Shaka Pong™ is an awesome, social, and fun new game and a great way to spend time with old or future friends.
The love child of one wild and crazy threesome that's part table tennis, part pickleball, part racquetball and all fun, Shaka Pong™ is a game that can be enjoyed by young and old, rabid racket-sport player and tailgating casual "athlete" alike. Fast-paced and strategic but also mercifully forgiving and equalizing, Shaka Pong™ is a game that will keep you and your kids entertained for hours.
Play it once and we promise you’ll have a blast, hit (as well as be the victim of) some killer shots, break a sweat and might even be a bit sore (in a good way).
What is Shaka Pong?
I was first introduced to a version of this game called Hawaiian Ping Pong by a high school classmate (thanks DM) more than 30 years ago. I’ve carried its torch since, playing various versions of it with scores of friends in dozens of places and have experienced first hand how much fun people have had at it. And have been told too many times to count that I should develop it into a product/company/sport.
Ergo Shaka Pong™ , which draws on its Hawaiian roots for its name. (The Shaka gesture, which you surely recognize, is a closed fist with an extended thumb and pinky finger, and is a symbol of friendship, understanding, and solidarity, all of which we could use more of these days!)
Order your own Tailgating Shaka Table
Our official Tailgating Edition Shaka Pong™ Tables are high quality, durable, light and easily portable. Toss yours in the truck before the game and take it along to your next tailgating extravaganza. Shaka Pong™ balls and asphalt get along great and you and your friends will be the star of the show before the big game.
Or pull one out whenever needed for your garage, basement, playroom or even out in the driveway!
Format & Rules
- There's no net
- Each side’s shot has to hit the table at least once and the floor ONLY once
- Teammates must alternate who hits
- Game is to 9 with "rally scoring", i.e. points are scored on every shot whether serving or not; have to win by 2 points
- The serve must be hit gently off the opposite end of the table
- Other than the serve the ball doesn't have to be hit to the opposite side of the table!
- Opposing players must get out of the way, i.e., no setting picks, a la basketball
- You can hit shots off surfaces/objects to get it back to the table, e.g., walls
- If the ball's stuck/moving slowly on the table players can blow on it (WTF!?) but again, opposing players can’t block play
- Lets (redos) can be called when players block or come into contact with opposing players or there’s disagreement about whether a ball hit the top of the table
don't be a frump! New Shaka Gear!
Veteran Shaka Pong™ players understand just how important one's game-time fashion can be. Who amongst us wants to be caught playing Shaka Pong™ in a dumpy, ill-fitting T-shirt and sweats?!?!
Avoid the devastating impact a fashion faux-pas would have on your Shaka Pong™ street cred' and show off your Shaka Pong™ skills in style by outfitting yourself in a new shirt, sweatsuit, sweatband or other gear from our just-launched Shaka Pong™ Apparel Store.
Kids love it too
Shaka Pong™ ain't just for grownups - kids love it too. With lots of movement, strategy, drama and deception it's the kind of game kids love. Set them up in the basement or garage or driveway and watch the killer shots fly!
(See above for some action shots of my very own kids at play.)
Stylin' while Sweatin'
Those who haven't played the game scoff at the idea that they'll break a sweat. But play it right and we promise you will. And if you're gonna be sweating, you should do it in style like those titans of tennis Borg and McEnroe!
Check out our sweet Shaka Pong™ line of sweatbands in 3 different styles: classic, modern and karate master!
Just because
We'll refrain, for her sake, from telling you who this is but we just had to share this stellar mid-game pic of a close friend of Shaka Pong™ .
Get your Shaka Pong™ Paddles here!
These official Shaka Pong™ Paddles have been tested in epic battles between man and beast and will serve you well whether you're hitting a sick slam or a subtle slice.
Crush their souls with our standard Shaka Paddle or check out the mighty Shaka Pong™ Pro Paddle.
We Get a-round...
OK, that was weak wordplay above - please forgive. But we're not making any excuses for this fun new version of Shaka Pong™ which offers up a round table for your Shaka enjoyment!
Same ball and paddle but try it out and see how the new Shaka Pong™ Round Edition changes the dynamics of the game in fun and interesting ways!
From the Wall Street Journal
We were psyched to see this article from the WSJ on March 1, 2020 on the rise of archery dodgeball, a game we'd never heard of but which is clearly of the same spirit. On the very next day we were hosting a Shaka Pong™ event in Boston and we agree wholeheartedly with the piece that finding an activity that's fun, competitive, and social, whether you're young, old, or mostly middle-aged like the crew that came together in Boston, is, we think, the secret formula for engaging and entertaining people and keeping them coming back.
From the Journal: "Sports like archery dodgeball, corn hole and pickleball may sound silly, but if they motivate you more than the treadmill, you’re more likely to stick with them, says Kyle Kercher, an American College of Sports Medicine-certified exercise physiologist at Indiana University Bloomington.
“When it comes to physical activity, the most important thing is to find something that’s sustainable,” he says. “The more motivators you have—social, competitiveness, mastery—the more likely you are to participate regularly.”
Mr. Kercher says activities from our childhood usually bring back carefree memories and are associated with fun rather than work. “If you finish an activity with a smile on your face, that’s a good sign,” he says."
Volcano Edition™
Want to add more challenges to your Shaka Pong™ game? Try the “Volcano Edition™! This new offering from Shaka Pong obviously references our Hawaiian roots, and adds fun and wacky new physical elements to the game!
The "Volcano"
A custom-designed solid conical object, the "Volcano" features random surfaces and angles for the ball to ricochet off. Each team gets one and can place it anywhere on the table after their first shot.
The "Lava Flow"
A low-lying multi-faceted strip, the "Lava Flow" introduces a fun new element to the game that will alter the path and pace of a rolling ball. Each team gets one and can place it anywhere on the table after their second shot.
Like their real-life counterparts, the “Volcano" and "Lava Flow" subject you to challenging new hazards, leading to unpredictable bounces that dramatically change the dynamics of the game.
Shaka is Social
Not only is Shaka Pong™ a game of lots of movement, strategy and skill, it's also a super social game and a great way to spend time with old or future friends. Played in close quarters with lots of intense rallies, Shaka Pong™ will have you high-fiving your teammate and relentlessly taunting your opponents (in good fun).
Health, fitness, and mental fitness
We’re not making this sh*t up!
Numerous (more than 1!!) scientists have suggested that table tennis is, in addition to being a fun and active sport, excellent exercise for the brain, with one - Dr. Daniel Amen, calling it “the best brain sport ever” and like “aerobic chess.” Another, Dr. Wendy Suzuki of NYU, points to brain and motor functions used in table tennis such as fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, strategic planning and aerobic exercise as great workouts for the primary motor cortex, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. And still others claim it’s helpful in diagnosing and/or treating ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dementia and depression. And yet another study, this one out of Korea, looked at 164 women over 60 and found table tennis improved more brain function than dancing, walking, gymnastics and resistance training.
It’s not just scientists - the professional game-meister extraordinaire Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle since 1993, is also a rabid fan of table tennis. In addition to calling it "chess on steroids,” Shortz owns a table tennis club he co-founded and plays every single day (he was vying for the world record of playing for the most consecutive days). Says Shortz: “ … Just like crosswords, [...] you get completely wrapped up in the game. You forget everything else in the world. And when you’re done, you’re relaxed. You’re refreshed. You’re ready to go back to do everything else.”
To run with Shortz's quote, we think Shaka Pong™ is "table tennis on steroids" and while we’re far from scientists, we feel more than comfortable saying the game is tons of fun, has you constantly moving, thinking and strategizing, and is super social - all good things that make any game of Shaka Pong worth your time.
