Pickleballer in the 808: Josh Hatori
“Pickleballer in the 808” Josh Hatori (second from left), with his doubles partner, Anu, after winning Gold in the 4.5+ Open Division at the Picklepaws K9 Tournament
Hilo—The cool thing about publishing a Hawai’i pickleball newsletter and writing this blog is that I get to meet awesome people from around the State.
One of the first people I met when I started writing the newsletter was Josh Hatori. There wasn’t much to be found online about the Hilo pickleball scene, so when I saw some of Josh’s posts, I sent him a DM and crossed my fingers that he’d respond.
Luckily, he did. We set up a Zoom call, and over a few conversations, I learned about Josh, the work he does for the Hilo pickleball community, and his philosophy around pickleball.
Not only does he provide pickleball instruction, but he’s passionate about designing the right training program for his students. He believes in a holistic approach to pickleball which includes physical training, mindset and strategy. In other words, he’s a big picture guy and his work goes way beyond the mechanics of the physical game.
In addition to providing pickleball lessons, having a full-time job and being a father and husband, he’s competed and won several local tournaments!
Join me in getting to know Pickleballer in the 808 Josh Hatori!
Josh, at his full-time job as a firefighter EMT, with his son
Currently resides in: Hilo
Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?
I grew up in Hilo…graduated from Waiakea High School in 2009 and went on to get my Fire Science Degree here at HCC.
How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?
I discovered pickleball and played for the first time in 2017 at the fire station.
We would have PT or physical training of some sorts in the evenings while on 24 hour shifts. We purchased a couple of cheap wooden paddles back then and went across the street to the public tennis courts. There were no pickleball lines on the courts back then so we just used the entire tennis court and played a modified rules “jungle ball” style pickleball.
It was really fun and involved a whole lot more running. Eventually, we put down lines for a court in our apparatus bay with a portable net and played by the official rules.
Still, this took us some time to get out of our “bangers” phase and learn the art of the drop shot and dinking.
What do you do outside of pickleball?
Outside of playing pickleball, I’m a full time Firefighter EMT for the Hawaii County Fire department. I currently work at the Waiakea Fire Station where we handle all rescue related calls on the east side of the Big Island.
On the side, I run a company called Premier Pickleball Hawaii with Randy Kunimoto where we do pickleball instruction, training, clinics, paddle fittings, equipment and merchandise sales. When I do have free time, I try to spend it with my family.
I have a one year old son and another on the way; hopefully they grow up to be the next pickleball brother duo team!
What do you love most about pickleball?
I love that pickleball is easily available and also relatively easy to learn and start playing and have fun.
But also this game has that high ceiling to become really good at and it takes lots of focus, practice and experience to master it. The game doesn’t feel redundant or boring as there always seems to be an area for improvement and something to learn.
Each player brings a unique play style to the game and it creates new gameplay every time someone steps on the court. I love how the game of pickleball can be so dynamic with so many pace changes, angles and having to make so many split second decisions time after time.
It gets the adrenaline going as well as the heart rate…every time I play I get a really good workout and it keeps me healthy.
What paddle are you currently playing with?
I’m the Hawaii Diadem Rep and wholesale dealer.
They supported me from a while back and I’ll continue to support them. They make some of the best products out there and are one of the most innovative brands that look to push the equipment technology forward with every release.
They were the first to bring out EVA foam paddles to combat noise complaints. They were the first to go with extra thick paddles for more control (Warrior) and the first to use 18k carbon fiber to maximize spin potential.
They offer a nice lineup of paddles designed for different play styles and ability. Every year they update each line of paddles to bring the latest tech to market.
When I fit players to paddles, the Diadem lineup is a great start to see what works for them.
Personally, I play with the Diadem 18K Power Pro model. This is the same paddle Christian Alshon uses. I like the elongated handle and the spin characteristics—it allows me to shape my trajectories to fit the shot I’m trying to achieve.
How often do you play?
It seems that these days I spend more time coaching and training than I do actually playing. But I’ll try to have fun and just play at least a few times a week.
Mahalo Josh, for allowing us to learn more about you!
Follow Josh on Instagram @premierpickleballhawaii
