16
APRIL 1,2011
---------sports^----------
Balls Out!
Portland’s LGBTQ sports clubs eye a busy season of
competition and community byrvan j . prado
Hello Portland,
We are opening
a new store on
in Raleigh Hills
on April 3rd.
T R A D I T I O N A L.
O R IG IN A L
As is likely to be discussed in roughly every
written or verbal encounter you’ll have in the
next few weeks, spring is almost, possibly, defi­
nitely here. Not that your daily donning of a
thermal onesie may connote the coming of our
“April showers,” but its true— you can nearly
smell the season change. For some its the scent
of grass finally mowed after an icy winter, for
others, the pungent aroma of daffodils sprouting
in the rain gutter. Either way, it’s time. Perhaps
nowhere is this more true than within the hearts,
biceps and glutes of the mounting brigades of
Portland’s LGBTQsports associations.
Portland has established itself as a stronghold
for inclusive sports programs, a regional acco­
lade made even more impressive considering an
almost impenetrable yearlong storm. And like
the inevitable stabbing of sun rays through the
clouds we’re all crossing our frostbitten fingers
for, organizations big and small contribute to
the dappling of light on a community that just
wants to get outside and play.
W hether established LGBTQ_ sports pio­
neers such as the ones profiled further along in
our spring sports coverage (Rose City Softball,
Portland Gay Volleyball, et al.) or more inti­
mate clubs like Gay Men’s Jump Rope, or Ruby
Red Flippers, the sense of camaraderie and
good health remains tantamount. Just as im­
portant, though, is giving back to the
community.
Take Team Portland Tennis Association, a
150-member strong LGBTQ_club that raised a
personal record of $7,400 for Portland After
School Tennis &. Education, Cascade AIDS
Project and QCenter. A sTPTA board member
Dennis Lo explains, tennis is inherently a social
and community-minded sport, creating a per­
fect fit for supporting local charity causes.
“In general, the LGBT tennis community is
very close-knit,” says Lo, noting that TPTA is
in the process of putting together a team for
this year’s CAP Aids Walk, as well as marching
Hardcourt Action
LEFT: The Adventure Group
at Hamilton Mountain
BELOW: Kevin and
Scott from Team
Portland Tennis at
Rose City Open XX
PHOTOS COURTESTY OF THE ADVENTURE GROUP S TEAM PORTLAND TENNIS
in the 2011 Portland Pride parade. “We travel
to each other’s cities to play each other’s tourna­
ments and you meet some great people and
make some great friends.”
Celebrating its 25th season this year is Port­
land’s Adventure Group— an outdoors club
whose members generally care little about the
ebbs and flows of weather. Springtime brings
transitions to hiking as the temps get warmer
and the snow melts. In the spring, hikers enjoy
the wildflowers in the Gorge, with the treks get­
ting higher in elevation as the summer pro­
gresses. By midsummer, a variety of hikes make
way for kayaking, backpacking, bicycling, car
camping and huckleberry-picking trips. Mem­
bers also organize outings to Portland Gay
Men’s Chorus concerts, local museums, plays
and sporting events.
Head indoors at the Hollywood Bowl in
Northeast Portland, and you’ll see the tail end of
33 years of pin-pulverizing action with the Port­
land Gay and Lesbian Bowling League. Stick
your head underwater later in the summer, and
you’re likely to find Ruby Red Flippers bringing
LGBTQ_divers and allies together in a scuba-
fied sensation, and generating some $10,000 in
funds this year for area nonprofits.
of crossover now between Portland volleyball
teams and Portland gay volleyball teams. We
Portland Gay Basketball joins Port­
used to probably be an 80-90 percent gay-ori­
land Gay Volleyball for 2011 season
ented organization, but now wc have a larger
Empowered by a 2010 season that saw Port­ number of straight teams coming in and put­
land hosting the North American Gay Volley­ ting things together for our tournaments. That’s
ball Association (NAGVA) National Champi­ really helped build our organization.”
PG V’s open gyms are held Sundays from 4
onships, Portland Gay Volleyball isn’t resting
on its laurels. Such exposure meant more inter­ to 6 p.m. at Hillside Community Center (653
est from newcomers and established bumpers, NW Culpepper Terrace). The organization will
setters and spikers alike, as evidenced most re­ continue its impressive courtside reputation
cently by March’s Last Chance Tournament in when PGV sends one team—as of press time,
Tualatin, which featured 32 teams from all over with the likelihood of more to be determined
later— to the 2011 NAGVA Championships in
the West Coast and Canada.
“I definitely think the popularity is growing,” Houston at the end of May.
explains PGV president Sean Walker, noting
In the meantime, Walker’s part of the “pseu­
the importance of PG V ’s involvement in area do board” in place over the recently established
non-gay volleyball leagues as well. “There’s a lot Portland Gay Basketball Association. W ith
The point is no matter where you look,
chances are you’ll find welcoming arms to em­
brace your sporting ways. Even the largest or­
ganizations are always looking for more mem­
bers. The more the merrier, after all—unless
you’re talking about these clouds. Then you’re
just talking crazy talk.
So dig out your helmets, your pads, your
huddled masses o f cleats and sneakers yearning
to breathe free. Spring is here; you’ve got a
game to win.
For more on Team Portland Tennis, visit teamp
-
ortland-tennis.org; fo r Ruby R ed Flippers, visit
rubyredflippers.org; fo r the Adventure Group, visit
adventuregroup.org; fo r the Portland Gay and
Lesbian Bowling League, v isitpdxbowl.com.
only some six months under their collective
sweatbands, the PGBA has amassed 30-40
regular members to open gyms—which begin
again April 4 and continue every Monday
night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Markham El­
ementary (10531 SW Capitol Highway)— and
is even flooring two recreation teams, the PDX
Bailers and Fusion to represent the PGBA in
the larger Portland Basketball League. A
women’s open gym is also hosted Tuesday eve­
nings from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. at Scott Elemen­
tary School (6700 NE Prescott St.).
“Gay basketball is fairly new and fairly small,”
explains Walker. “They have maybe three or four
tournaments a year, as opposed to gay volleyball
where we have 40 tournaments a year. We’re
hoping to get more interest in that, so we can
host our own tournament here in Portland.”