Like a lot of pickleball players, Carpinteria’s Don and Kathy Lesage picked up the game during the Covid pandemic.
Longtime tennis and beach volleyball players in Santa Barbara, the Lesages initially weren’t too keen about the fast-growing sport. Don said they had that “tennis sneer” about a game that was played with paddles and a plastic ball on a small court and had a weird scoring system.
“We said, ‘What a stupid game,’” said Don after he and Kathy won the 4.0 skill level, 70-and-over division at the ninth annual American Riviera Classic at the Santa Barbara Municipal Tennis and Pickleball Center on Saturday.
“I made my first paddle out of wood,” Don continued. “I had no respect for (pickleball). And then we bought a cheap set — a 10 dollar set — and a hour later we said, ‘This thing is fun.’ And so we started committing to that. I still play tennis, but Kathy jumped in right away and I had to follow because this is something we can do together. That meant a lot to us.”
While the Lesages picked up the game later in life, Santa Barbara’s Weston Ruiz was born into it. The 9-year-old is the son of Carlos Ruiz, the owner of the Santa Barbara Pickleball Shop. He played in the 3.0 mixed doubles with Sophia Dentzel, 41.
“I think it’s really fun,” said Weston of the game. He started playing four years ago, and practices with his dad and his dad’s friend.
Ruiz/Dentzel didn’t win a match, but he showed opponents that he has a nice drop shot and can defend.
Tamara Simmons, who defeated Ruiz/Dentzel with partner Gavin Frazar, was impressed how the boy held his own playing against adults in a tournament.
“What a joy, right? Having that ability at 9 years old to start this game,” she said. “He’s gonna kill us all in two years. As soon as he gets a little height and a little strength, he’s going to be deadly.”
Ruiz said he also plays soccer, basketball and flag football. He called flag football is his favorite sport, with pickleball ranked second.
After getting hooked on the sport, the Lesages have carried over their success in tennis and beach volleyball to the pickleball courts.
They truly are the couple that plays together stays together.
“We worked out the details,” Don explained. “Kathy is the strategist — she coached all her life — and I’m just the goon that tries to get the ball back. So, when we get out there, I just listen to what she says.”
To which Kathy replied, “That’s why we’ve been married for 48 years.”
They complement each other beautifully on the court. Kathy, the former women’s tennis coach at Westmont College, hits deep lob shots to set up Don for the put-aways.
Don said he doesn’t subscribe to the strategy of using drop shots.
“I don’t drop. I’m a banger,” he declared. “Anna Leigh Waters (pickleball’s winningest women’s professional player) once said bangers are more fun people.”
Kathy cracked, “I’m a lobber. I’m no fun.”
“That’s exactly the strategy,” added Don.
The Lesages defeated the local team of Leslie Thomas and Joseph Lambert (11-5, 11-2) for the gold medal in the 4.0 70-over division.
“Pickleball has just been the fun, new horizon for us,” said Kathy. “I don’t play tennis anymore. Don plays a little bit, so this has been fun to carry the success he’s had in tennis now to pickleball.”
The American Riviera Classic concludes on Sunday with men’s doubles action. The top-tier (5.0) has one of the strongest fields in the history of the tournament.
