No table for once
Once a year we swap the bat for a racket. Not table tennis, but the real thing — lawn tennis, on grass. Welcome to the TannUS tournament: US’s stubborn little outing to the courts of ATC Kadoelen in Amsterdam-Noord.
The name? A pun that stuck. The organization? The KLUSTTOANrd — the Royal Lawn US tennis tournament organization Amsterdam North. It doesn’t get more serious than that, and that’s exactly the point.
How it goes
Three smashcourt courts, one whole afternoon. Loan rackets are ready, because the tournament is precisely for people without tennis experience. Dress code sporty, bring your own lunch, muscle soreness guaranteed — the next day.
And then the main event: the BBQ afterwards in Marc’s backyard. Because a game of TannUS is fun, sure, but the real tournament only starts at the barbecue.
The prizes
There’s something to win, co-sponsored by stringing service Neutsnaar. But let’s be honest: nobody comes for the prizes. They come for the laughs, the grass, and the bitterballen energy of a club that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
History
The TannUS tournament is some seventeen editions old — though nobody quite agrees on the exact number. What started as a joke grew into a fixed early-summer tradition: table tennis players spending a day pretending to be tennis players, and then gathering round the BBQ.
The courts change, the rackets are on the house, the muscle soreness is the same every year. And the organization always signs off with:
GrtjUS vd KLUSTTOANrd.
Keep an eye on the news page for the next edition.