Vegas 3WallBall Q & A

The WPH had a chance to chat with some of the most successful and enthusiastic 3WallBall players in the five-year history of the event, as well as several of the WPH administrators and most passionate fans. Check out what these WPH 3WallBall enthusiasts had to say about their experiences at the 3WallBall Championships and being in Las Vegas.

Alfredo Morales: 2015 WPH Outdoor Venice Beach Xrossover Finalist

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: My room started with five people in the first year I played in the 3WallBall Championships and by the end of the weekend there were 20! Another year I arrived in Vegas at 3 am with Noe Garcia and our room wasn’t ready for another eight hours, so we slept at the courts
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The atmosphere, the shows, the amazing atmosphere, Fremont St., the Strip, and the nightlife. You can’t just choose one!
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: That you can play ALL DAY EVERYDAY! I can remember playing until 5 am one night. I also love that the 3WALLBALL Championships brings the handball family together from Ireland, Texas, New York, California and much more. You name the state and it’s there!
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Our group needed a ride and our taxi driver was straight out of prison. He told us he was just out of prison a couple of hours ago and just picked up this job. He drove like a maniac but we made it in one piece

Ricky Ruiz: 2014 3WallBall 3-Wall Big Ball Pro Finalist:

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Winning the inaugural 3-Wall Big Ball doubles with Samzon Hernandez
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: Everything
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: That atmosphere at the courts and four days of non-stop handball
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Getting married

Ashley Moler: Multiple-time 3WallBall Mixed Pro Doubles Champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: My best memory has to be playing a women’s doubles handball match that ended about 1 am and all the girls in the match lined up to take shots as soon as the game ended. Only in Vegas!!!
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: In Las Vegas anything goes! It’s like a big party for four days with a lot of handball, racquetball, and paddleball thrown in.
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The best thing about 3WB is all of the behind the scenes work and passion to help grow all 3 sports throughout the year, not only for one event in September.  Everyone involved has a dedication to keeping the sports we love alive and exciting.  I am very thankful for all the hard work!!!
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: The strangest experience was the windstorm a couple years ago. The players had to evacuate the courts due to crazy winds that could’ve turned extremely dangerous. When play resumed it was still windy, and I’ve never seen the ball move so crazy during a match

Mike Schneider: 1-Wall and 4-Wall small ball superstar

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The Top of the World restaurant
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: Club XS
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The crowd
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Getting a tattoo on my lower back that says bad girl

David Fink: Three-time 3WallBall small ball 3-Wall semifinalist

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Watching Sean Lenning hit a behind the back punch fist shot off a hopping 80 mph bullet when down match point against Luis Moreno, winning the rally and coming back to win the match in the tiebreaker (2011)
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: a lot of great memories from dozens of trips and always making new ones with each visit
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The crowds, the intensity of the matches, the night matches
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Getting thrown out of the Tyson-Holyfield I press conference when masquerading as a reporter after Tyson got knocked out (1997)

Sal Duenas: Two-time WPH Outdoor “Fab Four” member

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The first year that the WPH and the Stratosphere linked up in 2010 and making the 3-Wall Big Ball doubles final in the same year
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The people, the hype, and the “anything can happen” atmosphere. Also, I love staying at the Stratosphere-it can’t get any better than that
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The whole family coming out and being able to experience the event at the courts and on the Strip. The Stratosphere is always supporting the players and that’s amazing for the players
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: A rain delay in the middle of a drought, a wind storm that delayed Sunday’s finals in 2013 but didn’t stop any of the other action in Las Vegas. After the windstorm, the Stratosphere and the WPH were able to get the matches back on-court and conclude the event in classic fashion

Tom Flores: WPH Outdoor Tournament Manager

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: 2011, my first year attending the event. I loved it!
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The accessibility of going from your room to the courts—it’s handball heaven
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The diversity that the game brings. I really like watching the Paddle Ball, Racquetball, 1-Wall handball and especially the 3-Wall events. The multitude of players and fans really make it feel like the most epic event of the year each year
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: One year we played so late that players were coming to the desk to check-in for their morning matches and we had never gone to sleep…and it all felt normal!

Dave Vincent: WPH Executive Director

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Having 1-Wall great Howie Eisenberg (over 70 years of age) interrupt a live broadcast with a walk-on three-point private bet match, against arguably the greatest 3-Wall player of our time, Dave Chapman. Two legends from completely different generations for the world to see (impromptu). Chapman scored all three points, but was “worked” by his elder
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: Anything can happen (and usually does)
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: 3WallBall’s attempt to break stereotypes and standards while bringing all sports together for the betterment of the games
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Having the Stratosphere police wake me up in my room at 3:30 am with a flashlight beam in my eyes. The full story can be wrung out of Chris Maldonado and Abraham Montijo and/or Ivan Lugo but not I

Juan Santos: 3-time defending 3WallBall 3-Wall big ball singles champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Having my family there to support me
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: Walking down the Strip at night
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Bringing players from different sports and different states together in one event
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Nothing yet!

Luis Cordova: 2012 3WallBall pro small ball doubles finalist

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Beating Dave Chapman and Sean Lenning in doubles with my brother Daniel (two of the best of all-time)
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The atmosphere. Everyone has a great time and it’s always a lot of fun
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: How racquetball, paddle ball and handball are all united and everyone has the opportunity to see the other sports
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Hitting the ball into the floor on match point from two feet from the front wall in the 3-Wall Small Ball doubles final in 2012

Edgar Olivar: Multiple-time WPH Yellow Jersey winner

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The handball pool party at the Stratosphere after the tournament ended in 2012
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The Vegas shows
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Competing with an against players from all over
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: When I lost the last point in the semifinals of the 3-Wall Big Ball doubles when both teams had match point (rally scoring)

Timbo Gonzalez: #1 ranked 1-Wall big ball pro

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Defeating top-10 3-Wall Big Ball stars Flash Tojin and Boxer Rosales in 2013
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The intensity in every game and that players cherish every point
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Competing against players from all different states and the great prize money offered
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Making it to the finals of the 2013 WPH Outdoor Vegas Lte and taking a 13-3 lead to 15 on Samzon Hernandez and losing the game

Cesar Sala: Multiple-time 1-Wall small ball national champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Joining “The Club” (if you have to ask you’ll never know)
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: How the WPH runs the handball event
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The 3WallBall game combines all of the different skill sets that allows for players from all different versions of the game to compete on an even playing field
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: The day I arrived in 2014 there was crime scene tape around the front of the hotel because someone drove a car through the entrance!

Joe DelSardo: 2013 3WallBall “A” Small Ball singles champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Winning the A Small Ball singles in 2013 and the Stratosphere Buffet lunch
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The architecture and atmosphere. It’s fascinating to me to see the size and design of the properties. I also enjoy the poker scene
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The level of awareness, athleticism and conditioning required to play. You have no back wall to help, so you need to know the correct shots to hit and execute those shots. The conditioning becomes a major factor in the Vegas heat. 3WallBall is a true test of a player’s strength and endurance. I believe 3-Wall is the best form of handball, especially in Las Vegas
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: WPH Outdoor pro Sal Duenas crushing me 15-0, 15-0 in a practice match

Danielle Daskalakis: 2014 3WallBall 1-Wall Big Ball Women’s Pro Singles Champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Winning the 1-Wall Big Ball women’s pro singles final against Tracy Davis in 2014
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The pools in the hotels
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The size of the court for serving. It’s definitely a love/hate relationship for a good server
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Missing my flight in 2014 because I drank too much celebrating my 1-Wall Big Ball singles win

Jessica Peixoto: 2014 WPH Super Fan

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Watching my husband, Emmett Peixoto, playing doubles with Timbo Gonzalez and meeting Australian Vic Di Luzio
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: I love that the 3WallBall Championships brings in some amazing talent from all over the country and world across so many different variations of court sports. The energy amongst the handball players at this tournament is really unparalleled to any other and the support and respect the athletes give each other is commendable
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The brute athleticism the players all exhibit. With 3WallBall game, you really get to see handball in its rawest form
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: I’m shy so anytime the ESPN cameras zoom in on me or I have to give an interview I immediately get embarrassed

Martin Ruiz: 2014 WPH Yellow Jersey Winner

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Being crowned Corona Jr.
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: People coming from all over the world to have fun with the Southern California big ballers
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: 3WallBall brings people from all over the world together to play the sport they love
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Waking up drunk at 3 am to go back out to get more drunk

Abraham Montijo: 3-Time 3WallBall Pro Participant

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The 2014 3WallBall Small Ball Men’s Pro final between Nik Nahorniak and Shorty Ruiz. What a match!
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: I like how close we are able to stay to the courts at the Stratosphere. After the match you can just go back to the room or hit up the casino for a couple of hours
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The different events that take place—1-Wall, 3-Wall, small ball and big ball. The tournament is always high energy, and there is always one match that makes you say, “Wow!”
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: The strangest memory was watches matches at 3 am on Saturday night and seeing a hyped-up guy in a wheelchair cruising through the courts and yelling obscenities at everyone. There were still about 40 people at the courts at 3 am either playing, reffing or working

Marcos Chavez:  Reigning SR48 Player of the Year

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The gathering of the 3-Wall Big Ball players and the 1-Wall Big Ball players under the blazing Las Vegas sun
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: I like that after I’m done playing at night I can go out and have fun walking the town and gamble
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Being outdoors in the sun
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: I’ll keep that to myself!

Vic Perez: R48 Top 12 Pro

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Attempting to unsuccessfully devour the enormous burger at Roxy’s Diner. The next day I felt 25 pounds heavier as I played in 110 degree weather
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: Going to the pool parties and watching the famous DJ’s perform, even though drinks are $40
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Being able to compete in an outdoor setting where endurance and hydration are a major factor for success
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Being the loudest and most obnoxious table at the Stratosphere Buffet. We were denied mimosas soon after

Nik Nahorniak: 2014 3WallBall 3-Wall Small Ball Singles and Doubles Champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Winning the small ball pro singles and doubles at last year’s 3WallBall’s Championships. Having the chance to earn my first and second yellow jerseys was one of the proudest moments of my life
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: I like how the Las Vegas tournament brings a variety of players together from different parts of the world. Las Vegas is an exciting venue and has a lot to offer. To me, there is no other tournament that rivals the feeling of being in Las Vegas!
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: I like the social aspect of 3WallBall. 3WallBall feels like a picnic atmosphere to me, whereas in 4-Wall you might enter a tournament and never socialize with the person next to you. In addition, outdoor handball in Vegas combines two of the greatest forms of the game, 3-Wall and 1-Wall. Overall, 3WallBall is awesome!
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: I would have to say that my strangest and most reoccurring experience in Las Vegas has been getting hurt each year I have played there. Year one, I hurt my shoulder. Year two, I ran into the sidewall, hurting my forearm and elbow. Year three, I hurt my knee and tore my meniscus, but still was able to win my divisions. I am hoping to break this repeating cycle of injuries and finish strong again this September!

Sandy Ng: 5-time 3WallBall Pro Women’s Doubles Champion

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: Watching my friends jump from the roof. It looks so exciting that I might try it one day.
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: It is not only a tournament but also like a vacation.
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: The excitement everyone brings. Everyone wants to be there and win but also have a good time.
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Being late to a match when all we have to do is cross the street

Erik Torres: Top 20 R48 Pro

1. What has been your best memory at the Stratosphere: The view from the restaurant at stratosphere overlooking all of Las Vegas
2. What do you like most about Las Vegas: The pretty ladies!
3. What is the best thing about 3WallBall: Having paddleball, racket, and handball all at the same time. Plus, I feel like 3wallball is my strength
4. What is your most strange or embarrassing experience in Las Vegas: Nothing yet!