Yes, it’s true!
There really is a Pickleball Hall of Fame.
@TWiPball came across one of it’s latest inductees at the 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. His name: Enrique Ruiz – Él Cóndor.
With so many athletes emerging in the world of #Pickleball, we were lucky to find one who is celebrating his 30-year ‘Pickleball Birthday’ and achieved one of the sport’s highest honors.
Enrique is also known as Él Cóndor, which he describes as being a ‘Big, Bad Bird‘.
And with that wingspan below, it’s easy to see why it’s so hard for opponents to get the ball past him.
Check out our interview with Enrique to see how he came into the sport and what he says is the Number One objective to achieve while playing.
But, don’t just take our word for what a great player he is, let’s look to Steve Paranto, another Pickleball Pioneer and 2019 Pickleball Hall of Fame co-inductee, for further insight into the kind of person and player Enrique has become over the years.
From the Pen of Steve Paranto:
I was fortunate to cross paths with Enrique Ruiz, over 20 years ago.
At that time Enrique was a beginner to the sport of pickleball.
Even though he was a beginner, it was obvious that he had a tremendous amount of natural talent that he was tailor made for the sport of Pickleball.
Enrique and I shared so much fun playing the game on my backyard court during his early years of pickleball. It wasn’t too long after those early years with Enrique that I got to witness his first national championship title in Arizona. I am lucky enough to still spend a lot of time not only playing with but also learning from Enrique.
Yes, the tables have turned. Once I was the one giving Enrique pickleball knowledge but now I have also learned many things from him. In my book., Enrique has the greatest pickkeball I.Q. in the sport.
He is also the best indoor player I’ve seen and has the best Lob Shot in the game today.
I am very proud to be a member of the Pickleball Hall of Fame with Enrique.
