Idaho Falls nearly sets Roundnet record

IDAHO FALLS (KIFI) - East Idaho Roundnet players came just shy of setting a world record Thursday evening.

Amateurs and pros alike of all ages gathered in Tautphaus Park in hopes of setting the record for the most people playing Roundnet at one time.

Roundnet, also known as Spikeball after the sport’s biggest equipment maker, is one of the quickest-growing sports in the U.S. It’s a two-on-two game with rules very similar to volleyball, except the ball is hit onto a circular three-foot net placed on the ground.

The record was set just two days prior, explained Idaho Falls Roundnet Director Alex Hart. A group in San Diego, CA brought 200 people together to play. Despite the area’s smaller population, Hart believed the record was within reach.

"I was taken off-guard the very first time I did this three years ago,” he explained. “One of my friends, Stephan, I thought he was bringing just four or five, but he brought 20 to 30 people that first night. We were scrambling putting nets together.”

“So I've learned my lesson that this thing can explode when people invite people,” Hart continued. “So this is something where we could be 200, 300, we could be 100, but I think we have the ability to do it tonight.”

While they had the ability, they came up short. The initial attendee count was approximately 180 people - just 20 shy of the record.