Los Angeles, CA, WPH Press, 12/8/24
The LAAC Handball Community were proud to host the 2024 Wafe Doubles on the first weekend of December at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, featuring a number of current and former Race 4 Eight pros.
“Wafe Risner was one of the longest living handball members at LAAC,” stated LAAC handball ambassador and Race 4 Eight pro Vic Perez. “Wafe was ninety years old and still competing in LAAC Shootouts. Court two at LAAC was named for Wafe after his passing.”
The 2024 Wafe Doubles featured an outstanding field that included current and former Race 4 Eight pros Marcos Chavez, Armando Ortiz, Erik Torres, Coleman McGrath, Sam Esser, Shorty Ruiz, Vic Perez, Jab Bike, Loren Collado, Dylan Hernandez, Chris Watkins, and hall of famer John Bike.
Pro Doubles
The 2024 Wafe divided the eight pro teams into two groups. Team Cordova advanced in Group 1, fighting off two match points against Team Torres/McGrath at 8-10 in the tiebreaker.
“Coleman and Erik were diving everywhere,” stated Shorty Ruiz.
“Best tiebreaker I’ve seen in a long time,” tournament director Rafael Martinez would later say.
Team Vando (Perez/Ortiz) defended their home court in Group 2, defeating Team Ruiz/Esser to meet Team Cordova in the final.
Team Vando played with pride and emotion on their home court, stunning Team Cordova in two games to take the 2024 Wafe.
“(The final was) Amazing,” stated Martinez. “In the second game Vic and Mando were down, Vic them got them back in, and Mando went crazy.”
Final: Team Vando def Team Cordova 21-20-21-20
Watch the 2024 Wafe Final on the USHA Southern Region Facebook page HERE
DigiFlex Exhibition Singles: Marcos vs. Jab
Marcos Chavez faced Jab Bike in a special #Digiflex singles exhibition before the final. The former SR48 #1 and Race 4 Eight Elite 8 member Marcos Chavez took the first game 15-9 against the current R48 #16, dropped the second game 15-6 and rallied from 0-5 down in the tiebreaker to win the Digiflex showdown. “I felt slow. I’m not moving my feet as fast but that’s just because I haven’t been playing the guys,” Marcos would later say. “I was sucking a lot of air and my legs felt heavy. This was a wake up call on how I need to bring up my game for the LAAC SR48 in March. I hope to make the finals there.”
Final: Chavez def Jab Bike 15-9, 6-15, 11-7
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110+ Wafe Champions: John Bike/Chris Watkins
120+ Wafe Champions: Greg Tomasyan/Joe Pacheco
Thank you to SR48 pro and Wafe tournament director Rafael Martinez for an outstanding event at the LAAC.
For more information on the 2024 Wafe Risner Doubles Tournament, go HERE
Enter the March 21-23, 2025 LAAC Race 4 Eight R48/WR48/SR48 HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer