2025 Hollywood Beach Battle Recap
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by Maddie Melendez
What an unforgettable four days! Under the radiant Florida sun at the historic Hollywood Beach Paddleball courts, the Paddleball and Racquetball communities came together for a spectacular tournament filled with fierce competition, camaraderie, and joy. The electric atmosphere resonated with excitement, showcasing the essence of our Paddleball & Racquetball families.
The racquetball portion of the Hollywood Beach Battle was held on Saturday and Sunday and was exactly like the Paddleball portion with lots of intense games and even some upsets! We had 77 players participate in this event and some came from Texas, Virginia, Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, Connecticut & Honduras!!!! #Boom
Spectators were treated to thrilling matches, culminating in intense finals that featured the largest cash prizes ever awarded at the Hollywood Beach Paddleball/Racquetball Battle. We were super excited for this year’s event because the prize monies more than doubled and the players came to claim the title and take some mula home! The games in all the divisions were ones to watch, and the crowd loved every minute of this two-day event. You can watch both paddle/racquetball games on the World Outdoor Racquetball and/or Team Ocala Facebook pages, courtesy of our wonderful tag team of Brendan Anthony & Sam Schulze! We even had the Mayor of Hollywood stop by the greet us!
So without further ado, here is the….
R-BALL WINNERS’ LIST:
Women’s 40+: 1st PL/Carolina Pisana & Bree Sauls | 2nd PL/Amie Brewer & Carrie Hoeft
Women’s Open/Elite: 1st PL/Arielle Scarcella & Carmen Irizarry | 2nd PL/Bree Sauls & Rachel Piloto
Women’s Pro: 1st PL/Chanis Leon & Yurisleidis Allue | 2nd PL/Amie Brewer & Carrie Hoeft. This is their second year in a row winning this division.
Men’s 75+: This was the biggest draw with 16 teams. 1st PL/Robert Sostre & Will Rolon | 2nd PL/Suresh Vemulapalli & Javier Trujillo
Centurion (100+): 1st PL/Suresh Vemulapalli & Mike Hatcher | 2nd PL/Leland Rupp & Angel Rosa. This is their second year in a row winning this division.
Men’s A: 1st PL/Jody Morris & Brendan Anthony | 2nd PL/Daniela Ganci & Andrew Cunningham
Men’s Elite: 1st PL/Sammy Kawaam & Ray Garcia | 2nd PL/Robert Galvez Nodarse & Luis Macias
Men’s Open: This was the second biggest draw with 11 teams. 1st PL/Leland Rupp & Angel Rosa | 2nd PL/Mike Medina & Jorge Diaz
Men’s Pro: 1st PL/Robert Sostre & Will Rolon | 2nd PL/Garry Smith & Max Heymann
Mixed Elite: 1st PL/Rachel Piloto & Zoltan Kovacs | 2nd PL/Carmen Irizarry & Howard Chennault
Mixed Open: 1st PL/Yurisleidis Allue & Felix Hernandez | 2nd PL/Eric Farrell & Daniela Ganci. This is their second year in a row winning this division.
Mixed Pro: 1st PL/Yasmani Perez & Chanis Leon | 2nd PL/Tom Gerhardt & Amie Brewer
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
Maddie Melendez
The Paddleball portion was held on Thursday and Friday had over seventy players participating in four divisions (Men’s & Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and the inaugural Wisemen (50+) division) - demonstrating remarkable athleticism and dedication. Spectators were treated to thrilling matches, culminating in intense finals that featured the largest cash prizes ($7,500) ever awarded at the Hollywood Beach Paddleball Battle.
PB WINNERS’ LIST:
Women’s: 1st PL/Karen Cardillo & Arielle Scarcella | 2nd PL/Jasmine Suarez & Janelle Kemp
Men’s: 1st PL/Paul Angel & Shawn Jackson | 2nd PL/Dave Blatt & Gregg Sgar (who flew in/out on Thursday just to play this division!)
Wisemen (50+): 1st PL/Francisco Calero & Dennis Rodriguez | 2nd PL/Ray Garcia & Suresh Vemulapalli (first time playing Big Blue & winning!)
Mixed: 1st PL/Shawn Jackson & Kathy Guinan | 2nd PL/Robert Sostre & Maira Ramos
The festivities continued Friday night with a lively celebration at The Caribbean Resort’s Tiki Bar, where players and fans relished delicious food, drinks, and music, closing the Paddleball events on a high note and gearing up for the upcoming Racquetball competitions mentioned above.
Mike and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Paddleball/Racquetball communities for their unwavering support that made this tournament one for the books! Thanks to our sponsors and everyone who helped throughout each day to make this wonderful event happen. We look forward to seeing you next year—bigger and better than ever!
#WeGotNext!
#OneWallFamily!
#Paddleball!
#Racquetball!
Mike Melendez
Mike Melendez
