Pickleballers in the 808: Craig and Mo Petersen
Pickleball Couple Craig and Mo Petersen
Honolulu—After a few months of lessons, I was invited to play with a group by a pickleball classmate. I showed up, but my classmate friend wasn’t there—he was off island that weekend. Mo immediately sprung into action, welcoming me, introducing me to everyone in the group and insisting that I immediately play in the next game.
That same day, I heard a male voice consistently shouting out praise and encouragement for the new players—-and that was Mo’s other half, Craig.
Mo’s motto is “we’ll all get better together”!!!
You won’t meet a more welcoming and supportive couple—read on to learn more about Craig and Mo!
Currently residing in: Honolulu
Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?
Craig was born and raised in northern Iowa—he graduated from Waukon Senior High. I was born near Macau and graduated from McKinley High School.
How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?
Our son started to talk about pickleball during COVID, so we started playing in September 2022. We’ve been playing about 18 months.
Did you both play together from the beginning?
We did play together and still play together. What has changed is playing together at the kitchen.
What’s it like playing with each other?
It’s not always easy to play on the same team because when you have bad game, it’s easy to offer on court critics. We try to leave each game with smiles on our face and having improved our game.
What do you do outside of pickleball?
Craig is a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer and current federal employee. He’s an avid cyclist and a handy repair guy. I’m retired but very active as the manager of our rentals. I also do yoga and weight training weekly.
What do you love most about pickleball?
The social environment and creating a great group of friends. When we first started playing, we were advised we weren’t good and should play elsewhere. So, Mo put together our own team, “Mo Beta Pickleball” and we are now 36 members strong and absolutely love the camaraderie and how much we have all improved.
What paddle are you currently playing with?
Craig uses a long-handle ICE 16, a new startup company in the Bay Area and a LEGACY. I use the JOOLA HYPERION. For a net, we use a Swiftnet, an American made net from Port Angeles, WA., which is much lighter and easier for me to set up.
How often do you play?
We play 2-3 times a week…“Mo Betta PickleBall” all the way!
Mahalo Craig and Mo for allowing us to learn about you!
