Former Champion KARIN WALTON's Racquetball Scrapbook

Karin Walton comes from an athletic Southern California family. Following in her brothers' footsteps she played sports during school and went skiing in winter. In the mid-1970s she discovered the young sport of racquetball and quickly moved through the amateur ranks. By 1979 she was National Champion, surprising everyone but herself, by defeating reigning champion Shannon Wright in the semis and long-time pro Janell Marriott in the finals.

Although her professional racquetball career only lasted from 1977 to 1982, she collected an album of photos, newspaper and magazine clippings, scorecards, business cards and other memorabilia. It had probably been decades since she'd opened her old scrapbook, when I recently asked her to share behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes, bringing those classic days back to life.

00:26 Dress Code for the Racquetball Pro Tour in the 1970s
01:55 Professional Debut, upsetting then-champ Shannon Wright in the 1st Round
04:16 Riding the Racquetball Wave
04:43 Mothers attend Nebraska Pro Stop 1978
05:18 Racquetball Legend Peggy Steding (1936-1999) from Odessa, Texas
06:00 Other women pros
06:16 Karin joins Leach, along with Marty Hogan, Charlie Brumfield, Steve Keeley, Lindsay Myers, Craig McCoy and Heather McKay
07:18 Clothing contracts with Leach and Tail Sportswear
07:34 Modeling contract with Catalina Sportswear
08:03 Wild times at Stiltsville, Coral Gables, Florida
08:54 National Championship victory at Tempe Athletic Club, June 1979
12:05 Arch rival Shannon Wright
13:11 AMF Voit/Datsun Nationals
13:43 The $100,000 California Girl (LA Times)
14:34 The California Kid article by Nick Longhurst
15:03 Teaching and traveling with Rich Wagner
15:27 More exhibitions, publicity, advertising
17:38 "Winning Racquetball" video with Rich Wagner
18:54 Former pros Don Thomas and Marty Hogan
19:46 Karin's opinion on the Women's Professional Racquetball Association


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