University of Texas Quidditch squad takes home World Cup title after beating Slyth... we mean, UCLA

Make space in the University of Texas trophy room, the school’s Quidditch team won the Quidditch World Cup VI on April 14 to be crowned the best Muggle-centric squad in the world.

The wizardly sport of Quidditch involves flying around on broomsticks and throwing balls in hoops and avoiding iron balls that can sometimes break bones and there's a tiny winged ball named the Golden Snitch that's worth, like, all the points. The sport has found a following among college students throughout the country that desire a club sport based on magical brooms and quaffles and snitches and seekers.

Does anyone know what I’m talking about? A nerd told me it's in the Harry Potters before I took his lunch money.

Look, people can’t fly on broomsticks in real life, so, at Middlebury College back in 2005, they made an approximation of Quidditch because that’s what New England liberal arts college students do. Well, that and have dinner parties where squash and Malcolm Gladwell are heavily featured.

It’s all very logical, really. Teams of seven run around on a field with broomsticks between their legs whilst tossing volleyballs about and avoiding dodgeballs and there’s a person with a tennis ball stuffed in a sock that hangs from their waist who runs around and if someone catches them then the game is over.

And the game has grown so much that this year’s International Quidditch Association World Cup was a two day affair with 80 college teams from 36 states and four countries all duking it out at Austin-Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Florida.

Anyway, Middlebury won all five of the previous World Cups until this year when Texas Quidditch, one of two UT teams to make the trek, advanced through pool play on Saturday to defeat Texas A&M (boom!) and Bowling Green State University (okay, sure) in the elimination stages before vanquishing UCLA in the championship.

To commemorate the victory, UT lit the Tower burnt orange, which is more than they did for my epic beer pong run of 13 games in February 2010.

So congrats to the Muggles of Texas Quidditch on a successful tournament and may the odds be ever in your favor next year.

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What a racket

New padel club gets Austin familiar with popular Latin American sport

Photo by Juan J Valdes

Padel is not a new sport, but interest in paddleball has shown its potential to take root in Austin.

Considering the runaway success of pickleball in Austin, padel should be going crazy in no time. The sport isn't new; it's been around since 1969. And in fact, pickleball is even four years older. Regardless, a renewed interest has new spots to watch and play popping up left and right, and joining the party is Padel39.

The new padel ball club is now open at 2510 Rutland Dr., near Q2 Stadium and right behind Turnstile Coffee Beer Cocktails and Burgers. It's also near Restart CBD, but hopefully you won't need any pain remedies; people usually say padel ball is easy to pick up.

Even though it's already open, Padel39 is hosting a grand opening on Friday, October 18. From 6-9 pm there will be drinks, snacks, and a padel expo game (starting at 7 pm). "In-house pros" from Padel39 will compete against two professional Mexican players.

Padel39 courts The courts themselves are charming, covered by green turf and surrounded by white, resort-style seating.Photo by Josh Graziadei

Descriptions of the sport invariably take the form of "like [x racquet sport] but with elements of [y and racket sports]." If keeping track of all the differences just feels like too much, picture a solid racket — i.e. not stringed — with holes drilled in it. Padel balls are nearly identical to tennis balls, but smaller and with a lower air pressure; a release explains that this is so it doesn't bounce as high. (It also assures readers that the noise is less annoying than that of a pickleball.)

The most exciting part: there is a net in the center of the court, but the whole thing is encased in glass walls, which are part of the game. Austinites who have spent time in Latin American countries or Spain may already be familiar with the sport, since it's much more popular there. It was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera, and now Padel39 bears the first two numbers of all Acapulco ZIP Codes.

Co-founder Will Boyce, born in France and educated at the University of Texas, used to play tennis for the school. Now he and his wife, co-founder Naomi Boyce, have grand plans for the new club. The release positions it as "helping [to] redefine the ever-evolving area of North Austin near Q2 Stadium," and the website already hopes to open new locations in "the coming years."

Padel39 co-founders Will and Naomi Boyce Co-founders Will and Naomi Boyce.Photo by Juan J Valdes

So far, though, it's only two weeks in, following a soft opening. Spread across two acres, there's plenty of room to play, plus a sports bar and a lounge for remote work.

Padel39 Memberships start at $89 per month or $890 per year, but players can also rent courts as needed for 90 minutes at $30. More information about the club is available at padel39.com. Guests who would like to stop by the grand opening will need to message @padel.39 on Instagram. The event is limited to 100 people.

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