
Season I (2012)
Men’s singles players: 159
Men’s doubles teams: 113 (226 players)
Women’s singles players: 28
Women’s doubles teams: 5 (10 players)
Total men’s players: 385
Total women’s players: 38
Total players: 423
Season II (2013)
Men’s singles players: 155
Men’s doubles teams: 79 (158 players)
Women’s singles players: 35
Women’s doubles teams: 15 (30 players)
Total men’s players: 313
Total women’s players: 65
Total players: 378
Season III (2014)
Men’s singles players: 148
Men’s doubles teams: 131 (262 players)
Women’s singles players: 31
Women’s doubles teams: 6 (12 players)
Total men’s players: 410
Total women’s players: 43
Total players: 453
Season IV (2015)
Men’s singles players: 175
Men’s doubles teams: 112 (224 players)
Women’s singles players: 27
Women’s doubles teams: 6 (12 players)
Total men’s players: 399
Total women’s players: 39
Total players: 438
Season V (2016)
Men’s singles players: 251
Men’s doubles teams: 135 (270 players)
Women’s singles players: 49
Women’s doubles teams: 31 (62 players)
Total men’s players: 521
Total women’s players: 80
Total players: 601
*Season V included 1-Wall Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles from the 2016 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships
Total men’s players through 29 events: 1,932
Total women’s players through 17 events: 257
Total combined players: 2,189
Tanisha Groomes has won 13 of 17 WPH Outdoor (3-Wall) women’s pro singles events in which she has entered (76%)
The only players to defeat Tanisha Groomes in WPH Outdoor 3-Wall Big Ball women’s singles are Catriona Casey (Xrossover ’15), Danielle Daskalakis (3WallBall Outdoor World Championships ’14 and ‘16), Ciana Ni Churraoin (Vegas Lte, ’16)
Ashley Moler won the first WPH Outdoor women’s pro singles event at the Cinco de Mayo 3 Wall Big Ball Shootout ’12 (defeated Mel Sky)
Samzon Hernandez was ranked in the top two of the WPH Outdoor rankings from the start of the tour in May of 2012 until February of 2016
Juan Santos won the first WPH Outdoor men’s pro singles event at the Cinco de Mayo 3 Wall Big Ball Shootout ’12 (defeated R. Ruiz)
Tanisha Groomes has faced match point and won seven times in WPH Outdoor women’s singles matches (most in WPH Outdoor history)
Sal Duenas is the only player to have played in every WPH Outdoor stop (30)
Alfredo Morales won his first WPH Outdoor Singles title at the X Fest II in his sixth appearance in a WPH Outdoor Singles final (1-5 in finals)
Timbo Gonzalez owned a 21-2 Big Ball singles record on the WPH Outdoor V tour (91%). Juan Santos owned a 24-4 Big Ball singles record on the WPH Outdoor V tour (86%). Gonzalez owned a 2-0 Big Ball singles record against Santos during the WPH Outdoor V season (Downey, Vegas Lte)
Ciana Ni Churraoin became the second Irish-born player to win a WPH Outdoor Big Ball Pro Singles Title at the 2016 Vegas Lte, 11 months after her compatriot Catriona Casey won the X Fest I in June of 2015
Timbo Gonzalez won the most singles ranking events on the WPH Outdoor V tour (4: Downey, Vegas Lte, 3WallBall 1-Wall Big Ball, Simple Green U.S. Open 1-Wall),
Juan Santos (Nietes Park, Salt Lake City Aces, Vegas 3WallBall) won three Outdoor V singles titles in 2016; Samzon Hernandez (IceMan Challenge, U.S. Open) won two singles titles, Alfredo Morales won one singles title(X Fest II)
In seven WPH Outdoor V Women’s Pro Singles events, there were seven different winners!
Vegas Lte (May): Ciana Ni Churraoin
X-Fest Small Ball 3-Wall (June): Catriona Casey
X-Fest Big Ball 3-Wall (June): Tanisha Groomes
X-Fest Big Ball 1-Wall (June): Tracy Davis
3WallBall Big Ball 1-Wall (September): Jenny Qu
3WallBall Big Ball 3-Wall (September): Danielle Daskalakis
U.S. Open (October): Sandy Ng
The seven different women’s singles champions during the WPH Outdoor V season traveled from two states and two countries
Danielle Daskalakis, Jenny Qu, Tracy Davis, Sandy Ng (New York)
Tanisha Groomes (California)
Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin (Ireland)
No player has ever won the 3-Wall Big Ball singles at the 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships and the Simple Green U.S. Open in the same year
Samzon Hernandez has never lost a 3-Wall Big Ball singles match at the Simple Green U.S. Open (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer