O R EG O N S LESBIAN/GAY/Bl/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE
JUNE <1
“I just want to play well, hove
fun and win the goddam n
gold goy m e d a l that's oil."
0 et 2 hours, of personal
t r a in i n g when you.
j o i n In M ay
- KAIA WILSON
Her training regimen— facilitated by les
sons from U.S. Table Tennis Hall o f Fame
member and five-time U.S. Men’s Singles
Champion Sean O ’Neill— has since boiled
over. Wilson plays in the Blitz Ladd’s ping
pong league—one women’s, one doubles—
competing and training there weekly while
also pouring in the hours with a Robo-Pong
machine. Last season, Wilson’s doubles team
won the championships.
On a recent day o f ping pong at Blitz,
Wilson’s affability within Portland’s crew of
underground ping pong elite seemed a great
change o f pace to the ultra-competitive vibe
inherent at some club tables.
“I love the table tennis underworld,” said
Wilson. “I’ve been treated with kindness and
open arms. Everyone who loves the sport
tends to feel a closeness with one another
through that relation.”
That bond was evident as Wilson ran
through some drills and training shots with
fellow table tennis enthusiast Manuel Arm-
endariz at a packed Blitz.
“I can do this for like three hours and not
get bored,” she said.
On this particular day, Wilson logged
about five hours o f singles and doubles play,
in the process destroying this author some
18 times (but who’s counting?).
Wilson’s skills will be featured Thursday,
June 10 at Holocene during the Portland C e
lebrity Ping Pong Death Match fundraiser.
She’s assembled a lineup o f Portland musi
cians and journalists to compete in a doubles
tournament, with the winner going on to face
her and doubles partner Bryna Smith in the
finals. Participants include Janet Weiss and
Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, Quasi),
Donna Dresch (Team Dresch) and Lisa
Schonberg (Explode Into Colors), among
others. Live performances from S T L S — the
new band from Schonberg and sts from The
Haggard— and Neal Morgan— from Joanna
Newsom’s band—will follow D J sets by
Permanent Wave and DMoeFunk. The cap
2640 NE Alberta
7522 N Lombard
www.pdxgym.com
per is an exhibition match between O ’Neill
and Armendariz, during which they’ll also
perform amazing pong tricks.
Wilson’s goal, o f course, is to get to the
Gay Games in August. Having been a per
forming musician for 19 years, her nerves
pre-ping pong tournament are more intense
than those before a show. She recognizes that
she hasn’t yet achieved her desired level o f
play. Her routine exclamation “Oh, Wilson!”
after mistakes reinforces that sentiment. But
in the meantime, it’s game on.-
“I just want to play well, have fun and
win the goddamn gold gay medal , that’s all,”
said Wilson. “I will have heavy competition,
I’m sure, since the U.S. is so behind in ping
pong. M ost other countries probably have
it more ingrained in their culture as a valid,
recognized sport, so I’m guessing many o f
my competitors will have years o f experience
beyond mine.”
Be that as if may, as a Blitz patron ob
served after being grazed in the high right
shoulder by a Wilson forehand loop: “We
got ourselves a real player here.” \H ^
K aia Wilsons Portland Celebrity Ping Pong
Death Match begins at 8:30 p.m. June 10 at
Holocene (1001 SE Morrison St.). Entry runs
on a S5-$10 sliding scale. Wilson is also film
ing a documentary on her experiences in ping
pong, which can be viewed, along with sporting
andfundraising updates, at spinslayer.com.
G E T Y O U R T IC K E T S T O D A Y !
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