I adjust the sweatband nestled above my brow, catch my breath and bounce back and forth nimbly on my toes awaiting my opponent's serve. I take my right arm back into a vicious forehand as I return the serve with mighty authority. A rally ensues in time to a killer soundtrack spun by a DJ.
My opponent hits me with a dizzying return, so I pivot to reply with a backhand.
"Fore!!!!"
Can you yell that indoors?
Is it appropriate for table tennis?
Giggles, smiles and joy layer on top of my relief that - thank goodness, no one was injured by a 2.7 gram, 40 mm, gas filled, celluloid, ricocheting round ball zinged at them unintentionally by an overenthusiastic, uncharacteristically competitive virgin of the sport.
Transformed by fun and the retro turquoise sweatband/matching wristband combo I was proudly rocking, I became a ping-pong wizard (calm down Who fans, I know Tommy played pinball, not ping-pong - so relax before you "talkback") overtaken by table tennis fever at Milwaukee's own ping-pong club, SPiN Milwaukee.
Intrigued by the fact that the franchise was created in part by Susan Sarandon and designed by MTV's House of Style host Todd Oldham, I had to check out this addition to Miltown nightlife. I mean, Janet from "Rocky Horror" clearly knows how to have a good time and MTV in the '90s still played music videos. Ahhhhh, memories.
I had no idea that I, like the entire Chinese population, would be consumed by the sport of table tennis. Maybe it's the rhythmic sound of the paddle hitting the ball then the ball ricocheting off the table that has mesmerized me into a wiff-waff maniac, (The sport originated in Britain under the terrific name of wiff-waff. I urge you to check out ping-pong history here.)
I ventured into SPiN expecting a normal evening out, but left consumed with purchasing a table of my own, wanting to do a "training session" with one of SPiN's ping-pong pros and with a sense of exuberance I haven't felt in a really long time.
Plus – imagine this fitness fiend's delight when an evening out turned into a workout session. Oh yeah, the calorie burn from ping-pong can be upwards of 173 calories an hour, which means you can sample SPiN's great menu with a little less guilt.
SPiN even has a locker room for you to freshen up in before enjoying a cold one at their bar.
Memberships are available for pongthusiasts wanting to make regular appearances at my new personal "happiest place on earth."
No athletic ability is required. Just a desire to let go and laugh.
Strap on your sweatband, lose the self-conscious attitude, grab a paddle and be sure to yell "FORE!" when the ball goes rogue.
Lindsay Garric is a Milwaukee native who calls her favorite city home base for as long as her lifestyle will allow her. A hybrid of a makeup artist, esthetician, personal trainer and entrepreneur all rolled into a tattooed, dolled-up package, she has fantasies of being a big, bad rock star who lives in a house with a porch and a white picket fence, complete with small farm animals in a version of Milwaukee that has a tropical climate.
A mishmash of contradictions, colliding polar opposites and a dash of camp, her passion is for all pretty things and the products that go with it. From makeup to workouts, food to fashion, Lindsay has a polished finger on the pulse of beauty, fashion, fitness and nutrition trends and is super duper excited to share that and other randomness from her crazy, sexy, gypsy life with the readers of OnMilwaukee.com.
