By Jillian Butler
The Ocean Beach Women’s Club (OBWC), a century-old San Diego institution, drew crowds of players and spectators to its Fifth Annual ‘Battle for the Paddle’ charity ping pong tournament, raising more than $5,000 for local causes.
With the current clubhouse being established in 1944, the OBWC is in its 101st year of operation despite clubhouses surviving a multitude of natural disasters from fires to being crushed by waves during a high surf advisory. This organization has spearheaded a multitude of charitable ventures, ranging from providing a center of refuge for servicemembers during the second world war to advocating for year round life guards to raising money for homeless pets. The Battle for the Paddle ping pong tournament is one of their larger annual fundraisers.
The Tournament was spearheaded by the OBWC Project Lead, Susan Winkie, and Christine Freeman, the Project Lead of OBWC’s Philanthropy and Social Justice branch. Ms. Winkie commanded a strong presence as she emcee’d the entirety of the event.
This year, the proceeds benefited four different organizations:
- Just in Time for Foster Youth assists adolescents and young adults transitioning from the foster system into autonomous adulthood.
- Peninsula County Senior Center serves as a safe social space for senior citizens in the Peninsula area.
- The Pioneer Programs Community Connections Program is a community-based program offering support for adults with developmental disabilities including autism.
- The San Diego Humane Society works to promote the well-being of animals and animal lovers alike. Earlier this year, they faced a $1 million budget cut, so this fundraiser was more pertinent than ever.
Not only was the Battle for the Paddle a fun way to aid worthy causes, it served as a means to bring the community together. Both the ping pong players and spectators ranged from 20-something year old surfer dudes straight out of the water to grandmothers.
Players got creative naming their teams, with honorable mentions including Cheech and Pong and Long Pong Silver. Inside the turquoise blue clubhouse, teams fought it out over the ping-pong table in the relentless pursuit of keeping their names on the wrestling-style bracket. Spectators sitting in rows of folded chairs watched intently. Stray ping-pong balls flew everywhere, rolling across the floor and even making it outside.
In her impeccable white outfit, Susan Winkie kept the game going. Outside under the gentle glow of the garden string lights, children chased each other with bubble machines. Adults sat with their dogs while they snacked on pizza from Pizzeria Luigi, wings from Dirty Bird’s, other nibbles from Raglan Public House, sipped wine from Jensens or Skrewball whiskey, and enjoyed local beer from Pizza Port, all purchased by tickets with the proceeds going straight to the charities.
The Battle for the Paddle also served as an excellent way for local businesses to both give back to the community and gain exposure. Many provided food. Others sponsored the game itself. The OBWC created a mutli-tiered system in which prospective sponsors were able to contribute. Sponsoring a ping-pong table required a minimum of a $200 donation. Table sponsors included Details Salon and Spa, OB Hardware, OB Surf Lodge, and Tony’s Martini Bar. Sponsoring paddles required a minimum of $100 donation. Paddle sponsors included Coast 2 Coast Campus Awareness, OB Community Foundation, Paula’s Pet Pantry, Rosemarie’s Bun’s and Burgers, and Submerge Church.
Overall, the event was a smash-hit. 2022-23 champion Kevin Hastings reclaimed his crown from 2024 winner Raul Gutierrez, with Gutierrez claiming second place. And again, over $5,000 was raised. The clubhouse was bustling both inside and in the yard, with turnout so high that beer was entirely sold out by the end of the night in true Ocean Beach fashion. The OBWC is already eager to plan next year’s Battle for the Paddle.
