Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/692580
Can you dig it? 'Tis The season for spiking balls. We really mean ThaT. by jordan gosselin 42 bostoncommon-magazine.com photography by jordan takimoto Summer spike: Newcomer beach sport Spikeball is taking over the New England summer, both recreationally—on the sand, with friends—and at the competitive level. Move over, quidditch. There's a new, even weird- er game in town. You see, volleyball and foursquare had too much tequila one night, and they created Spikeball. At least that's how Spikeball CEO Chris Ruder sees things. It was he who revamped the game after playing it as a child. "After five to ten minutes you'll be sweating your head off and getting a really good workout," says Ruder. Who could resist that? Not David Portnoy of Barstool Sports, who posted pic- tures last summer during a game in Nantucket. The photos were so irresistible that the game became an instant hit in these parts. Ruder now calls Portnoy "the unofficial Nantucket god of Spikeball." But onto the game. Two teams of two stand op- posing each other around a circular, portable net. A point is scored when the server hits the yellow Spikeball off the net in a way that the opponent cannot return it. Interest- ed? Check out the game this summer at Framing- ham State University on July 23 for the USA Spike- ball Roundnet East Tour Series Grand Slam. "Peo- ple are competing at this incredibly high level, but you'll never hear anyone raise their voice," Ruder says. "It's a very commu- nal, friendly atmosphere, and I'm very proud of it." spikeball.com . Scene get fit