Made In Chicago: Killerspin Table Tennis Club
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Tucked away inside the Bank of America Building in the Loop financial district is a place to let off a little steam and get a little exercise at the same time.
"It's a sport and a game," said Matt Lerner, marketing director for the Killerspin House table tennis and ping pong club.
The club at 135 S. LaSalle St. is a high-energy facility filled with tables, televisions, and upbeat music.
Manager Rajeev Sharma said table tennis is making a comeback.
"People need to unplug themselves and do something fun something phys. Killerspin played a major role in promoting this sport. We brought table tennis to main stream through ESPN, Fox Sports, Tennis Channel," he said.
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Its main clientele is corporate workers.
"They come after work or during lunchtime. That's our number one customers," said Sharma.
Killerspin has been manufacturing ping pong equipment since 2002, but the club has only been open since December.
Lerner said the word is out.
"It is blowing up and it's becoming more popular," he said.
Killerspin even works with professional athletes, like baseball and hockey players, to improve their hand-eye coordination; but Lerner said you don't have to be an athlete to love and be good at ping pong.
"Table tennis is leading the way as something everyone can do, it crosses generations, all kinds of body types," said Lerner.
Anyone can play for free, you just need a Killerspin paddle. The room can be rented out for company events and it offers memberships and lessons from its resident coach, a five time Ping Pong Olympian. Sharma says he just wants people to discover a new love for the sport.
"We want to expand. We are just spreading the love of the sport," Sharma said.
The company has hosted the largest table tennis events ever held in the United States, including the Chicago International Table Tennis Festival, Extreme Table Tennis Championship and others. Killerspin products have been featured in high-profile television programs, such as MTV's Real World, The Simple Life and HGTV's Don't Sweat It.
For more information, log onto killerspinhouse.com.
