Jazzminton on Today Show!

By TV

Ever heard of Jazzminton? New beach sport to try in Florida (Fox 35)

By TV

A retired automotive engineer in Clearwater Beach is trying to bring back old-fashioned fun to coastlines all around Florida. He wants people at the beach to put down handheld technology and play real-life toys and games instead. Good Day Orlando’s David Martin takes you to the Gulf of Mexico to show you his latest invention -- Jazzminton.

Jazzminton, a new game invented in Clearwater, now sold nationwide (ABC Action News)

By TV

CLEARWATER, Fla. — This summer you may see a new game being played at beaches, parks and backyards throughout the Tampa Bay area. It’s called Jazzminton, it’s like badminton or pickleball but instead of hitting back and forth over a net, you hit through the net. The idea of Jazzminton has been volleyed around by creator Steven Mueller for the past four years. Mueller is a Switzerland native who now lives in Clearwater. “I am a mechanical engineer and from that point, I was very creative, I like to invent things,” said Mueller. He was looking for a game paddling a birdie or ball that didn’t need a court.

“When you look at tennis, you got to find a tennis court, you have to drive somewhere,” said Mueller. He also wanted something that was durable yet easy to assemble and transport. “It should hold up five to 10 years easy with a good amount of usage,” said Mueller. It was also important that it didn’t take up a lot of space, you can even play in the living room.

“Let's say you are in the winter up north, it’s freezing cold, you can take it indoors and have a good time,” said Mueller. So how did he come up with the name? “It has a nice sound to it, it has a rhythm to it,” said Mueller, who compared the sound of the bride being hit back and forth to smooth jazz.

When you invent a sport from scratch, that means your friends and family get to be featured on the box. “Family friends for a long time and then he asked us to be on the box I was like, ‘sure,’” said Ashleigh Dolbaczuk. “And I was like, ‘I’m going to play this and I’m going to be good at it.’” “Playing it, it’s got a different aspect of challenge with the hole in the net,” said Will Simpson. Since its debut in November, its already stocked on shelves in more than 200 stores nationwide. The next big goal for Mueller is to set up the first official Jazzminton tournament on the beach later this year. “I totally see it being a really good competitive tournament sport, because it’s easy to use, easy to learn and anyone can play it,” said Dolbaczuk.

For more information go to funsparks.com

We try it: Jazzminton, a new game now sold nationwide (Wish-TV)

By TV

This will be the easiest party to plan with today's Amazon Finds.

A distinctly different, increasingly popular new recreational game called Jazzminton Sport is being served up nationally that combines the best of many other popular paddle and racquet sports. Michael Sears and Collin Jung, WISH-TV interns, joined us on “Life.Style.Live!” Monday to try out the game and give us their review. Watch the video above to see how they enjoyed it. Jazzminton Sport is a creatively competitive paddle ball game that offers the same fun and excitement of tennis, badminton, pickle ball and even ping-pong all at once … but with a “hole” new spin on it. The difference? No boundary or court is needed – just a small space. It can be played anywhere indoors or outdoors: garages, basements, hallways, living rooms — at gyms, parks, beaches, yards and more. No other paddle or racket sport removes those boundary restrictions. The patent pending Jazzminton Sport is portable, simple and fast to set up, only taking a couple minutes to assemble. Jazzminton Sport is fun for all ages and all skill levels. Can be played fast or slow, competitive or casual and offers the health benefits of improving lateral movement and eye-hand coordination. Another unique aspect, players hit a uniquely designed birdie through a rectangular hole opening in the raised net. The innovative birdie technology adjusts its speed and distance to the strength of the hit, slowing as they spin making every hit within reach, allowing for long rallies and great exercise. Players can spike the birdie as hard as possible; the birdie has been created so that it won’t fly too far where it’s out of reach. Even the hardest hits are playable. Multiple nets can be set up in any large gym or space so dozens of players can compete against each other one-on-one at the same time.

In the months ahead Funsparks LLC, the inventor and marketer of the Jazzminton product line, will organize local, regional and national tournaments. Events calendars will be set up so people can connect with other players in their area. The product sells for $199.99 and is available here.

Plan Your July 4th Party from the Couch with These Amazon Finds! (Carolina AM)

By TV

This will be the easiest party to plan with today's Amazon Finds.

Jazzminton Sport set

For entertainment, this will be a party hit and you may be the first on the block to have one! Greg and Audra unboxed and played a game of Jazzminton on the show this morning. The sport is a lot like badminton and pickleball but with a unique twist. The birdies are designed to slow as they spin making every hit within reach. It’s portable and quick to set up. Available on amazon for $199.

Audra Challenges Greg in a Game of Jazzminton Sport (Carolina AM)

By TV

Jazzminton Sport is a new game being served up nationally. Audra and Greg play a round on Carolina A.M

Audra puts Greg’s tennis skills and pickleball experience to the test in a game of Jazzminton. Jazzminton Sport is a new game being served up nationally that combines the best of many other popular paddle and racquet sports. Jazzminton Sport is a creatively competitive paddle ball game that offers the same fun and excitement of tennis, badminton, pickle ball and even ping-pong all at once…but with a “hole” new spin on it. The difference? No boundary or court is needed – just a small space. It can be played anywhere indoors or outdoors: garages, basements, hallways, living rooms — at gyms, parks, beaches, yards and more. No other paddle or racket sport removes those boundary restrictions. The patent pending Jazzminton Sport is portable, simple and fast to set up, only taking a couple minutes to assemble. Jazzminton Sport is fun for all ages and all skill levels. Can be played fast or slow, competitive or casual and offers the health benefits of improving lateral movement and eye-hand coordination. Another unique aspect, players hit a uniquely designed birdie through a rectangular hole opening in the raised net. The innovative birdie technology adjusts its speed and distance to the strength of the hit, slowing as they spin making every hit within reach, allowing for long rallies and great exercise. Players can spike the birdie as hard as possible; the birdie has been created so that it won’t fly too far where it’s out of reach. Even the hardest hits are playable. Multiple nets can be set up in any large gym or space so dozens of players can compete against each other one-on-one at the same time. In the months ahead Funsparks LLC, the inventor and marketer of the Jazzminton product line, will organize local, regional and national tournaments. Events calendars will be set up so people can connect with other players in their area. The product sells for $199.99 on Amazon and on funsparks.com.

Chicago prepares for excessive heat: ‘Take it seriously’

By News

A heat advisory that was issued Wednesday for most counties south of I-80 is expected to expand north Thursday, including most of the Chicago metro area, said the National Weather Service's Scott Baker.

By Vivian La

From Wordle to sweets, holiday gift ideas for the grown-ups

By News

NETS & MORE NETS

Move over pickleball, Jazzminton Sport is on your tail. It’s an indoor-outdoor game played with paddles and birdies and a unique net with a horizontal cut out. There are no boundaries. No court is required. Set up is simple. Two people play. Just bat the birdie back and forth through the hole until the winner reaches an agreed-upon point number. $199.99.If one net isn’t enough, go for four with Crossnet. It’s a four-square-meets-volleyball game for indoors, outdoors, on sand or concrete, in water or on grass. Play is, uh, complicated. In a nutshell: Four people are up or break into teams of two. Play goes around one hit per return across four nets until the ball hits the ground or goes out of bounds. People are rotated in and out. The net height is adjustable. $149.99 at Crossnetgame.com. —- For more AP gift guides, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide.

___

Follow Leanne on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie

Also appears on: