Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 10/28/21
The World Players of Handball’s Race 4 Eight Tour is thrilled to host the 2021 Tucson Memorial/Race 4 Eight X Stop #1, November 5-7, 2021 at the Tucson Racquet Club, located at 4001 N. Country Club Rd, Tucson, AZ 85716.
More info on the 2021 Tucson Memorial HERE
The Tucson Memorial was designed by local handball players in early 2015 to honor those in our community that have left us, following the mantra: Life is what you celebrate. Every ounce of it. Even it’s End.
“This is not a somber event, instead it’s a celebration of life and the sport we love most… HANDBALL!!!” exclaimed WPH Executive Director Dave Vincent. “This year’s Memorial, the handball community will be celebrating those that helped progress the game; members of our handball community that have passed; past champions and future players of the game with the Tucson Memorial Handball Tournament!”
The Tucson Memorial has historically attracted the game’s best players and this year’s edition will be no different, as the current world champion and world #1 Killian Carroll will headline a field of top pros that also includes the Flying Cordovas, Sean Lenning, David Fink, Leo Canales, Jr., Shorty Ruiz. Abraham Montijo, and a number of other Race 4 Eight pros.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am for the upcoming tournament to kick off the Race for Eight season,” stated R48 Next Gen star Leo Canales, Jr. “Not only am I excited to compete again, but to also see all of our handball family and friends from all over. We’ve all been waiting for this day for almost two years now and no better way to kick it off than in Tucson. I love playing in Tucson because of the great hospitality, the electric crowd, and the tough competition. The Memorial always has a great draw and it is exciting to see the amount of players that have signed up for the tournament this year. I have been playing in many of the three wall tournaments this past year to help prepare for this season. I am excited to get back on the court and play the game I love”
“I’m really excited to have the Race 4 Eight season back after being off for two years,” stated multiple-time Race 4 Eight qualifier and R48 Next Gen star Max Langmack. “I missed the opportunity to travel and play at the highest level of handball against the game’s best. I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends and being a part of another great Race 4 Eight season! The Memorial is always a great tournament that I look forward to every year.”
“I’m really looking forward to playing in Tucson again after nearly a two-year hiatus,” stated Race 4 Eight veteran Stephen Cooney. “Every player is delighted to have the tour come back and are grateful for the opportunity to play handball at the highest level. That’s what this is all about and I hope in Tucson everybody is in shape and prepared to do battle because we know the handball fans need this after the long wait.”
“As with every tournament, I’m looking forward to seeing people that I haven’t seen in a long time,” stated R48 pro Abraham Montijo. “After such a long time without having a 4-Wall tournament, it’s going to be interesting to see how players have kept their motivation and their fitness levels. More-so than the previous Memorial Tournaments, I feel that this year will be an emotional one. We have lost many good friends these last two years. It will be sad but comforting to honor their memories and talk about what we remember about them amongst friends and family.”
Joining the top Race 4 Eight Men’s pros will be several of the women’s top stars, skill level and age division players, as well as a number of junior players.
“We take a lot of pride in hosting the Tucson Memorial,” stated Vincent. “No detail is too small in preparing for this mega event, as we have a tremendous staff and an outstanding group of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure this event is a massive success.”
2021 Tucson Memorial Fun Facts
- The 2021 Tucson Memorial will be the 64th Race 4 Eight event, dating back to the first Race 4 Eight event at the Plummer Bash in October of 2011
- There will have been 614 days since the last Race 4 Eight event at the RFC in Pittsburgh, PA until the 2021 Tucson Memorial
- The 2021 Tucson Memorial will be one of four 2021/22 Race 4 Eight events being held in Tucson
- The 2021 Tucson Memorial will feature $50k in prize money, making it one of the biggest prize money purses in the history of the sport
- Five of the top 11 men’s pro seeds are members of the Tucson Racquet Club
- Each of the 2021 Memorial’s top five seeds have appeared in multiple Race 4 Eight finals, while none of the remaining seeds have ever played in a Race 4 Eight final
- Five of the seven Race 4 Eight match-win Race 4 Eight leaders are the top five seeds at the 2021 Memorial (Lenning, Fink, Carroll, Lucho, Danos)
- The first 63 Race 4 Eight events were held in 15 different states
- Killian Carroll will be trying to win his 16th Race 4 Eight tile at the 2021 Tucson Memorial, which would make him the most winning champion in Race 4 Eight history (Carroll is currently tied with Paul Brady with 15 R48 titles – Carroll has won 15 of his 30 Race 4 Eight starts)
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2021/22 Race 4 Eight X Powered by ESPN will reintroduce the world to 4-Wall pro handball following a 20-month hiatus due to the pandemic. Through the first nine Race 4 Eight seasons the Race 4 Eight hosted 63 events, featuring the world’s best players from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Ireland.
Similar to Nascar’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer