Pickleballer in the 808: Lori Tokutomi

Lori at the Senior Games in 2016, and with Lexi

Moanalua High School—Honolulu.

A few months ago, I was at Moanalua High School, chatting with Kyle Kaneshiro about his K2 Pickleball program. He mentioned how much he valued his assistant, Lori Tokutomi, and told me that Lori wasn’t just a super assistant—they often sit down to brainstorm and strategize ways to make his programs better.

When I stopped by the Tournament for the Stray Animals this past weekend, I instantly knew who Lori was, even though I’d never met her. She was the behind-the-scenes director, making sure everything ran smoothly.

And although Lori is “behind-the-scenes”, she’s played in almost 40 tournaments, is an IPTPA Certified Pickleball Instructor and a 4.0 skill rated player.

Join me in getting to know Pickleballer in the 808 Lori Tokutomi!

Lori with K2 Pickleball’s Kyle Kaneshiro

Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?

I was born and raised in San Francisco, North Beach district. My parents were first generation American-born Chinese. We moved to Oakland and lived there for 3 years. Then we moved to a small city in the East Bay called Moraga, a predominately all white community. I graduated high school from Campolindo.

By my senior year, we had a Chinese principal and many more Asian students. I went to court reporting school, received my license, then worked as a Certified Shorthand Reporter (deposition reporter) all over the Bay Area for 32 years.

How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?

I started playing in 2014. I was at a 24 Hour water aerobics class and someone in the class mentioned pickleball. She said I might be interested in playing. That night I google searched pickleball and places to play.

I was a fan immediately. I started playing at an indoor facility and couldn't get enough. Unfortunately, in 2014 there were not that many places to play, maybe one or two courts within a 20-mile radius. There were no lessons offered or instructors, and just one ambassador for all of the East Bay.

What do you do outside of pickleball?

In 2017, I decided it was time to retire and moved to Hawaii. I didn't know anyone here, but have made many friends just from playing pickleball. I still proofread deposition transcripts. I just moved about 8 months ago to a bigger place, so I've been doing home improvement projects, which has kept me very busy. And because I have a guest bedroom now, I have Bay Area friends visiting monthly.

I help Kyle Kaneshiro with his K2 Pickleball program, where we run monthly tournaments and teach lessons weekly. I adopted 9-year old Lexi, a Shih Tzu/mix, and she is the sweetest thing ever and our K2 Pickleball mascot.

What do you love most about pickleball?

I love playing sports and pickleball is so easy to learn. Good combination of fun, social, fast pace, and fairly inexpensive.

What paddle are you currently playing with?

I’m currently playing with a Six 6.0 Zero paddle. Hard to keep up with all the different paddles these days. You've heard the saying, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian? The first paddle I bought cost $60, which was the most expensive paddle you could buy. Now the most expensive is over $300.

How often do you play?

I don't play regularly anymore since I'm too busy. When I first started playing, I played pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day, for a straight year. I played in quite a few tournaments too. If Lexi knew how to play, I would definitely play more.

What is the next goal you’re working toward (in pickleball or otherwise)?

My next goal is to strive to make K2 Pickleball one of the best programs on the island. Kyle has worked very hard to build a great pickleball program at one of the best facilities on the island. He's a great mentor and coach, and I've learned a lot from him so hopefully we can keep growing and making it better. I also want to work on staying healthy; hopefully get Lexi a sibling; and maybe find a new hobby.

Mahalo Lori, for all your hard work helping O’ahu pickleballers be better pickleball players! We look forward to seeing what the future holds for you and Lexi!