SPOKANE, Wash. – The Rim Rippers stand out among the more than 6,000 teams at this year’s 35th Hoopfest tournament. The four-person team has played every Hoopfest since 1994.
Coach Nick Pease says the team’s dedication runs deep.
“We have a spot in the wheelchair division waiting for them,” Pease said.
Team member Koby Haikkila explains that their bond goes back decades.
“We have been best friends since we were literally in diapers,” Haikkila said.
The friends have scattered across the country over the years, but Hoopfest brings them back together.
“Nick moved to Kentucky and traveled back, I moved to San Jose and traveled back… Hooopfest is the one thing that always brings us back,” Haikkila said.
The team draws loyal fans each year. Nick Ernst describes the event as more than basketball.
“It is more a community get-together, a reunion,” Ernst said.
Now, the original players watch their children compete as the next generation of Rim Rippers.
“They come, they show up, and they see it, and then they want to play,” Haikkila said.
Hoopfest has grown bigger, louder and more crowded over three decades, but Pease says the atmosphere remains the same.
“Coming down and watching them play, and soaking up the atmosphere, and so I really enjoy it,” Pease said.
For the Rim Rippers and their families, Hoopfest is now marked on their calendars like Christmas.
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