OOAK Table Tennis Forum

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I would like to say something. I'm a newbie here, but it doesn't feel like that. This community is so nice and helpful, that's awesome, and I'm sure many great things have happened, respect to the friends you lost! Unfortunately I can't tell good memories (yet ), but I'm sure they have been here.

That's great to hear Maurice, thank you!

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Thinking back over time, I think that these are he most memorable times for me:

1. Our exclusive Interview with Joo SaeHyuk who is without a doubt one of our forum's hero (and pictured on our forum logo!). How he humbly shared so many details with us was pretty awesome!

2. Our Table Tennis Blogs section, where people share their personal journey and thoughts about table tennis. To me MNNB's awesome blog MNNB Ramblings: table tennis videos, ITTF, new ball, news, and leatherback's a half year in China-memoirs of a defender are among the best, but I also enjoy many of the others too!

3. The ITTF President Adham Sharara joining our forum to answer questions and discuss issue. Although passions ran high at times, we managed to keep things civil and had some very long discussions turning this into a 3 part series! He may not have been a favourite of many people here, but I think many of us felt honoured that the ITTF president chose our forum to discuss the most important issues in table tennis at the time.

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

This was always an extraordinarily friendly, polite and helpful forum. But, back when the ITTF banned frictionless long pips, this place fell into near anarchy. Some players supported the ban, others rebelled (especially since there was no way to enforce the ban). There was a lot of friction here, pardon the pun. People were accusing each other of being cheaters. It was often very heated and tense. Numerous threads had to be locked. Even the mods were openly fighting.

Through it all, Haggisv remained a pillar of strength who stood tall and kept this place together. He was always fair, demonstrated amazing patience and diplomacy with the warring factions and had everybody's respect. It took some time, but things eventually calmed down and now, thankfully, we're back to being an extraordinarily friendly, polite and helpful forum.

I like it better this way.

I don't know if I'd call this a best moment (more like a worst moment), but it's certainly a historical footnote. I'll write more later when I have more time. There are so many incredible OOAK stories.

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The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

No matter how good you are at something, there's always about a million people better than you.
Homer J. Simpson

Really? wow. I wasn't around during that time, but it sure seems strange to think pips players had in-fighting about the frictionless ban, particularly since even the grippier pips exist because they have less-friction...meaning the lack of friction is the point. Whatever...just interesting.

Yes, HaggisV is a gentleman, and cares deeply for this place, and we are all lucky to benefit from his hard work. Thanks for being a great and consistent leader here Alex!

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝ Rating: 1615

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

From the time I have been here, and having researched older posts, to me the best moments were:

Leatherback's Journey to China. He started a blog about this and it was awesome.
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=18471

Next Level's Rebuilding my forehand (and of all his technical threads with ttEDGE). This has been helpful for anyone who plays with inverted either on one side or both.
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=27371&start=360

Debaters LARF. Debater makes the best threads, and I like that he challenges the paradigm around here. And that he does so, without being overly confrontational.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=30351

Bogeyhunter v. Pushblocker videos. A clash of styles, and epic.

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Blog: "Holy Chtchet!" ⇝ Rating: 1615

Projects: Player Equipment Grid ⇝ Comprehensive Thin Inverted Chopping Rubbers Grid ⇝ Please send me corrections or new submissions

When I reported here that a certain percentage of bats & rubber were being failed at a particularly important tournament without identifying whose bats, we umpires received a sternly worded email saying that someone had done something like "violated player privacy" and quoted some of that post. I still don't know how high up the person was who must have read it. I don't have access to that email right now, but I should tonight.

I was tempted to point out that player privacy had not been breached but felt that that would have identified me.

This is the most memorable thing for me, not sure whether that is a highlight or a lowlight . Others are the involvement of the ITTF equipment committee here and their willingness to answer a lot of questions. Interviews with pro players is another. The work that a few members have put in to investigate the plastic ball (I'm looking at Debater and Baal here). The honesty that is evident in almost all posters, and the civility to agree to disagree.

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

There has got to be a thousand plus moments. I think one of the best one was the multi-forum pimping of the Schildkrot 900 blade, we got a LOT of people into those threads and it was a blast. Tat's "Garage" posts should have received more consideration for Hall of Fame.

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My best moments have really been behind the scenes, using the PM system to exchange thoughts and ideas with people, make new friends (tat I've still got that dvd you sent me of your son playing tennis ) and on occasion meet up and play, or to seek advice and support - plastic ball video series is a good example of where a lot of exchanges of ideas, reviews of scripts etc went on between myself, haggisv and baal for months prior to the videos being released.

Best threads, well not really the best but the ones which stick in my mind - Adham Sharara's threads. Much heated debate, borderline vitriol, evasive "answers", like two boxers slugging it out in the middle of the ring, neither conceding or giving an inch.

Torsten's plastic ball thread. Brought Torsten to the forum and he's never once shied away from answering a question I've asked him, or pointing me in the right direction to get an answer.

There have been low moments too. Speedplays departure and how it took place, metal monkey's passing. Flame wars and experiencing first hand the impact that having to deal with these matters had on those people who work hardest to keep this forum running smoothly. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

There is a heck of a lot which goes on behind the scenes which 99% of forum members aren't aware of. That's a sign of a well run forum and also some of the best moments.

My best moment in the OOAK Forum was when I received the email from Joo SaeHyuk thanking OOAK Forum members for our get well wishes when he was sick. I received the email one evening when I was in my hotel room in Israel. It was an amazing way to end a day full of interesting work-related meetings. A few minutes after receiving that email, I forwarded Joo's email to my wife and daughter. That was a huge surprise for them, since they didn't know that I reached out to Joo SaeHyuk.

My second best moment was doing the interview of Joo SaeHyuk with Pipsy. It was very special to share that experience with Pipsy. It was thrilling while we were waiting for Joo's final approval of my wife's translation from Korean into English, and then so exciting to share that interview with the OOAK Forum members.

My third best moment was reading the response to my long description of my experience in the 1975 World Championships. I was concerned that my post was way too long, and so seeing all the positive responses sure felt great.

Lastly, although not a special moment, I have very much enjoyed learning so much about table tennis from other forum members. I am certain that I would not have reached my present level after returning to table tennis without the countless helpful advice from forum members.

Steven

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Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk
Butterfly Tenergy 80-FX 1.9mm
TSP Curl P1R 1.4-1.7mm
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Returned to table tennis September 2011
Canada National Team Member, 1973-1975
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1972-1987
Brickell Balsa/Birch 3-ply Blade
Yasaka Mark V 1.5mm
Joola Toni Hold AntiTopspin 2.5mm

10 years?!! Where has the time gone?

Happy Birthday OOAK!!

I remember lots of it and lots of members who have come (and many, many) gone. There's been some great discussions and stories. I know the rules of TT in far more detail than most players I play against from being here. I know the shonkiness behind the game (at governing body levels) unfortunately too... and I don't just mean the ITTF. Some of that knowledge comes from the forum and some comes from knowing people in the system.

I would have to say some of the games we played on here like the TT word game we played years ago have provided some fun times, as have some of the poetry, jokes and fictional stories written by so many different characters from across the world (and we Aussies definitely hold our own on that front).

I have many friends that I would never have had because of this forum. Some I met in person from here, and some I've known a long time but never met. Guys like JimWeiland, GrumpyJoe, Dingwol2 and DWruck who I've had as Facebook friends for a long time now. Then there's guys like Debater and So_Devo (and many many more in this category) who I feel are friends that I only have contact with here. Of course meeting and hitting with Haggisv last year was quite a highlight, but I hope its not the peaking of meetings with people from here yet....so many more meetings I'd like to happen in years ahead as I hope to travel one day to the UK and the US and have chances to meet up with long time friends then.

Anyway, here's to the next decade of OOAK forumming. May we all prosper in our TT!

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
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S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
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my best moment was when I got my new donic blade with mxp and rakza 7 rubbers!

Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk

Yes that was certainly very special, not just for you, but the whole forum!

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide