Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Call it the Olympics of the Olympic Peninsula, minus the preteen gymnasts.

The Port Angeles Senior Games are set for Sept. 19-21 in various venues mostly in and around Port Angeles proper.

From Olympic Games-like events swimming and track & field to nontraditional events including billiards, bowling and bridge, the games open 15 sports to men and women of ages 50 years or older by Dec. 31; peninsula residency is not required.

Registration for the games and a $20 participation fee is required. Find registration forms online at www.

portangelesseniorgames.com/pasggeninfo.htm or call the Port Angeles Senior Center, the games' headquarters, at 457-7004.

Individual events also require additional fees, most of them $5.

Below are Port Angeles Senior Games events and further details, by alphabetical order:



Billiards (8-ball)

• Fee: $5

For all the pool sharks out there is 8-ball billiards, set for Saturday morning at the Naval Elks Lodge, 131 E. First St. in Port Angeles. The event is singles play and double elimination. Medals are awarded to the top three finalists.



Bowling

• Fee: $7 (per event, includes shoe rental)

Even if it's not an Olympic Games sport, bowling remains popular locally and nationwide. At the Port Angeles Senior Games, there are three ways to win in bowling: singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The competition, at P.A.'s Laurel Lanes (108 W. Eighth St.), guarantees bowlers at least three games in each event. The tournament is conducted in accordance with United States Bowling Congress rules. This event also features an optional practice on Friday (Sept. 19) from 1-6 p.m.; cost is $1.75 for shoe rental.



Bridge

• Fee: $8

Saturday's bridge tournament at the Port Angeles Senior Center (328 E. Seventh St.) is contract bridge; players may sign up with a partner or request a partner when registering. Rules include six hands of play, move five times and partners stay together. High scores move while low scores stay at table. Overall gold and silver medals are awarded. T-shirts for this event are available for $10.



Cycling

• Fee: $5

This 20-mile time trial begins at 10 a.m. with a venue check-in time set at 9 a.m. Riders meet in the parking lot of Olympic Christian School at the intersection of O'Brien Road and U.S. Highway 101. The event features individual starts, generally at one-minute intervals; men and women are scored separately. Medals awarded by age group and gender and to the three shortest overall times. The course is along smooth paved roads with very light auto traffic, heading south toward the peaks of the Olympic Range along O'Brien Road. Water and snacks at the start/finish station. An aid vehicle with cell phone patrols the course during the race. All riders must wear approved helmets.



Golf

• Fee: $5 for event plus $32 in greens fees (payable day of tourney)

Friday's golf tournament at Peninsula Golf Course (824 Lindberg Road, Port Angeles) is an 18-hole tourney with groups of four, although players can sign up as individuals. Play is by Calloway rules. Rounds take about four hours, with awards ceremony following the event.



Handball

• Fee: $5

This two-day event is men's singles only. Play is at the Clallam County YMCA building at 302 S. Francis St., Port Angeles. Lensed eye wear for play is mandatory; balls will be provided. This single-elimination tournament features matches in a best-of-three format, games to 21 points. Tiebreakers go to 11 points. With fewer than five players in an age group, play goes to round robin brackets. Sole competitors in an age group will play in exhibition matches with the nearest age group.



Kayaking

• Fee: $5

Starting and ending at Hollywood Beach in downtown P.A., this event features a 3.6-nautical mile course with an on-water start for experienced kayakers only. Personal flotation devices are mandatory; wetsuits or drysuits are recommended. Boats 18 feet and longer are placed into a separate category.



Pickleball

• Fee: $5 per event

This event features three divisions (singles, doubles, mixed doubles) and is hosted at the Port Angeles High School gymnasium, 304 E. Park Ave. On Sept. 19 from 6-8 p.m. is an open gym for all. At 8:30 a.m. Sept. 20, doubles play begins. At 10 a.m. the same day, singles play begins. At 8 a.m. Sept. 21, mixed doubles play begins. Tourney format is double elimination. Rules follow USA Pickleball Association standards.



Racquetball

• Fee: $5 per event

The only event hosted east of Port Angeles, the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center (610 N. Fifth Ave.) hosts racquetball from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. Divisions include singles and doubles. Lensed eye wear is required; participants must bring their own racquets. The tourney is single elimination. Matches are best-of-three games to 15 points; tiebreakers go to 11 points. All matches follow United States Racquetball Association rules.



Run (5k)

• Fee: $5

This run along the waterfront trail near Port Angeles' Harbor requires that participants have their race numbers worn on the front and be visible at all times. This starts Saturday at 10 a.m.



Swimming

• Fee: $5 per event

William Shore Memorial Pool (225 E. Fifth St., Port Angeles) is the site for the games' swimming events. Warm-ups begin Saturday at noon, with events beginning at 1 p.m. Events include: backstroke (25-, 50-, 100- and 200-meter lengths); breaststroke (25, 50, 100 and 200 meters); butterfly (25, 50, 100 and 200 meters); freestyle (25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 meters); individual medley (100 and 200 meters); a 200-freestyle relay and 200-medley relay. Swimmers must provide their own suits, caps, goggles, towels, etc. Starts may be taken from the water, dive from the deck or dive from blocks.



Table tennis

• Fee: $5 per event

Slated for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School's gymnasium (218 E. 12th St.), table tennis features five categories: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles. No hard bats or sandpaper is allowed. Play is by USA Table Tennis standards.



Tennis

• Fee: $5 per event

Players may enter a maximum of two events in the games' five tennis divisions - men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Play is at the newly refurbished Erickson Park tennis courts at the corner of Fourth and Race streets. A 10-minute warm-up period precedes match play. Tournament format is be single elimination with a consolation bracket for the first-round losers. Matches consist of two sets using regular scoring; ties are broken in accordance with the United States Tennis Association rules.



Track & Field

• Fee: $5 per event

With the Port Angeles High track being refurbished, this event has been moved to Crescent High School's track in Joyce (50350 Highway 112 West). Track events include: 50-, 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1500-meter runs. Field events include: discus, high jump, javelin, long jump, standing long jump, shot put and softball throw. The pole vault vent has been canceled due to the lack of a vault pit. Participants may enter a maximum of six events and check in a minimum of 15 minutes prior to that event (see portangelesseniorgames.com for a full schedule.) A free shuttle between the senior games headquarters and track and field venue is available.



Weightlifting

• Fee: $5

This event, held at Fast Stop Fitness (902 E. First St., Suite C.), begins with a venue check-in at noon, with the first lift set for 1 p.m. Saturday. Men and women are scored on a total of three lifts - dead lift, squat and bench press - with medals awarded by age group and gender, and medals for best individual lift for age and gender. For complete rules, see www.faststopfitness.com. Competitors are asked to wear athletic shoes and loose-fitting clothing.







Port Angeles Senior Games schedule

Event Day Time Location

Billiards (8-ball) Saturday 11 a.m. Naval Elks Lodge

Bowling Sat., Sun. 1, 3 p.m. (9/20) Laurel Lanes

Noon (9/21)

Bridge Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. P.A. Senior Center

Cycling Saturday 10 a.m. Olympic Christian School

Golf Friday 9 a.m. Peninsula Golf Course

Handball Sat., Sun. Noon (both days) Clallam County YMCA

Kayaking Sunday 8 a.m. Port Angeles Harbor

Pickleball All 3 days Varies P.A. High School gym

Racquetball Saturday 10 a.m. SARC

Run (5k) Saturday 10 a.m. Waterfront Trail, P.A.

Swimming Saturday Noon William Shore Mem. Pool

Table tennis Saturday 9 a.m. Jefferson Elementary gym

Tennis Sat., Sun. 9 a.m. (both days) Erickson Park courts

Track & Field Sunday 9 a.m. Crescent High track (Joyce)

Weightlifting Saturday Noon Fast Stop Fitness

More information: www.portangelesseniorgames.com