This wonderful place called VRC

[cappy75]

I just wanna write in to tell everybody who hasn't already clued in to the fact that there's this fantastic badminton facility called the Vancouver Racquets Club. Initially, I had reservations about the club as I heard about its legendary inhospitality to newcomers and its cadre of snobs... from ex-VRC players:o. However, nothing can be further from the truth.

This past summer has been the best time I have had and it's all because of the friendly people I met in the club. Thanks to its 24/7 facility access and the pool of high calibre players, I have made enormous strides in my game. If anybody has any hesitation about joining the club, take it from me... you won't after awhile:p.

Here are some of the VRC-BF'er folks I want to thank for making my time at the club so enjoyable... <ok, cue the violin...>

Badrad: numero uno guy who first introduced me to the wonders of VRC. It's always a pleasure joking with badrad, it's too bad that he didn't come out for games much due to injury and work:(.

Timeless: an inspiration for me (ok, I have told you many times... but that doesn't make it any less true, buddy!) and made me saw the game in a different light. He also guided me in my efforts to be the best badder I could be. It won't be the same w/o his help:(.

Speed78: the most wonderful lady I have ever met. She and her husband made me feel very welcomed the first few times I dropped in at the club. It's because of them that I get to know lots of great people through them:). Saturday night-Sunday morning at VRC just doesn't feel right w/o at least a post-game supper with them:p.

PeteLSD and SchrodingerCat: the Lai bros are the best pals to be around. They know almost everything there is to know about computer and badminton equipment:eek:! I have had tons of fun playing and training with them:). OK, SchrodingerCat... no need to apologise for it:D.

TTT and SmashingBird: most fun I have playing with or against them. How can I not thank them for their funny albeit long running rivalry with each other:p? It's soap opera quality here, man:p!

Marky: now here's another friendly face at the club. Always fun to chat with him... like hearing his agony as a family man:D. If I ever feel bad about being single, I know who to talk to for cheers:p. I am also happy to see him kick ass out there on the courts occasionally:p.

Well, there are many others I would like to thank but I just couldn't recall their nicks on BF;). Once again, it's been great experience at the VRC. You guys are motivation enough for me to try my darnest to get back into the club:). Hope to see you soon!

Peace out:D!

[badrad]

how time flies when your having fun - i just put my fingers to the keyboard to crunch out a new software version and before i realized it, a couple months have passed by. i think i can count the number of times i played at the club through this summer on one hand.
and also after 9 months and counting - the shoulder injury still nags at me. doesn't hurt any more, but there must be some scars inside, as there are crackling sounds from the joint the times i have played. you probably see me fooling around with the shoulder in between points - it's kinda cool listening to the grinding sound and pops.

cappy - you can always still come back to play as guest, or see how the personal stuff goes through the fall - November is usually a rush for some new members since the season is pro-rated from then on to April.

[604badder]

So now that your summer membership's over, will we see you back at Collingwood? Hope to see you Sunday :)

[cappy75]

Heh! 604badder, care to join me the next time I apply for VRC membership:D? With your conscientious drive for improvement, I am sure you'll fit right in with the crowd:).

Badrad, I will visit the club to chat up with you guys whenever I can. Drop-in as playing guest is still pricy, especially now that I am eyeing for full membership later in the year. Will add my name to waiting list once I am in a better position to do so.

[Loh]

Heh! 604badder, care to join me the next time I apply for VRC membership:D? With your conscientious drive for improvement, I am sure you'll fit right in with the crowd:).

Hi cappy75,

Good to note that you've enjoyed yourself at VRC and got to know so many members. Care to post some pix in due course for faraway BFers like me to try to relate to what you've described? :)

[cappy75]

Heh! Thanks Loh! I doubt I will try with my cheapie digicam after the last bashing I got from some of our esteemed BF photog enthusiasts for my latest handiwork:o. Best to experience it first hand! Come on out to Vancouver, Loh! We'll give you the full red-carpet welcome! Even better if you could tag Ants along with you;).

[Marky]

You have very kind compliment on me. In fact I must thank your valuable time in practicing me through out the summer. I won’t be able to improve if not yours (and timeless’s) effort. I hope you can come back and join this community soon. All the best to you.

[SmashingBird]

Crappy75,
I noticed you improved a lot, your work habbits are excellent, too bad you can't come back. Rest In Peace buddy.

[speed78]

What little we have done not deserve mentioning, :o you feel welcomed is because of your good behavior which makes people like to intimate with you.:) (Look what happen to KXX.....;) .) "Birds of a feather flock together", anyway thanks for the encomium. Hope you rejoin VRC soon! We are on the tiptoe of expectation.

[Pete LSD]

Humm, KXX is properly reading this posting ;) .


What little we have done not deserve mentioning, :o you feel welcomed is because of your good behavior which makes people like to intimate with you.:) (Look what happen to KXX.....;) .) "Birds of a feather flock together", anyway thanks for the encomium. Hope you rejoin VRC soon! We are on the tiptoe of expectation.

[speed78]

Oh! So sorry, may be I should call him "LONG JEUAN FONG".:D

[SmashingBird]

Oh! So sorry, may be I should call him "LONG JEUAN FONG".:D

yah that might be less obvious...

to be..or not to be....or to not be what is not to be

[Pete LSD]

Yes, Speed78 is being philosophical. It's like saying what is NMD as to TMD?


yah that might be less obvious...

to be..or not to be....or to not be what is not to be

[15Love]

we shall miss seeing you at the VRC. Your keenness makes us old cynical longtime members slightly less jaded!

[cappy75]

Hey Marky,

It's my pleasure to help you out:)! I think the credit should go to Timeless as he gave you lots of tips to correct your form. Without guidance, you would waste more movement and energy for the same result. You got what you deserved as you worked really hard for it. So don't be a slouch, keep it up:D! I want to see you make ME run when I come back;).


You have very kind compliment on me. In fact I must thank your valuable time in practicing me through out the summer. I won’t be able to improve if not yours (and timeless’s) effort. I hope you can come back and join this community soon. All the best to you.

[cappy75]

Really?! And here I thought you guys missed me cuz you made me run all over the court everytime I play against you:p.


we shall miss seeing you at the VRC. Your keenness makes us old cynical longtime members slightly less jaded!

[timeless]

Cappy!

My friend, it's been nothing but fun, laughs, and good times this summer. Your hard work, dedication, and utmost friendliness is an inspiration to all. You will most certainly be missed. This week, the hall definitely felt different with one less kindred spirit among our ranks. Please return to us soon!

[cappy75]

Heh! True enough, how can one not reciprocate to nice people? It really boggles my mind sometimes about unruly people:(. You and your husband has been really nice to me and really didn't make it any easier for me to leave:crying:.


What little we have done not deserve mentioning, :o you feel welcomed is because of your good behavior which makes people like to intimate with you.:) (Look what happen to KXX.....;) .) "Birds of a feather flock together", anyway thanks for the encomium. Hope you rejoin VRC soon! We are on the tiptoe of expectation.

[cappy75]

Well, timeless... you set an example for all to follow. Now that you're a director, it's more visible than ever:D.


Cappy!

My friend, it's been nothing but fun, laughs, and good times this summer. Your hard work, dedication, and utmost friendliness is an inspiration to all. You will most certainly be missed. This week, the hall definitely felt different with one less kindred spirit among our ranks. Please return to us soon!

[cappy75]

Awww... I can feel the love, man:rolleyes:. Don't miss me too much, I won't be gone for long:D!


Crappy75,
I noticed you improved a lot, your work habbits are excellent, too bad you can't come back. Rest In Peace buddy.

[cappy75]

Ay Caramba! Missed out a few other familiar VRC-BF'ers...

The 15Loves: Friendly and always accommodating Mr and Mrs 15Love. They have two of the nicest smiles in the club, they are perfect blends of charm and skills. Wonders to behold both on and off the courts, I can only imagine how good and lovely a badminton player their daughter will be when she grows up. Mr. 15Love is probably one of the best BF badder I have met yet. I could only consider myself good when I can keep up with him in a singles game. Trust me, it won't be any time soon:rolleyes:.

richho: All-round nice guy who's ever patient with my mistakes whenever I partnered with him. Richho doesn't play as much as the other members but he can give a good game when he's on. Do watch out for his deadly cross-court drops:p.

[TTT]

ok, it's been almost a week. Joke is over, come back!! :D

It's been fun playing with you cappy75 and thx for all the tips you have given me. So, when are you coming back man...

[Pete LSD]

Are you coming back in November? We are waiting! Oh, I personally witnessed TTT's improvement last night. It was amazing. Your coaching made a world of difference. He smashed continuous during one sesson without pumping one into the net. Now, that's a record. :D


ok, it's been almost a week. Joke is over, come back!! :D

It's been fun playing with you cappy75 and thx for all the tips you have given me. So, when are you coming back man...

[LazyBuddy]

Man, good times always fly by faster than we expected. I think I know exactly the feeling, when i was on my way home from van...

Seems the masters are still in perfect shape, while the others having great improvement. Wondering how I am going to survive when I visit again... :crying:

[richho]

Cappy75,

So good that i am still remembered..haha.joking.

Actually you make me headache when i play against you ,for you are left handed. I always keep in mind to avoid attacking your forehand.You know it is quite hard to do that.I have to think it over before i return the bird,otherwise i will collapse if i am nailed by your strong forehand smash. :eek:

ya,there is lots of fun partnering with you.I make mistakes too and thank you for your generousity and tolerance. :)

My cross court drops is not that good as you describe.That's my only weapon ,for my smash and backhand suck.Too bad my cross court drops don't work anymore now becoz speed78 knows wherever i drops.Gees :D

Looking forward to seeing you in VRC soon!

Richho

[cappy75]

Really?! Cool! Man, there's so much to great action to catch even when one's not playing:p. Gotta at least drop-in and visit with you guys once in awhile:).

Great stuff, TTT... keep it up, man:)!


Are you coming back in November? We are waiting! Oh, I personally witnessed TTT's improvement last night. It was amazing. Your coaching made a world of difference. He smashed continuous during one sesson without pumping one into the net. Now, that's a record. :D

[SmashingBird]

heard from my friend that sally yip went to play at vrc this week for 3 nights in a row, too bad I didn't go :(

[timeless]

You should have told me you were a fan. Could have gotten you an autograph or something. I've seen her quite a few times over the past couple years. She's a big badminton fan and comes to play at the club everytime she's in town for a concert.

[Marky]

I was on Wed. night session and when I left the club at 1:30 am, Ms. Sally was still there. She must have big fun of and enjoy the games. In the last few games, she partnered with Steve (well, Steve did all the amazing back court running) against Brian and Phobe. For all local BFers who absented that night, you missed the chance of asking autograph :-)

[TTT]

Marky, she was there on Wed night?? All I remembered was practicing with you in court 6 and 7.....totally missed it

[TTT]

heard from my friend that sally yip went to play at vrc this week for 3 nights in a row, too bad I didn't go :(

It's sally yeh, not yip

[Marky]

Oh yes, I thought you know that. Uh!?! Then, you missed her presence.

[TTT]

Oh yes, I thought you know that. Uh!?! Then, you missed her presence.

I concentrated on what I was doing when practicing, and basically filtered out what was going on in the other courts. Oh well, I am not really a big fan of her anyways.

If Kelly Chen comes along...then...*drool* it's a different story. :D

[kwun]

Sally Yip came to the bay area a couple of years ago. i got called from a friend who knows her and says she was looking for some badminton games and wondered if i could help. i said, sure, give me a call. but i never heard back from them again.

[SmashingBird]

actually i saw both sally yip and george lam this week at lansdowne doing a press conference, just never thought she was a badminton fan too and would be playing at my club..haha. I m not really a fan of hers, I just like some of hers and george lams songs.

[Kitty]

I was there on Wednesday night but I didn't see her??!!! :confused: :eek: What time did she get there? I left at 10:15 pm. :(


I was on Wed. night session and when I left the club at 1:30 am, Ms. Sally was still there. She must have big fun of and enjoy the games. In the last few games, she partnered with Steve (well, Steve did all the amazing back court running) against Brian and Phobe. For all local BFers who absented that night, you missed the chance of asking autograph :-)

[wood_22_chuck]

Nobody had a camera?! :confused:

Man, TTT must be in super-training-mode! :eek:

-dave

[cooler]

who are all this sally yip and Kelly Chen :confused:
HK singers sensation?

HK deprived Cooler :(

[cappy75]

Sally Yeh (or Yip) is from Taiwan originally. She's a pop-singer/actress. I have only saw one of her movies though, "Peking Opera Blues". It's cool to know about her passion for badminton. Yeah, one gets to bump shoulders with HK or Hollywood celebrities on a regular basis in Vancouver.


who are all this sally yip and Kelly Chen :confused:
HK singers sensation?

HK deprived Cooler :(

[Pete LSD]

Sally is a baddie manic just like the rest of the 1 am VRC gang. She doesn't have the big power and fast speed you see from Brain, but her anticipation and positioning are very good. I didn't recognize her at first until speed78 pointed out. Anyone know if how long Sally will stay in town? I am going tonight for group baddie.

Brain (just back from training in Guangzhou) simply outpower Steve, so the outcome is expected.

[15Love]

That would be Bryan.

[cappy75]

Or maybe Brian:D.


That would be Bryan.

[Marky]

I think it spells Bryan. The attached is an extract from the recent club newsletter.

[boobee]

Halooo Friend ...

I am so glad that u enjoyed VRC so muchhh ... If you wanna join as Full time member, you'd better go put urself in the Adult Waitlist lfor next year la !!!

[cappy75]

Oh definitely! Are you a VRC member as well? Perhaps we have met before if you are:p. Despite being a summer member, I was fortunate to know lots of people there.


Halooo Friend ...

I am so glad that u enjoyed VRC so muchhh ... If you wanna join as Full time member, you'd better go put urself in the Adult Waitlist lfor next year la !!!

[richho]

Halooo Friend ...

I am so glad that u enjoyed VRC so muchhh ... If you wanna join as Full time member, you'd better go put urself in the Adult Waitlist lfor next year la !!!


I guess BOOBEE is one of the directors of VRC :p

[Marky]

As usual, the 1 am-gang was there. From nowhere we popped up an idea of group training. Timeless was the master of the drill and we ran over court for the back court and drop shots. What a fun; we all laugh to death for those who missed the easy shots. Who the 1 am-gang last night?... Pete, Smashingbird, TTT, Speed78 and me.

This wonderful place called VRC.

[Pete LSD]

Early this morning was great. Felt like I was in HK again. Next time we should do multi-shuttle drills.


As usual, the 1 am-gang was there. From nowhere we popped up an idea of group training. Timeless was the master of the drill and we ran over court for the back court and drop shots. What a fun; we all laugh to death for those who missed the easy shots. Who the 1 am-gang last night?... Pete, Smashingbird, TTT, Speed78 and me.

This wonderful place called VRC.

[kwun]

As usual, the 1 am-gang was there. From nowhere we popped up an idea of group training. Timeless was the master of the drill and we ran over court for the back court and drop shots. What a fun; we all laugh to death for those who missed the easy shots. Who the 1 am-gang last night?... Pete, Smashingbird, TTT, Speed78 and me.

This wonderful place called VRC.
doing badminton drill at 1am? that's that's... fanatism. i cannot find a better word to describe it!

[Pete LSD]

We were very gung ho about it too. Everyone was very serious and concentrated to do their best. The drills are the key to major improvement. Marky should improve a lot for the next couple of weeks.


doing badminton drill at 1am? that's that's... fanatism. i cannot find a better word to describe it!

[timeless]

You guys did great! :D
Made me tired just watching you guys hehehe.

[timeless]

doing badminton drill at 1am? that's that's... fanatism. i cannot find a better word to describe it!
I'm sure you would have lead the pack if you were with us! ;) :D

Kwun, next time you come to visit us, you should stay a week. I think your visit would reach a different level of camaraderie if you trained as well as played with us for a week! Kinda like a badminton exchange.:D :cool:

[Marky]

Hei Cappy, you are back! Full time member; congratulation.

[speed78]

Hei Cappy, you are back! Full time member; congratulation.Really? "BINGO":D :D :D Just found a new restaurant in Richmond and got the VIP card, so let's have the welcome party there on this Saturday night......Oh! I should say Sunday morning.:rolleyes: It opens till 3AM.

[kwun]

I'm sure you would have lead the pack if you were with us! ;) :D

Kwun, next time you come to visit us, you should stay a week. I think your visit would reach a different level of camaraderie if you trained as well as played with us for a week! Kinda like a badminton exchange.:D :cool:
sounds like a really cool thing to do. i will certainly be up for it! :)

a week might be stretching it though. now i need to make sure when we visit, we find a place close to VRC. might get a ring from Peter at 1am asking me if i want to go do some drills... haha. :)

[cappy75]

Ugh! I got out, but they pull me back in!!! Looks like I can't escape my destiny:D. Thanks to Marky and pal for my swift return to VRC:).



Hei Cappy, you are back! Full time member; congratulation.

[wood_22_chuck]

Was it painful, cappy75? Being away for 4 WHOLE WEEKS away from VRC? :D

Dude, PM me your regular weekly schedule for VRC and I'll see if I can fit that.

-dave

[cappy75]

Not as much until I get all the fabulous updates from timeless, made it worse for me:crying:. I was missing out, man! I will still hang out at Collingwood on Sundays to practice with 604Badder. Since Collingwood will be battleground for the Nov. tourney, I gotta habituate myself to the lay of the land;). Will also drop-in at Cameron on Mondays cuz a pal of mine is playing there and won't be back to VRC until May... so that means Wednesdays and Saturdays are official playing days and rest of the week for drills and weight training.

Yeah, dude... let me know when you want to drop-in. BTW, you should try to join up. Full time membership is payable on a monthly basis... comes out to $60+ per month. I think you can afford that much for three times a week all-you-can-play:D.


Was it painful, cappy75? Being away for 4 WHOLE WEEKS away from VRC? :D

Dude, PM me your regular weekly schedule for VRC and I'll see if I can fit that.

-dave

[timeless]

Really? "BINGO":D :D :D Just found a new restaurant in Richmond and got the VIP card, so let's have the welcome party there on this Saturday night......Oh! I should say Sunday morning.:rolleyes: It opens till 3AM.
What a great idea! I was hoping you were going to say something like this!

[15Love]

glad to hear that you are back Cappy! What made you join up again? Are you going to stay permanently in Van?

[timeless]

sounds like a really cool thing to do. i will certainly be up for it! :)
a week might be stretching it though. now i need to make sure when we visit, we find a place close to VRC. might get a ring from Peter at 1am asking me if i want to go do some drills... haha. :)
Oh too bad I don't still have my condo. It was literally a 30 second drive to the club, and had guest suites available too.

I think the training-exchange could really work out to be a lot of fun. If you're seriously coming for another visit, and if your schedule permits, I'll set up the training schedule. Might possibly get a coach in for a session as well. :D :cool:

[Pete LSD]

There is a hotel close by on Cambie and Broadway.

Hummm, the 1 am call to practise includes quite a few VRC maniacs.
:D


sounds like a really cool thing to do. i will certainly be up for it! :)

a week might be stretching it though. now i need to make sure when we visit, we find a place close to VRC. might get a ring from Peter at 1am asking me if i want to go do some drills... haha. :)

[Pete LSD]

Oh dear, I think you will get in the coach's way! :D


Oh too bad I don't still have my condo. It was literally a 30 second drive to the club, and had guest suites available too.

I think the training-exchange could really work out to be a lot of fun. If you're seriously coming for another visit, and if your schedule permits, I'll set up the training schedule. Might possibly get a coach in for a session as well. :D :cool:

[cappy75]

Thank you, 15Love:). I was out in the community centers playing at a significantly reduced rate (once or twice weekly) and found it hard to adjust after experiencing the good stuff at VRC. Games at VRC are almost always intense, and visiting friends at the club made me questioned the rationale of leaving in the first place:o.

Also, opportunity to train outside the club wasn't as abundant as I thought:crying:. And for the price of membership, I could do more training and more practice at a lower cost than if I just drop-in at the centers and join a fitness club somewhere else.

Having regular baddy sessions brings focus to my life and made it easier to cope with my present challenge than just slogging it out at home.


glad to hear that you are back Cappy! What made you join up again? Are you going to stay permanently in Van?

[SmashingBird]

I m glad you see lights after quitting vrc because you won't see any light when you look up at vrc

[cappy75]

Yeah, another plus for playing at VRC:p!


I m glad you see lights after quitting vrc because you won't see any light when you look up at vrc

[timeless]

Oh dear, I think you will get in the coach's way! :D
The coach would be there to train us... why would anyone be getting in the way?

[timeless]

I m glad you see lights after quitting vrc because you won't see any light when you look up at vrc
Grasshopper... that was almost poetic~! :eek: :p :)

[SmashingBird]

Oh dear, I think you will get in the coach's way! :D
hahah...peter are you drunk from drinking too much coke?

[Pete LSD]

We are too slow compared to the coach ;)


The coach would be there to train us... why would anyone be getting in the way?

[Pete LSD]

Drunk? Nooooo, just too high. Try catching up to the coach next when you play with her.


hahah...peter are you drunk from drinking too much coke?

[SmashingBird]

Drunk? Nooooo, just too high. Try catching up to the coach next when you play with her.

Huh?..what?..what the?! :confused: :confused:

[timeless]

I think Peter's just too excited about leaving for China tomorrow, and all the wonderful training he could do while over there. :p

[Pete LSD]

Shiiiiiiii, not so loud :o Besides, it's all work and no baddie.

[SmashingBird]

Shiiiiiiii, not so loud :o Besides, it's all work and no baddie.

what the?! :confused: you go china?

[Project84]

hey everyone
im planning to join vrc in january
and me and 2 friends want to join together

we just wanna play some new ppl and also get some practice and improve, but i dunno how it will be

if i get a member ship, what exactly do we do,
like drop in at the nights and play others or do we get lessons or what?
the website didnt really say much about that

im usually not that afraid of meeting new people, but after i tried out for a college team, i feel outkasted by the veteran players

thanks

[SmashingBird]

If you plan to join, you might as well put your name on the waiting list now, so your chance to becoming a member next May is higher

[cappy75]

Project84,

Basically Vancouver Racquets Club membership gives you 24/7 access to the courts, shower facilities and weight room. You can come in at certain times to coincide with groups of players or at time of your own choosing. However, court access is prioritise for juniors and/or doubles during certain time of the day and week, so you might not be able to play as much as you like. Also, we play with feather shuttles so it gets abit awkward if you have little experience with one before.

If you're interested, I could sign you in this saturday (9pm) as a playing guest ($10 w/o a pass) and you could check out the facility at your leisure. Usually the guest have to leave with the member, but I intend to play until 12am so you could play quite abit:). Also, please note that you have to bring your own feather shuttles.

PM me if you're interested:).


hey everyone
im planning to join vrc in january
and me and 2 friends want to join together

we just wanna play some new ppl and also get some practice and improve, but i dunno how it will be

if i get a member ship, what exactly do we do,
like drop in at the nights and play others or do we get lessons or what?
the website didnt really say much about that

im usually not that afraid of meeting new people, but after i tried out for a college team, i feel outkasted by the veteran players

thanks

[timeless]

Project84,

Are your 2 friends juniors? Ie. 19 or younger. If so, you probably wouldn't get much opportunity to play with them, as Cappy mentioned, juniors and adults have priority over the courts at separate times.

Also, just out of curiosity, which college team did you try out for? And did you make it on the team?

To add on to what Cappy has already said, don't worry about being new at the club. Many members are quite friendly. There aren't very many complete "beginners" in the club, but the skill range of all the members do vary from beginners to national level competitors, with the vast majority of the members in the intermediate levels. If you play a lot at community centers until May, you'll probably be beyond beginner by then anyway. And although you can't play literally any time you wish due to priority restrictions, you can play a heck of a lot more than you would at community centers. Some members are fortunate enough to play every single day! You should play at least 2x a week to make it worth the cost of membership.

One final piece of advice. VRC is a club and has a "club atmosphere" which doesn't gel well with everyone. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some feel a bit of both. I suggest you take Cappy up on his invitation sometime, and drop-in for an evening. Then at least you'll get a sense of what you're getting into before investing good money into it.

Good luck!



hey everyone
im planning to join vrc in january
and me and 2 friends want to join together

we just wanna play some new ppl and also get some practice and improve, but i dunno how it will be

if i get a member ship, what exactly do we do,
like drop in at the nights and play others or do we get lessons or what?
the website didnt really say much about that

im usually not that afraid of meeting new people, but after i tried out for a college team, i feel outkasted by the veteran players

thanks

[SmashingBird]

project84,

there are also steam room, sauna room, and the danger room.
you could buy a pass off of me for $7 this saturaday for cappy to sign you in so you don't need to pay the $10 fee but remember to bring feather shuttles.

[15Love]

what's the danger room?

[Project84]

ok cappy, i will ask my friends and see if they want to drop in as a guest, i dunno what level we're at but we've been playing drop-ins ever since feb.
we're all 20 years of age

timeless, i tried out at langara and i must admit they are really good. and i dont think i wouldve made it, i ddint go to the second try out :p
also i wanted to ask, what kind of difference is there from drop in places compared to vrc? i dont expect a cheerful atmosphere just i dont want any cocky players or whatnot
and my final question, can i bring plastic shuttles?

thanks for answering all my questions everyone! :D

[timeless]

Project84,

So you and your friends have only been playing badminton since February of this year (roughly 9 months)? If so, I can see why it would have been rough at the Langara tryouts. Don't let it get you down though, everyone has to start somewhere. The guys who will make it on the Langara team have all been playing badminton for quite a few years already.

The differences between drop-in @ community centers vs VRC membership? Honestly, there are too many differences to name. However, the main differences are, at VRC you can play as long as you want as an adult member, whereas most community centers only offer badminton in 2 hour blocks. And also VRC is a club, so you're paying for a membership which allows you full usage of the club facilities, and by far the best courts in the lower mainland. At community centers, you pay as you play, and the rest you already know. The rest of the differences vary, and truly depend on your perspective. Finally, I'll add that if you want to practise with friends, as opposed to playing games, you won't be able to do that at community centers. It's almost impossible. At VRC, if you have a flexible schedule, there are plenty of opportunities to practise with friends.

To be brutally honest, there isn't a "cheerful" atmosphere anywhere in the lower mainland. The only cheerful atmosphere I've ever experienced was playing at a school gym rented out by a senior citizens group at 6AM in the morning! They were all lined up doing Tai-Chi while the rest were playing badminton. Don't ask how I got roped into that :p. Also, you'll find at least one cocky bastard in every place... it's like an unwritten rule of thumb, and VRC is no exception. Fortunately, for most places, the number of friendly players exceeds the number of cocky ones. However, this again is a matter of perception. The worse you are at badminton, the number of cocky players you'll run into seems to increase exponentially. And reversely, the number decreases as you improve. What a wonderful community you're getting into eh? :p :D ;)

You're welcome to use plastic shuttles at VRC. However, you better have 4 in your group because 99.9% of VRC badminton members use feather and will not use plastic. This is strictly a matter of preference and nothing else. It's like asking ice hockey players to choose between a ball or a puck. The 0.1% that use plastic are the very few junior beginner players who are learning to play the game. Don't be embarassed if you and your friends wish to use plastic though. Everyone understands it is economically practical to use plastic, especially when starting out because the plastic shuttles simply last longer. However, once you improve and move on to feather, you most likely won't go back.

Hope this answers your questions. It would be best to field any more you may have when you drop in.



ok cappy, i will ask my friends and see if they want to drop in as a guest, i dunno what level we're at but we've been playing drop-ins ever since feb.
we're all 20 years of age

timeless, i tried out at langara and i must admit they are really good. and i dont think i wouldve made it, i ddint go to the second try out :p
also i wanted to ask, what kind of difference is there from drop in places compared to vrc? i dont expect a cheerful atmosphere just i dont want any cocky players or whatnot
and my final question, can i bring plastic shuttles?

thanks for answering all my questions everyone! :D

[cappy75]

Right on, timeless:)! Project84, if you intend to bring three other friends with you, I will try to find other members willing to sign you guys in. However, some of you may have to pay more as there might not be enough guest passes to go around. In addition, each guest will be subjected to different duration of stay at the club depending on the members who sign them in:(.

Also, it'll be great if you guys could chip in for at least a tube of good quality feather shuttles to share. That way, you could get in some games with other members and get a better gauge of the general skill level. Most, if not all, club regulars play strictly with feathers. The way things work around VRC is... four players chip in one feather shuttle each for a game. At the end of the game, they could decide to finish their current supply of shuttles (if there's any leftover) in subsequent games or toss the shuttles to see who gets the remaining ones. With your own stock of feather shuttles, you won't have to impose upon other players to put in more than their share (fastest way to ensure that they won't have another game with you:D). You can bring plastic shuttles, but don't expect too many club members to jump in for a game with you:p.

Please read up on some of the earlier threads in the Western Canada subforum to get a better feel of the club environment.

[SmashingBird]

Yes..and I am one of those cocky players, I will get in your face and trash talk and do all sort of weird stuff to make you feel uncomfortable, so be prepared!!

[SmashingBird]

what's the danger room?

Danger room, the room where one man is able to travel at mach speed on a bike, thus making the room very very extremely dangerous for other people using it.

[Pete LSD]

So you are the lunatic who can do more than 180 rpm on the bike! :) I am getting old :crying:




Danger room, the room where one man is able to travel at mach speed on a bike, thus making the room very very extremely dangerous for other people using it.

[Pete LSD]

Actually, this is my fourth day in China. Managed to play at La Salle tonight. Met up with Cheung but he was busy with his group. Saw Sean and Eddie and played a game with them. Sean wondered how much improvement SB and timeless made the last time he was in Van? He will be very surprised when he meets up with SB the next time! Ha ha ha


I think Peter's just too excited about leaving for China tomorrow, and all the wonderful training he could do while over there. :p

[TTT]

Yes..and I am one of those cocky players, I will get in your face and trash talk and do all sort of weird stuff to make you feel uncomfortable, so be prepared!!

Project84, don't worry. All you have to do is get in smashingbird's face more than he gets in your face and begin trash talking before he even says anything.

[cooler]

Project84, don't worry. All you have to do is get in smashingbird's face more than he gets in your face and begin trash talking before he even says anything.

Nod, a good defense is to have a better offense :D

[cooler]

Yes..and I am one of those cocky players, I will get in your face and trash talk and do all sort of weird stuff to make you feel uncomfortable, so be prepared!!

LOL, a chinese mike tyson
Do you bite too?

[cooler]

Actually, this is my fourth day in China. Managed to play at La Salle tonight. Met up with Cheung but he was busy with his group. Saw Sean and Eddie and played a game with them. Sean wondered how much improvement SB and timeless made the last time he was in Van? He will be very surprised when he meets up with SB the next time! Ha ha ha
Shiiiiiiii, not so loud Besides, it's all work and no baddie.

nice kind of work u got there, wish i can have those kind of work :o

[speed78]

LOL, a chinese mike tyson
Do you bite too?No, a barking "BOY" does not bite!:D

[cappy75]

Owww! That burns:p! You gonna let that stand, SB:D?



No, a barking "BOY" does not bite!:D

[Cheung]

some of the posts are going off topic;)

moderator

[cappy75]

Project84,

Please check your pm regarding drop-in at the club:).

[timeless]

BTW, looks like Viver will be dropping in this Saturday as well! So let's get as many people in our group out as possible to make it worth his while! :)

[valourarc]

BTW, looks like Viver will be dropping in this Saturday as well! So let's get as many people in our group out as possible to make it worth his while! :)

Hooray! I'm planning on dropping in this Saturday too! Hopefully someone can sign me in. One of my regular sparring partners from Ottawa (who is also from Vancouver) is also in town so I'm trying to convince him to come out too.

I missed all the large gatherings last time but hopefully I'll get a chance to meet some more BFers.

[Project84]

ok thanks a bunch guys
really appreciate the replies
i guess ill have to bring some feather birdies
its just my buddy keeps beating the **** outta them and we're already sick and tired of getting tubes after tubes
haha

cappy ill let you know
and thanks very much timeless

smashingbird, ill be sure to play some games with/against you haha

[timeless]

Well this isn't a BF meeting ... YET hahaha~

If anyone else wishes to join us, please contact a VRC-BF member to see if they're available to sign you in this Saturday.:)

[timeless]

Project84, I think there's a new place on Main Street that sells "Flex Pro" badminton equipment. Their tubes of feathers are only $12 albeit the quality is lower. Or you can probably arrange to buy a tube of Sosan Black feather shuttles off one of us for $15. They're a higher grade, and that's the same price we pay for them. Most of the players at the club use this brand because of it's inexpensive price tag, and relatively decent quality.

[wood_22_chuck]

can I get someone to sign me in, please?

-dave

[Marky]

Dave, no problem, but I am a late player... 10 pm or even later.

[badrad]

Dave, no problem, but I am a late player... 10 pm or even later.Marky - let's use the term - night owl, midnight player, or something else, but let's not refer to yourself as the late player...:)

[Marky]

Thanks Badrad for the reminder of twofold meaning of "late".

[cappy75]

Man, this is shaping up to be quite a night:p. Hmm... better remember to bring your digicams, folks:D. Heard alot of good stuff about Valourarc... it'll be great if you drop in for a game or two:).

[valourarc]

Man, this is shaping up to be quite a night:p. Hmm... better remember to bring your digicams, folks:D. Heard alot of good stuff about Valourarc... it'll be great if you drop in for a game or two:).

Ok, who's spreading the rumours? I swear, I didn't do it :)

Looking forward to this Saturday..

[timeless]

With so many guests dropping in this Saturday, I think we should start at the club a little earlier than usual to ensure everyone gets enough games. Viver has mentioned that 8:30PM would work for him. Do you guys think that's a good time?

[cappy75]

Sounds doable for me... will be there to meet and greet around 8:30pm:).

[15Love]

We might pop by to work off some future calories from the Thanksgiving turkey pig-out!


Sounds doable for me... will be there to meet and greet around 8:30pm:).

[SmashingBird]

and I might also pop by to take some pictures

[viver]

With so many guests dropping in this Saturday, I think we should start at the club a little earlier than usual to ensure everyone gets enough games. Viver has mentioned that 8:30PM would work for him. Do you guys think that's a good time?
If everything OK, I'll be there on Saturday around 8:30pm :D

[SmashingBird]

LOL, a chinese mike tyson
Do you bite too?

I will KILL YOU!

[Winex West Can]

I will KILL YOU!

Hahahah... ROTFLMHO !!!!!

That's a good one...good luck with the ClearOne B Tourney.

[wwcbro]

With so many guests dropping in this Saturday, I think we should start at the club a little earlier than usual to ensure everyone gets enough games. Viver has mentioned that 8:30PM would work for him. Do you guys think that's a good time?


Hi guys, have decided that I will drop by as well..around 9pm. richho mentioned he will be there to sign me in. If he is not around, appreciate if someone else will oblige..thnxs. See you all later. :D

[cappy75]

Man, this is shaping up to be quite a BF gathering:D.


Hi guys, have decided that I will drop by as well..around 9pm. richho mentioned he will be there to sign me in. If he is not around, appreciate if someone else will oblige..thnxs. See you all later. :D

[SmashingBird]

Hi guys, have decided that I will drop by as well..around 9pm. richho mentioned he will be there to sign me in. If he is not around, appreciate if someone else will oblige..thnxs. See you all later. :D

I will be there, I owned myself in the tourney, I should hired a hitmen to murder myself :crying:

[wwcbro]

I will be there, I owned myself in the tourney, I should hired a hitmen to murder myself :crying:

What the....?! How on earth did you do that? :eek:

[wood_22_chuck]

Hi,

Will be there a bit later, say around 10pm :D

Aunt speed78, will you be available to sign me in?

-dave

[cappy75]

OK, Dave... I could find one reason why she won't sign you in now:D.


Hi,

Will be there a bit later, say around 10pm :D

Aunt speed78, will you be available to sign me in?

-dave

[wood_22_chuck]

Haha ... then Uncle cappy75, can you sign me in instead?

-dave

[SmashingBird]

good job guys, one mentions it and the other highlites it, awesome! I think both of you should stay away from vrc as far as possible tonight.

[cappy75]

Er... dude, last time I checked... you're older than me:p!


Haha ... then Uncle cappy75, can you sign me in instead?

-dave

[richho]

Hi guys, have decided that I will drop by as well..around 9pm. richho mentioned he will be there to sign me in. If he is not around, appreciate if someone else will oblige..thnxs. See you all later. :D

Hey,Robert,

I will be there,no worry about that.

It is my great pleasure to sign you in.. :D

[speed78]

Er... dude, last time I checked... you're older than me:p!Yeah! Don't understand why a man who's 30 something keep calling others "AUNT" or "UNCLE"......What could be more absurd than that?:confused: :mad:

[richho]

Haha ... then Uncle cappy75, can you sign me in instead?

-dave

:D When did cappy75 become uncle? Why cappy didn't let us know?

[SmashingBird]

Er... dude, last time I checked... you're older than me:p!

That was last time, times change, kinda like before I can beat you but now you can beat me. We, as human beings should learn to adjust and adapt to changes, whether in cultural, technology, religion, ***, badminton, color, and even age. If a person like yourself Cappy, cannot learn to adjust and accept changes, then you will never improve. We would've all still be barbarians and monkeys. Why would there be Daylight saving time if people don't care about changes, we would all be stuck in a world where we will never improve.

[SmashingBird]

:D When does cappy75 become uncle?

Richo, uncle and auntie are just terms used with no particular meaning other than a show of respect, it does not mean a person is old. My cousin's son often calls me uncle. So it is not all too astonishing that Cappy is called uncle.

[Winex West Can]

Hmmm...count me in too? Hopefully I can get out early from dinner ...

Should be a good gathering then...If Wood_Chuck got dips on Auntie Speed78 then I got dips on Uncle Speed78. :D :D :D :D

SB, so you lost your games, eh? How did JChen99 do?

[richho]

That was last time, times change, kinda like before I can beat you but now you can beat me. We, as human beings should learn to adjust and adapt to changes, whether in cultural, technology, religion, ***, badminton, color, and even age. If a person like yourself Cappy, cannot learn to adjust and accept changes, then you will never improve. We would've all still be barbarians and monkeys. Why would there be Daylight saving time if people don't care about changes, we would all be stuck in a world where we will never improve.

S/B,You always have your philosophy.Cappy75,are you ready to fight it back? I know you are very good at debate. :rolleyes:

[cappy75]

Heh! Richho, haven't you learn all these times never to argue with SB:D? It goes nowhere:p.


S/B,You always have your philosophy.Cappy75,are you ready to fight it back? I know you are very good at debate. :rolleyes:
I hope that I don't qualify as an uncle cuz my younger brother certainly hasn't start his family yet. Show of respect, eh:p? Even when the person tells ya not to address her/him with that title;)?


Richo, uncle and auntie are just terms used with no particular meaning other than a show of respect, it does not mean a person is old. My cousin's son often calls me uncle. So it is not all too astonishing that Cappy is called uncle.

[cappy75]

Have to say that Sat. night is another smashing success. Certainly, I have had my share of good games. It's great to meet up with everybody again. Too bad I didn't get any games with Viver and Valourarc:(. Not to mention that he'll be returning to Toronto the next day. Bon Voyage, Valourarc:)!

Viver, it's a pleasure talking to you again. I am sure that an even greater pleasure to be had getting a game in with you:). Please feel free to pm me or timeless when you want to drop-in at the club again.

Seems that the wwc bros were on the offense against the Collingwood guys, certainly hope it's not a one-sided affair;).

[Winex West Can]

Have to say that Sat. night is another smashing success. Certainly, I have had my share of good games. It's great to meet up with everybody again. Too bad I didn't get any games with Viver and Valourarc:(. Not to mention that he'll be returning to Toronto the next day. Bon Voyage, Valourarc:)!

Viver, it's a pleasure talking to you again. I am sure that an even greater pleasure to be had getting a game in with you:). Please feel free to pm me or timeless when you want to drop-in at the club again.

Seems that the wwc bros were on the offense against the Collingwood guys, certainly hope it's not a one-sided affair;).

Yeah, it was fun and a good turn out. Almost everyone who said they were going show did showed up (Viver, Mr & Mrs T, Mr & Mrs 15Love, Mr & Mrs Speed78, SB, Richho, Cappy, BMS, SchorienderCat - still looking for the rematch, Valourac, wwcbro). Didn't managed to play with/against everybody but the great part was the socializing afterwards ('til 3am!).

Nah, cappy, we were all tired so it wasn't fair to look at that last two games as the WWC bro against the Collingwood boys (eventhough we won both games :D).

[timeless]

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. I think I got to play with all the guests this time too. One thing I noticed, quite a number of players have shown noticeable improvements in their game. Great to see that everyone has been enjoying their badminton. Thanks to all our guests who graced us with their visit. It was really nice seeing you all again, and hopefully won't be too long until the next time. And yes, late night dinner and socializing was my favourite part hehehe :D.

[wwcbro]

Gonna make this short....(typing with my laeft hand, right arm have no feelings... :eek: )
Fun night/morning, thank you all....see you all in maybe 1 mth time, reckon that is how long it is gonna to take my body/arm to recover :D
Yes, good friends & good food...and badminton!






p.s. Not sure about the good food....one thing for sure, not ever gonna to order "spicy char kuie teow ( malaysian style )" again!

[wood_22_chuck]

Man, if you guys didn't/haven't played with/against Viver, you have to put it on your agenda next BF gathering. He plays with brains and speed, quite astonishing for me actually! Viver and timeless made mincemeat against me and wwcbro.

I was quite surprised too that richho is smashing quite a bit too :D

So you remember me calling speed78 "a*ntie"? I got a 10 min lecture from her on that, HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA :D

Nice meeting you again Valourac ... too bad we didn't have any games together.

The funniest incident for me that night? Before heading out to the restaurant, there's cappy75 giving detailed directions to BMS on how to get to the restaurant in Richmond. Fast forward to the restaurant and everybody's finished ordering, timeless gets a call on his cellphone. Cappy75 is lost. I almost sprayed out my Lemon Coke stifling my laughter. Finally he makes it in and does a sweeping bow being the most "fashionably late" one, HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.

Thanks for the fun evening. It was most excellent. Thanks too Mrs. Timeless for recommending the Spicy Pork Chop with Noodles Soup. At $5.95 with 3 pieces of pork chop, that was SUPER!

-dave

[timeless]

Was it too spicy or just not very tasty? That dish is certainly one of my favourites but if it wasn't good there, you can save me from ordering it in the future! :eek: :crying:


p.s. Not sure about the good food....one thing for sure, not ever gonna to order "spicy char kuie teow ( malaysian style )" again!

[timeless]

Hehehe don't under estimate Viver! He has a life-time of badminton experience under his belt, and is still fit enough to dish it out! :D He certainly raised the bar of every game that night.

And yes richho has been improving a lot too!

I was on court at the time so I missed your scolding... but the Mrs. told me about it this morning *LOL* I wish I could have been there hahaha~ :D :p. Now you know how to properly pay respects to our sister! ;) :D

I was going to save Cappy the embarrassment of that one, but now that you've mentioned it, yes that was certainly HILARIOUS hahaha~.

I have to thank you for taking the Mrs' recommendation too since I got to chow down on your last piece of pork chop hahaha~! Thank you for offering it to me as it was indeed delicious :D :cool:.

[wood_22_chuck]

Oh hey, what ever happened to that forgotten Cab 20 Muscle on the bench anyway?

-dave

[richho]

I was quite surprised too that richho is smashing quite a bit too :D


-dave

Dave,

Ya,you are rite,I don't smash quite often.However,to play against such an awesome player like you, I have to use all of my strength or beyond to smash.That's really exhausting me becoz the last game we played was really the long march. That's really fun playing all of you .

[timeless]

I picked it up. Does anyone know who it belongs to? I'll put in the word to the office as well. Otherwise, perhaps the badminton gods are giving me a consolation gift for the recent loss of my two armortecs! :crying: hahaha


Oh hey, what ever happened to that forgotten Cab 20 Muscle on the bench anyway?

-dave

[richho]

Hehehe don't under estimate Viver! He has a life-time of badminton experience under his belt, and is still fit enough to dish it out! :D He certainly raised the bar of every game that night.

And yes richho has been improving a lot too!




Timeless, got to go on and keep improving.There are still rooms for me to learn.Wut a pity that i didn't even have a game wif you,so i miss a chance to learn from you ;)

Also,thank you for your instructions on the work out stuff,but i have been painful on the muscle of the joint between arm and chest after i did that IN-OUT machine :crying:

Viver is extremely good at his deadly cross court drops,which marveled me last nite. :rolleyes:

[timeless]

Richho, you see me all the time at the club so we can play anytime you wish!
And as for the weight lifting, *LOL* what can I say except, I TOLD YOU SO!!! *LOL* :p :D To clarify for the other readers, Richho went nuts on his first(?) attempts at weight lifting and tried to go too heavy. Just be glad you didn't injure yourself Richho!

[SmashingBird]

Richho, you see me all the time at the club so we can play anytime you wish!
And as for the weight lifting, *LOL* what can I say except, I TOLD YOU SO!!! *LOL* :p :D To clarify for the other readers, Richho went nuts on his first(?) attempts at weight lifting and tried to go too heavy. Just be glad you didn't injure yourself Richho!

ohyah, I saw that..hhahaha....face all red, trying to lift 240 lbs!! lol :D

[viver]

Hi everybody,

It was really a fun night for me. A special thank you to Timeless for signing me in. Haven't played so much for a long time, and played with many of the BFers here that haven't played before.

Started the night with Timeless against SB and BMS; this time more alert on SB as last time was fooled by his 'non-interested in the match attitude' :). As the club was still not quite busy, we 3 matches consecutively, if not mistaken. SB really justifies his name, went on smashing almost non-stop. :eek: BMS was not to be left behind, also kept up with SB on the smashes. Wow these guys are full of enegy - next time have to borrow Goku energy spectacles to find out their energy level.

Next played with WWC and BMS. haven't played against him for so long and forgot about his deadly half smash. Was caught badly by him quite a few times :o But having SB as my partner, I didn't have to worry much about the firepower. :D

Next was the games with Timeless, WWCBRO and WOOD_22_CHUCK. It was tough games - WWCBRO smashing like a sniper (accurate and powerful) partnering with a player full of tricks as WOOD_22_CHUCK. Tough tough game, but lucky to be with Timeless with his awesome jump-smashes :eek: My partner saved me a lot of work with his lethal attacks. ;)

Frankly after these games, my energy was almost all gone. These guys made me work so hard :o. Then came RichHo and played a few games with him. Ha, RH is quite a player and aggressive too - he smashed all the games and I just tried to lurk at the net while Rich was doing all the hard work.

Too bad did not have a chance to play with Cappy75, SchorienderCat, and did not get the opportunity to know Mr & Mrs 15Love, Mr & Mrs Speed78 and Valourac. Hopefully next time will be able to get to know and play with you guys.

My body is all aching for yesterday's beatings. But it was entirely worthwhile. Had lots of fun thanks to all of you and hope to see you guys again shortly for more beatings. :D

[Break-My-String]

Hey Guys!

Just to say thanks to everybody for the great fun on Sat nite at VRC, and thanks to Smashingbird for signing me in!

Between the big two heeps of snarfed turkey (& fixings) in my stomach and trying to find my timing to the shuttle, it was a load of laughs! ;) Now I know how Wood_22_Chuck, Cappy75, and Timeless felt playing last Wed nite in NorthVan right after dinner! :crying:

Playing with you guys and going out for late nite snack reminds me of my younger years! Although I was still too full from the turkey, food smells delicious, and conversation great! :D

Cheers!

P.S. I couldn't believe it! Cappy75 & Wood_22_Chuck shows up at Collingwood the same morning! Such diehards!

[cappy75]

And darn it! I was early for once:p!


P.S. I couldn't believe it! Cappy75 & Wood_22_Chuck shows up at Collingwood the same morning! Such diehards!

[cappy75]

Viver made it sound as though we were abusing him or something:D... which was far from the case, fellows! Heard from second hand accounts that Viver brought his extensive experience fully bear onto his opponents, creating opportunities for his partners and chaos among his opposition:D. Next time, Viver... next time I will make sure to get in a game with you:)!


My body is all aching for yesterday's beatings. But it was entirely worthwhile. Had lots of fun thanks to all of you and hope to see you guys again shortly for more beatings. :D

[wood_22_chuck]

One thing that surprises me is that Viver is always in the right place. Whenever the shuttle is in the opponents court diagonally away from him, he moves closer to the net. Very few players actually practise this. Saved my racket from a near clash when timeless smashed down the center. Viver swings early and connect and I swing a bit later since I'm further back.

-dave

[valourarc]

Thanks for the great night on Saturday (wish I could have played against more BFers but I guess that'll have to wait until next year)! Lots of fun games and good cheap food afterwards.

I was tempted to go out on Sunday too but I was too stiff. I don't know how Cappy75, Wood_22_Chuck and Break-My-String did it. You guys are incredible!

[cappy75]

Heh! B-M-S had to be there the next morning cuz he runs the place. Wood_22_Chuck went there at a 'heavy price' exacted by his wife/partner/Master for his late-night gallivanting. Dave dude, you got my respect/sympathy:D. You know what? You shouldn't join VRC cuz you won't be able to survive the weekly heavy price imposed upon you for the little joy that you'll get playing at the club;).


I was tempted to go out on Sunday too but I was too stiff. I don't know how Cappy75, Wood_22_Chuck and Break-My-String did it. You guys are incredible!

[viver]

One thing that surprises me is that Viver is always in the right place. Whenever the shuttle is in the opponents court diagonally away from him, he moves closer to the net. Very few players actually practise this. Saved my racket from a near clash when timeless smashed down the center. Viver swings early and connect and I swing a bit later since I'm further back.

-dave
Wood_22_Chuck,
You are really nice with your words. I got me into trouble with your 'don't know where the shuttle lands' net play. And if not mistaken only caught you once with a cross court half smash. The following ones you were there waiting in the right spot. Positioning wise you are not worse;). As for myself, have to move to position accordingly to compensate my lack of fitness, speed and power :o. Not like you guys who have the power to smash and speed to recover and return wherever the shuttle is.

[viver]

Heard from second hand accounts that Viver brought his extensive experience fully bear onto his opponents, creating opportunities for his partners and chaos among his opposition:D.
Never believe in rumours! ;)

[cappy75]

Well, harder not to believe when they come from players who has played with/against you:D. If there's consistency from different sources of a story, then it must be true:p!


Never believe in rumours! ;)

[wood_22_chuck]

Awestruck! Thanks Sally :D

-dave

[cappy75]

Golly Gee, Dude! You have lost weight:eek:!!!


Awestruck! Thanks Sally :D

-dave

[wood_22_chuck]

Errrr, "sucking in your gut" doesn't constitute "losing weight"! BWAHAHAHAHA.

-dave

[LazyBuddy]

Awestruck! Thanks Sally :D

-dave

Lucky you!!! :eek::D

[Pete LSD]

We are very lucky to have Sally drop by VRC . . . lots of fun :-D.

[Nephrus]

I was wondering why this thread went right back to the top out of nowhere.... DAVE YOU THREAD HIJACKER.

[Growler]

I think it's in keeping with the title of the thread.

"See what a wonderful place VRC is? You could be minding your own business whacking away at birds on a badminton court there, and *WHAM!* next thing you know, you're taking a pic with Sally Yeh!" :D

[wood_22_chuck]

Nephrus, sometimes threads like these need reviving, for nostalgia :D

-dave

[Pete LSD]

Sounds like we will have more action tonight. :)


Nephrus, sometimes threads like these need reviving, for nostalgia :D

-dave

[Nephrus]

you should have stayed Dave. Sally gave us games and more pictures towards the end of the evening. Next thing you know we are going to ask for a song performance hehe

[wood_22_chuck]

So how come no one else is (shamelessly) posting up their Sally pics, anyway?

-dave

[ViningWolff]

Holy smoke dave, you are skinny.

Extra sushi for the dude, he looks starved!!!!

[Growler]

It's an illusion! That Yonex shirt he's wearing has black stripes down the side that make him look thinner. And he's sucking in his gut for this pic!

He's still a blob! :D (I get to call him that because I'm one, too!) :crying:

[wood_22_chuck]

Gut-sucking is an art form.

-dave

[cooler]

Awestruck! Thanks Sally :D

-davedang, u sure have ways to get nice pics:D I remember u got one with charmaine reid too:D

[cooler]

So how come no one else is (shamelessly) posting up their Sally pics, anyway?

-davethe closest i got to sally was her CD's:):(

[XtC-604]

Lawl whens the next gathering....even though i dont have a VRC pass, and if i come ill be the smallest person (age wise) only 17...

[Pete LSD]

Master VW, when will you drop by "This wonderful place called VRC" again?

And bring Master cooler along :D


Holy smoke dave, you are skinny.

Extra sushi for the dude, he looks starved!!!!

[ViningWolff]

I'm not sure. I will be starting to play again in the next month or so as my back seems to be doing pretty good, but I think all my inlaws will be headed this way this fall.

I am looking at heading out there with Evylgrynn to play doubles in some masters tournaments if it works out. I'd think a VRC tune up night would be in order!!!

Well, that is if you can get us to leave the sushi bar. :D

[Growler]

The VRC Masters is Oct. 19-21, I think. You planning on coming out for that?

[ViningWolff]

That early? Crap, I won't be in any shape to play at that point, I was thinking that my first tourney might not be until December, maybe even the new year.

Take about four weeks just to get the timing of my stpuidly huge swing back into any shape so I'm not shredding shuttles.

[Pete LSD]

Master VW, better be safe than sorry. Come around new year . . .


That early? Crap, I won't be in any shape to play at that point, I was thinking that my first tourney might not be until December, maybe even the new year.

Take about four weeks just to get the timing of my stpuidly huge swing back into any shape so I'm not shredding shuttles.

[xXHilikusXx]

vrc is getting to be such a pain espcially with that out of date schedule which veers towards adults. only times junior actually gets is something like after school til 5 pm? but u cant getto vrc till 4pm clearly not enuf time for us to play in. and the adults are very relentless^^

ill be bak more often next year when i am an adult member i guess, but many of the current adult members there are steering vrc away from a closely knitted community to one which rules are only obeyed by one with powers

[Growler]

I'm an adult member of VRC and I usually play 2-3 times a week. A couple of days during the week (usually Mondays and Wednesdays), and on Saturday nights.

On Mondays, my own personal observation is that it's pretty quiet before the ladders start. When I was playing the ladders, I would show up at about 7:30-7:45 to warm up and hit around a bit before the ladder games started. Usually, there aren't many people playing at all.

On Wednesdays, it's pretty similar i.e. very quiet before the Mixer Night games start, and even when they do, it's a pretty sparse crowd and there's a number of courts available to play.

Saturday nights, it's dead before 9:00pm almost every time I've been there.

So what's the problem with playing after 5pm till it starts to get busy?

The schedule shows junior/elite training from 6pm - 8pm on Wednesdays/Fridays on courts 4-7, so I can see it being busy on those days. Still, at that time slot, aren't courts 1-3 free?

I agree that some of the adult members take the letter of the by-laws too seriously, and tend to shoo off junior members because adults have priority later at night. Having said that, when it's really busy (i.e. people have to wait for courts to play) I can see the rationale behind giving priority to one group of players over another. Given that adults pay more for their membership privileges, and that their free time to engage in a sporting activity is limited, I would have to agree with the club's choice to give that priority to the adult members.

Going back to an earlier point, though, when it's NOT busy and junior members are playing, I see no reason for adult members to invoke their priority and prevent juniors from playing. In fact, I personally would like to see more juniors playing with and amongst the adult players. I think that could only lead to better badminton overall at VRC (think "stale" games and cliques, both of which are prevalent at VRC, IMHO).

[ViningWolff]

Going back to an earlier point, though, when it's NOT busy and junior members are playing, I see no reason for adult members to invoke their priority and prevent juniors from playing. In fact, I personally would like to see more juniors playing with and amongst the adult players. I think that could only lead to better badminton overall at VRC (think "stale" games and cliques, both of which are prevalent at VRC, IMHO).

Though I'm not a member of VRC, I agree whole-heartedly with this.

[15Love]

As an adult member of VRC, I agree that as long as there are free courts, juniors should be allowed to play..and that is usually the case. The only time adults kick the juniors off the courts is when there are courts waiting. Adults kick adults off the courts too if they hog the courts ( ie occupy the courts for extended periods of time while doing drills when others are waiting)

[Growler]

That's actually different from what I said. I'm saying when it's not BUSY... not as long as there are free courts. If there's only something like a 0-2 court wait, why not let the juniors hang rackets and play, too?

If I saw that happening, I would be encouraged to get games with them and would in turn encourage them to play games with me and the other adult members, too. There would be much more variety in the games available to play, because there would be more people playing rather than the same regulars all the time.

Granted, there might be problems with what I'm suggesting (who says anything good comes easy?) but it might also lead to a better "scene" at VRC, baddy-wise.

[cappy75]

Actually, most of the juniors who come out during the late evenings already have their own groups. They themselves would not mix it up with adult players since they would rather stick with their own group, understandably so considering the varying levels amongst the club members.

[Growler]

I've noticed. That's actually the syndrome I was talking about; the fact that there's so little interaction amongst the different groups of people who play.

I've also noticed that there ARE one or two individuals who are regulars at VRC who WILL go up to some of these juniors to ask for games. Very heartening! It's usually because the juniors play at a higher level, though, and these individuals are looking for an interesting or challenging game.

For my part, I've managed to get games with these young guns, too, and it's always fun when that happens.

[Nephrus]

As a "younger" member of VRC though holding a full time student membership. I agree full heartedly on Growler's urge for interaction. Better badminton, better interaction, better club environment.

As for the issue with juniors coming on the courts past their designated time. If there are open courts I don't know what the problem is, people should shut up and just play instead of being a dirty "orifice for stool excretion" to people for self enlightment, trust me its not going to improve your badminton skills because you told a younger player to get lost. Holding on to the little "red" book of the club isn't going to make you popular either.

I personally have felt this sort of rudeness from adults when I visited the club off my regular hours, However I should correct myself in saying that it is not all adults I am referring to. Once 5 pm rolls along, anyone that looks younger than 25 automatically gets shunned off the court and not politely too if I may add. It is quite ironic that some of these same adults will bring their own children (NOT CLUB MEMBERS) to come practice/play during the dead hours.

Anyways enough of my ranting. Im sure the usual BF/BC VRC group has heard this rant countless times. But I digress... This is still a wonderful place called VRC. :)

[Pete LSD]

And it has been wonderful to have you all here to make this Wonderful Place Called VRC possible.

[xXHilikusXx]

@ Nephrus (http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/member.php?u=8848)


totally agree with you, though the court time doenst really matter, the real trouble is that these few adults are not creating the ideal type of community, and as time drags on, we will see the effects/ conflicts between just turned adult juniors and adults.


and the reiterate,i feel the currrent schedule is out of date and is in need for revision. while i am not saying add more junior piorty times, i must say that the current times must be shifted.

junior piorty from 3pm to 5pm is preposterous as most will not be able to arrive to the club till 4:00- 4:30.


yes, many juniors already have groups of their own, but i am almost sure most will mingle if asked. just ask the guys in elite, i am pretty sure a number of them would be happy to play and get better.

[Nephrus]

Have we met before Hilikus? Im usually with Cappy or Woodchuck at VRC. Maybe you should encourage juniors to mingle more :) we "semi" old folks are too shy to ask haha

[Pete LSD]

Master Nephrus, you aren't old compared to the rest of the VRC AM gangs :p.

I saw Jason (Hilikus) in a video with Smashingbird already . . .


Have we met before Hilikus? Im usually with Cappy or Woodchuck at VRC. Maybe you should encourage juniors to mingle more :) we "semi" old folks are too shy to ask haha

[SmashingBird]

Master Nephrus, you aren't old compared to the rest of the VRC AM gangs :p.

I saw Jason (Hilikus) in a video with Smashingbird already . . .

i was in a video with hilikus?..i dun even know who he is lol

[xXHilikusXx]

thats funny, i was not not under the impression i knew any of you ... care to send me a picture thru pm guys?

[Nephrus]

are you on facebook? most of us are on the VRC group for facebook.

[xXHilikusXx]

ya i am, but i dont believe u go by nephrus? whats ur real name mate


oo btw id like to see that video, i dont get much vids of me ^^

[Nephrus]

Hilikus read your PMs?

[xXHilikusXx]

lol got it. now i want to know who pete is lol... scares me ^^

[Pink_Suika]

talk about schedules...
vrc doesn't reli give juniors a chance to practice there, except if they join trianing groups. I mean the right-after-school times till 5 isn't exactly enough (no wonder juniors leave...)

as for non-member problems...it bothers me that they don't realize they're not members...i guess they take it for granted we'll (members) let them play...even if there's no court waits...i still dun like it when they play...

as for guests...i dun see how it can be annoying...i mean the most we'd ask u the same question is 6 times...unless u come more than 6 times which ur not suppose to...besides it's not like we're shooing them out...it's just to check that they r guests...n not sneak-ins so to speak

i like vrc...but i do agree that some members can be a bit fiesty...

[cooler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHoDFGxgkUw

any bf'ers from that video?
is that cappy75?

[cappy75]

Yeah. The slow balding guy:p.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHoDFGxgkUw

any bf'ers from that video?
is that cappy75?

[wood_22_chuck]

Any BF'ers? 100%

Growler, Wood_22_chuck, Nephrus, cappy75!

-dave

[cappy75]

Figured that it'll be a great training tool to have our games videotaped. Nothing beats self-awareness of our weaknesses and strengths.

[cappy75]

That doesn't stop them from coming out late in the evening to play. Maybe you should petition the membership to extend one more hour for junior privileges.


talk about schedules...
vrc doesn't reli give juniors a chance to practice there, except if they join trianing groups. I mean the right-after-school times till 5 isn't exactly enough (no wonder juniors leave...)

as for non-member problems...it bothers me that they don't realize they're not members...i guess they take it for granted we'll (members) let them play...even if there's no court waits...i still dun like it when they play...

as for guests...i dun see how it can be annoying...i mean the most we'd ask u the same question is 6 times...unless u come more than 6 times which ur not suppose to...besides it's not like we're shooing them out...it's just to check that they r guests...n not sneak-ins so to speak

i like vrc...but i do agree that some members can be a bit fiesty...

[xXHilikusXx]

That doesn't stop them from coming out late in the evening to play. Maybe you should petition the membership to extend one more hour for junior privileges.


no it doesnt lol,

but ya, i agree, vrc is sorta on a downhill slope if it continues on this outofdate adult piorty schedule. i mean as a junior i am too lazy to argue with the adults anymore, i mean one of them even accused my friend of having gangster relations recently lol

at anyrate, its much easier for us to go somewhere else and if u want to speak in an economic term, there are so many substitutes now vrc does no realize it no longer holds a monopoly on the badminton world in van/richmond anymore

[cappy75]

I seriously doubted there won't be enough players to go around in the lower mainland that VRC would be in serious want for members. Joining the club is a lifestyle choice, it's really not easy to get in if you think about it. Also, not everyone drives and definitely not everybody would want to head down to Richmond for games. On the whole, our general level of play is higher comparing to most drop-ins (C2 excepted since they're a dedicated training center).

VRC has some comparative advantages that other places don't. I don't think it's necessary to list them all out to you since you're already a member;).

However I do share your concern about the disproportionate court time between Juniors and Adults. I will bring the issue to a board member when I see him. Maybe we could extend a later junior priority hour on friday or saturday nights.

[Nephrus]

I think after 11:00 it should be free for all or as cappy said try and petition to get the hours extended to 6:30 pm. If juniors at whatever age level can make it out to VRC... granted their parent's approval they should by all means be allowed to come out and play. No point in putting away a good use of a 24/7 facility. I sometimes see juniors coming out to the club at 2 am just so they don't have to fight for court privs, which is ridiculous and unsafe. I do wish some of them would clean up after themselves though... heh.

P.S btw It was nice meeting you at VRC the other night Hilikus, I didn't introduce myself but we were rallying on the same court for a bit ...it would have been odd to approach you and say "hey, i know you online" hehe lol

[Pete LSD]

Darn, I missed xXHilikusXx in action!!! :mad:

[Polar Bear]

Refresh my memory here but doesn't adult priority simply mean that during the allotted period Adults have first crack at the courts? It was my understanding that Jr players may still use courts during 'Adult time' as long as there aren't adult players waiting. When I was a member I liked having the Jr. players around. Frankly, I've never understood the need to classify based on age. A badminton player is a badminton player period. Having said all this you have to remember that a Junior membership is priced at a discount to the regular 'adult' memberships. I think all members should pay the same fees and have the same priviliges. Even at a full membership price it is a good deal for the frequent (3+ times a week) player.

[xXHilikusXx]

double double woops

[xXHilikusXx]

LOl reallly now????? how come i never notice any of u ppl haha ahh wel next time come say hi lol too much gaming id be very happy to get to know someone online lol


but are u sure u saw me? like

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d183/xXHilikusXx/n502013378_364362_1421.jpg this person lol


Gotta love those washroom shots ;)


well polar the price discrimination is really to attract juniors to come ><

[Nephrus]

heh yes Hilikus you were with a youngster I believe his name was Andrew you would probably recognise me if you went to my facebook

[Polar Bear]

well polar the price discrimination is really to attract juniors to come ><

Well that is a bit of a simplification isn't it? I believe the price policy is to attract juniors to come during certain time periods where demand by adults is low.

I don't really think the issue is about allocation of playing priority as much as it is about simple respect.

[xXHilikusXx]

XD given up on respect with most adults, ever tell u about the time it was junior piorty and they were fixing the lights so 3 courts were available some women comes up to me and tries to bully me off ^^ i gave her the burn of her life while her friend stood beside her XD


that beside the point juniors arent just there to fill up the blank spaces, they use juniors to actually have a second gen coming in to replace the old things id believe at anyrate XD

but my proof that the system isnt working is jsut look at the training groups ^^ enuf said?

heres what my friend said

" this is bs theres no way to train as a competitive player here because the hours are so bs " - he's been an adult for a few years even when he said that.

at anyrate u can argue each to their own that vrc can be a community center like place, then i guess i have nothing to say then and let vrc become a daycare center


btw i am like a adult now and i still feel the suck ^^ at anyrate enuf said hehe ill get beaten since my pic is up there ;)