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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 22, 2017 | Ferndale Record
2017 PROGRESS
Luke Ridnour converting City Bible building to Ridnour Athletic Courts
Former Blaine standout creates facility for athletes of all skill levels By Nick Elges sports@lyndentribune.com
Formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Seattle SuperSonics, Blaine native Luke Ridnour is taking over a Lynden City Bible Church building and has converted it into basketball courts. Next page: Ridnour interacts with kids at one of his summer basketball camps. (File photo)
LYNDEN — Luke Ridnour is one of the finest athletes ever to come out of Whatcom County. Over the course of a 13-year career in the NBA, the 6-2 point guard out of Blaine High School averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 assists per game while playing for five teams, including spending five seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics. Now retired from professional basketball, Ridnour has returned to Whatcom and lives with his family — a fifth son was born recently — in Lynden. Since moving back to the county, he has kept himself busy with a project he and his wife, Katherine, have long dreamed of pursuing. “My wife and I have always wanted to start a gym,” Ridnour said. “Even before I retired, I’ve always wanted to start a gym and run basketball (programs) out of it.” Upon returning to the area in August, Ridnour started looking for space to pursue this goal. He and Katherine saw the need for another gym in the area and thought about starting from scratch by building their own facility. However, it didn’t take long before an unused space popped up on the property of the City Bible Church on Main Street. With much of the building empty and unused, Ridnour saw the perfect opportunity to build his gym. Part of the church site is still used for religious services, but this selfstanding building, which included a stage, was simply sitting there calling Ridnour’s name. It already is roughly in the dimensions of a gym. “I met with pastor Andrew Orlando and I kind of told him where my heart was and what I wanted to get started,” Ridnour explained. “The building fit perfectly and it went along with what their visions were too — doing some youth ministry and that kind of stuff as well. It worked out for both sides. It’s like the Lord just kind of placed it in our hands. It’s worked out great.” Recently, the reconstructed Ridnour