A trifecta of locals—Carol Eberhard, her husband Rob and Ben Thomas—joined more than 1200 other players in Amsterdam last month for the WSF World Masters Squash Championships.
Thomas was the only Whistlerite to break into the top 20 of his age category, the men's 50+. The reigning Pan American Masters victor also won the Canadian Nationals, and has been competing in tournaments for four decades.
Carol managed a respectable 28th among women aged 50 and up. Like Thomas, she participated in Nationals this year and is a veteran of the B.C. provincial circuit.
Rob sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw after going 2-2 in his first four matches against fellow men's 55+ athletes. He holds previous World Masters experience from 2018, winning his consolations after an opening-round loss in Charlottesville.
The trio run the Whistler Squash Club together. All returned home pleased with the opportunity to test themselves and connect with their 45-odd teammates representing Canada.
Carol in particular was inspired by Lauren Wagner, a British Columbian who prevailed in the ladies' 55+ division, as well as by Gerald Poulton and Howard Armitage earning gold and silver respectively among men over 80.
"Once you hit your 30s, it's hard to compete with the 24-year-olds coming up through the squash world, but to see Lauren energized and excited about competing again is amazing," Carol said. "To say that I participated is pretty amazing too, so that was one of my biggest takeaways: we can still be active and competitive in sport, no matter what age we are."
Unlike its previous editions, the 2024 World Masters Squash did suffer from organizational breakdowns. Numerous players failed to receive adequate communication as they dealt with unexpected gaps in the schedule and a lack of toiletries at onsite shower facilities. These hiccups did not, however, outweigh the positives of Carol and company's latest overseas experience.
"I would like to thank my wife who has supported me over the years," said Rob. "I am also working on an app to connect the global squash community with the mission of increasing participation in the sport."
'The beauty of squash'
With squash set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, there's never been a better time to give the sport a try.
It's a versatile year-round pastime to complement the more weather-dependent activities of skiing and mountain biking. If you ask Rob, it involves "the ideal combination of power, endurance, skill and mind." There are viable pathways to collegiate play for youth and a robust social atmosphere that extends well beyond tournaments.
"On any given day, you could be playing at your best, or you could be playing not-so-great," remarked Carol. "Every time you're trying to learn, get better and change your tactics to see if you can outwit or outsmart that other person. That's kind of the beauty of squash: it's a really great workout in a short period of time, but it's also such a mind game."
Rob and Thomas know that firsthand, having played each other more than 2000 times over the last quarter-century.
The Eberhards founded the Whistler Squash Club in 1995, around when Meadow Park Sports Centre (MPSC) opened. Club leadership has shifted a few times since then, but Carol and Rob are back in the mix now to alleviate the pressure on Thomas—who has young kids to raise.
Going forward, the trio hope to mirror the evolution of the Squamish Squash Club, whose membership has transformed from 80 per cent male to near gender parity. A slate of relatively recent ladies' programs should help in that regard.
"I think the guys play because it's a great competition, but women do because there's more to it than just competition," Carol opined. "Squash does add another option in Whistler that's not about getting out there and doing things on your own."
Kids' and teens' clinics are also part of the plan. The Club intends to link up with Squash BC in bringing the sport to schools, as well as eventually take local youth to Vancouver to play in the city's growing menu of beginner junior tournaments.
Get plugged in to the Whistler Squash Club at https://www.facebook.com/whistlersquashclub/ and view full results from the 2024 World Squash Masters at https://wsfworldmasters2024.nl/en/Draws-Results/.
