Putting Mind and Body to the Test for the Pickleball Hall of Fame
By Fran Myer– Guest Author
It is rare to find a leader who is willing to put all of his heart and effort on the line for the benefit of his organization. That is what the Pickleball Hall of Fame has in its founder and president, 70-year-old Seymour “Rif” Rifkind. Shortly after announcing that a brick-and-mortar Pickleball Hall of Fame and museum was being built, Rif was faced with the need for funds to design and furnish the interior of this facility. The completion is due later this year at the Pickle Ranch, a private pickleball club in Austin, Texas. He decided that a great idea would be to ride his bike 3,000 miles across the U.S. in 44 days to raise money for the cause. His wife Holly thought he was crazy but agreed to be his partner in this huge endeavor. She would be his support team, following him every mile of the way in their RV.
The ride began on February 28 after Rif dipped his rear tire in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, CA. During the first few weeks, he dealt with cold temperatures in the mornings, a dust storm and flat tire, but overall, he felt strong and energetic. He took time to post pictures of sights and historic buildings in the old mining town of Bisbee, AZ. He took pictures of roadside artwork, cows and javelina as he crossed from Arizona into Texas. He posted pictures of beautiful murals from Alpine, TX. Then, as he neared the halfway point, things got really hard. On day 19, he had a grueling 120-mile ride from Sanderson to Del Rio. That challenging day was followed by two days of over 80 miles each that were filled with demanding hill climbs that crippled his knees.
Arriving in Ingram after the second day of hills, he had to ice his swollen knees through the night, limiting the amount of much-needed sleep. That was his most difficult time. He had doubts about whether he could get on his bike the next morning, and wondered if this was as far as he could go. But the next morning, Rif got on his bike. After 15 minutes of riding, the pain subsided, and he was on his way. It was supposed to be a shorter ride that day, but Rif’s phone went dead, and he got lost, adding an extra 10 miles to his trip. Hilary Marold (PHOF 2020 inductee) was in Fredericksburg that afternoon to greet Rif and Holly and take them out to dinner. That really lifted Rif’s spirits. With an extra night to rest, he was refreshed and ready for the second half of his epic journey.
Texas still had more challenges for Rif, however. There were several terrifying dog chases as Rif made his way from Texas to Louisiana. In one incident, a dog actually bit his shoe as he pedaled furiously to get away. During his stop in Ville Platte, LA, Sharon Richard drove up from Rayne to greet Rif and show a little pickleball support from Louisiana. The next day, the last part of Rif’s ride turned from 70 degrees to 50 degrees in an instant, followed by torrential rains which left Rif completely soaked by the end of the day. Once again, he was greeted by well-wishers. Yvonne and Jim Hackenberg (PHOF 2020 inductee) made a point of being in St. Francisville to cheer on the Rifkinds and to join them for some social time and a good meal.
By now, Rif was less than two weeks from reaching his goal. His body was totally stressed and beat up. Mentally, he was spent. Two days later, as he was leaving Bogalusa, LA with Holly following him, she got into an accident in the RV. She was unharmed, but the RV was damaged and had to be towed. Rif continued his ride in order to stay with a support vehicle that was with a separate group making this same journey. This left Holly to arrange for the RV’s repairs, find a rental and transfer all the supplies into that vehicle before proceeding to Wiggins, MS where she finally met up with a very exhausted and worried Rif at the end of the day.
Early the next morning before getting on his bike, Rif sent out a message to his supporters. “No matter what challenges Holly & I are faced with, we’re going to complete Rif’s Ride for pickleball.” Those who know Rif’s gymnastics history know the story of Rif writing in the wet cement, at age 16, that in two years, “I will be the 1969 State All-Around Champion and State Parallel Champion.” It was the cement that was used to anchor the parallel bars into the ground that he built in his backyard. A lot of teammates would come and practice on those bars. His statement was there for all to see and it kept him working hard to reach his goal, which he achieved just as he said. Now with Rif’s new proclamation, there would be little doubt that he would reach his destination. The remaining days were filled with more dog chases, more rain, and a near disastrous accident when a car came too close to Rif, forcing him to “lay his bike down” to avoid getting hit. With his scrapes cleaned up and bandaged, Rif continued on his way. He did say, “No matter what…”
After the RV accident, Rif was without his home on wheels, so he and Holly stayed in the same hotels as the group they had followed throughout this cross-country journey. The group was very supportive and kind to them. On the last day, April 12, the group invited Rif to join them, even giving him one of the group’s matching shirts to wear. Just before noon, Rif and the other cyclists rode to the finish through a crowd of cheering supporters at the St. John’s County Pier at St. Augustine Beach in Florida. Rif dipped the front wheel of his bike in the Atlantic Ocean followed by a victory handstand on the beach. Exhilarated and feeling great to have completed this epic journey, Rif expressed appreciation for all the support and donations. In an interview with Byron Freso, Rif was asked about that very challenging day when he wasn’t sure if he could continue, yet he got on his bike anyway. Rif replied, “…there’s a lesson learned there, just get out and try. You’d be amazed at what might happen.” No doubt, a lot of people are amazed by what Rif has accomplished.
