Pickleballers in the 808: Pete and Zach Manzano and Branden Lohrey
Pickleballers in the 808, from top to bottom: Pete Manzano, Pete’s son Zach Manzano, and Zach’s cousin Branden Lohrey
Honolulu: Families that pickleball together, stay together.
Although I’m pretty sure that’s not the exact saying, I think it holds true.
Now that I have an adult child, I think it’s super cool to be able to share in something (an activity or hobby) that we both enjoy, and that’s exactly what the Manzano/Lohrey family has done…with pickleball.
Without further ado, get to know Pickleballers in the 808, Pete Manzano, Zach Manzano and Branden Lohrey!
Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?
Zach: I grew up in Waipahu and went to school there. Dad too.
Branden: I was born on Oahu, but spent about the first half of my life growing up on the Big Island and coming back to Oahu on the school breaks.
How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?
Branden: This is a really long-winded one, so please bear with me. I first discovered pickleball waaaaay back in 2017 after being introduced to it by a co-worker that was quitting his job to do pickleball full time. At that point I had never even heard of pickleball, so it blew my mind that he was gonna quit his job and take up all things pickleball full time.
He got me out to play with his aunty and her friends who were aged 60+. I had a little bit of tennis background after learning tennis in high school 15+ years back, so I figured I was gonna walk all over these older ladies. Boy was I wrong. Got my butt absolutely ran all over the court...but I had a blast nonetheless!
At that point though, because of my busy work schedule, I just couldn't stick with it. Fast forward to COVID 3 short years later and I found myself just sitting at home getting fat.
I decided to take out my old tennis rackets, which I would bring out once a year since high school for about 10 minutes, and go hit some balls to attempt to get myself into better shape. A friend of mine said that he would come and hit some tennis balls with me and while hitting around, he suggested joining him with some of his friends to try out pickleball!
Since I’d already heard of it by then, and had an awesome time when I first tried, I told him I would surely be down to join. I even got my Uncle Pete to come out with me the first day! It took Uncle and I a while to convince Zach to come out and play as well, but we did convince him...eventually.
It just took a lot of patience, persistence, and the promise of a lot of beer to drink.
The rest, as they say, was history!
Pete: During the pandemic in November, my nephew Branden asked me to join a bunch of older people to play this new game of pickleball.
Zach: I was heavily involved in multiple bands practicing, recording, gigging almost every weekend. All that came to a screeching halt when 2020 hit and I had energy I couldn’t expel anywhere else.
My dad and cousin told me about pickleball as they had been playing while I was busy with music at that time of my life.
At first, I took it as something I could use as a workout, because the only thing I could do during lockdowns was go to the gym or use my own home gym, depending on what restrictions were in place.
As time passed, I've gotten closer to the group that my Dad and cousin brought together and sooner or later we've entered our first few tournaments. Years later and till now, pickleball has become an addictive activiy that I've become heavily involved in.
Pete Manzano with his brother George Manzano
What do you do outside of pickleball?
Pete: I’m a Warehouse Supervisor for a Tire Company. Before pickleball I played a lot of co-ed volleyball.
Zach: With everything reaching some sort of normalcy, we’ve slowly started gigging with the band again. Our band was fortunate to be invited to the "Is For Lovers" touring rock festival, and hopefully more opportunities come along with that.
I also produce and engineer our band’s studio recordings as well.
(Side note: Zach’s bands include—82Fifty, Beware The Bear and he has some solo stuff as well)
Outside of music, I'm also a freelance digital artist involved with anything in the realm of graphic design, photography, videography, etc.
All of this led to the creation of my pickleball brand Natch Pickleball. It was originally started as an archival YouTube channel. It’s expanded to lifestyle wear with local visuals that isn’t like your typical local touristy designs. I wanted to create my own brand that I could wear while playing but could also transition off-court and that I'd feel fine with at a sushi bar or grabbing beer down the road.
Branden: Like a lot of us here in Hawaii, I work multiple jobs. My main/day job I do telecommunications with a small, independent telecom company based out of the Big Island, so I’m there quite often for work during the work week.
While on Oahu though, where I currently reside, I also have a night/weekend job doing off-premise catering with Poke Stop and a few other friends that run businesses in the same industry.
I also do freelance car work. I love my older Nissan cars.
Oh, and when I DO have free time outside of all of that, I also have a wife (who works just as much as I do, if not more at times) and we love to eat and travel. And travel to eat. Haha!
What do you love most about pickleball?
Pete: Making new friends and competing against each other.
Branden: Besides being an awesome way to get some really good exercise, I would say I most enjoy the people aspect of pickleball. I love sharing my enthusiasm for the game by introducing people to pickleball, teaching them how to play, and watching them grow in the sport.
I love meeting people through playing, learning about them, and networking with them. I also really enjoy getting to travel and play in new areas and see swings and shots I don't normally get to see, and seeing just where I stack up against other players.
Zach: I love how it brought our group together, all these different personalities all finding common ground and having fun with each other while playing pickleball. And that fact that I can play with my Dad and cousin is something that a lot of people aren’t fortunate enough to experience.
What paddle are you currently playing with?
Zach: I'm playing with ACE Pickleballs CLUB Carbon Fiber Paddle.
Branden: I rotate between the Six Zero 14mm and 16mm Double Black Diamonds, and once in a while their Black Diamond paddle as well.
Pete: I’m using the PikNinja Revenant Paddle. We met Fu Yei, the founder of PikNinja sports in Minneapolis, He makes pickleball paddles and other clothing accessories…Zach did some advertising for his upcoming paddles and even played with Fu Yei and his family.
How often do you play?
Branden: Sadly, I don't get to play as much as I would like. I'm sure all the pickleheads probably feel that way, but since COVID has mellowed out and I have pretty much gotten back to the full work swing, I’m lucky if I get to play once a week.
There are times that my work schedules just shake out where I'm not free on the days/times that the groups I normally play with have their open play days, so I have had a few stretches where I played maybe once a month or so, if even that.
Really bums me out just thinking about it...but we have to work to make money to survive in today's economic climate so it can't be helped.
Pete: I play about three times a week.
Zach: 2-3 times a week. But I'm open for more, hit me up!
Final Thoughts?
Branden: Hmm...how about some facts about myself that you may not know otherwise?
I'm 39 years old and I recently became a Six Zero Pickleball Ambassador!
I would say I rate around a 3.5 in doubles and probably a bit lower in singles, mainly since I rarely ever get to practice singles. Probably gonna be a 3.5 forever (shout out to Chris at PB Studio!) since I don't get nearly enough practice in to get my consistency up to that 4.0 level.
I enjoy playing singles more than doubles! I feel it fits my skillset better (quick on my feet but a relatively weak soft/dink game...shhh!). I play way more doubles overall though, and I prefer to drive off my backhand side vs. my forehand.
Mahalo, Pete, Zach and Branden!
Follow Zach:
Instagram: @natchpickleball
YouTube: @natchpickleball
Follow Branden:
Instagram: @sixzeropickleball808 and personal @gotbrando
