Jul 16, 2008

Fun and business for all ages at tennis tourney

By John Reid / Daily News Staff Writer

Jack from Miami was the cutest 16-month-old toddler at the Bank of the West Tennis Classic on Tuesday. The curly-haired blondy visited the Olympus camera booth and the rest was history.

The gimmick was to get one's picture using an oversized tennis racket and oversized tennis ball. The racket was bigger than Jack, who was at his most giddy walking around with the massive tennis ball. Older sister Emma took her turn, too. Now we know what to get them for Christmas.

Yes, there is more to just pro women's tennis at the Bank of the West Classic. There is fun and business for the whole family. A lot of business. To the north side outside of Taube Family Tennis Center are venues that sell coffee drinks (Perry's-San Francisco), Jamba Juice and Evian water, a company no doubt praying for some hot weather.

I strolled down Marketing Lane and there it was - Paula Creamer's dream house. The Evian booth was colored in Creameresque pink. Inside the booth were Natalie Jahnke from Southern California and Cliff Heick from Santa Rosa, both dressed in Evian pink and white. They're hired marketeers who will tell you that Evian has sponsored the U.S. Open for the past 23 years. And that Evian is the oldest-selling water in existence, going back 73 years. This is Evian's first BOW venture, and they're trying to make a big splash. I was thrilled to get sprayed with Evian water all over my person. Didn't cost me a thing.

"When it gets real hot, the people like to get sprayed with Evian," Cliff said.

Tough job, but someone has to do it.

One can sign up for the Marriott Vacation Club. Just put down a $199 deposit on a credit card. I promised to go back there later in the week after talking to my wife. It seemed like a good out at the time.

Bow Rodgers, an Atherton resident, is the president and CEO of SquareHitTennis. Bow was a living demonstration of his product, the apparatus attached to his right wrist.

"We want you to feel the perfect swing," Rodgers said. "We want you to feel what the pros feel when they hit a perfect forehand and backhand."

Don't know if it means anything, but Bow's first name could stand for Bank of the West (BOW). That should bring him some luck in promoting his product.

The Bank of the West Classic is not all about making money. A lot of volunteers come every year to make the tournament work. This is the 12th year the tournament has been at Stanford. Ginny Weed of Foster City has been volunteering the past 10 years. Weed was working the Guest Services booth Tuesday.

"I couldn't be in a better spot," Weed said. "I watch the tennis as much as I can."

Benelia Terry of Newark is in her second year as a BOW volunteer. Her assignment Tuesday was to guard Gate 6.

"I love tennis," said Terry, a psychotherapist. "I really like community service. My favorite women tennis players are Serena and Venus Williams. I'm so glad Serena made it this year."

Terry won't be at BOW tonight when Serena Williams plays her first-ever match at the tournament. She has to work her real job.

Another big name, Lindsay Davenport, withdrew from the tournament Monday because of an injury. That didn't stop Davenport from holding a free autograph session Tuesday afternoon. The line was long, mostly full of aspiring young female tennis players.

"She asked me what she could do to help," said the tourney's Director of Media Relations Sam Henderson. "I like players who do that."

Despite Jack being a little deterred that his toys were being used, I took the bite and got my picture taken with the big tennis racket and tennis ball. I figured not even I could miss a shot with a racket that big and with a ball four times bigger than a softball. After all, it was free to pose like Nadal.

Tennis anyone?


E-mail John Reid at jreid@dailynewsgroup.com.