With the number of registered players more than doubling in the last year, pickleball is among the fastest growing sports in Canada.
There are now more than 13,000 people across the country taking to the courts on an annual basis, including more than 400 of those who make their home in Kelowna, often recognized as a hotbed of pickleball.
Last weekend, the game was front and centre in the Okanagan as Pickleball Kelowna played host to the Pickleball Canada National Tournament乌鸦传媒攆eaturing 430 players from across North America乌鸦传媒攁t the Parkinson Recreation Centre.
Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 four-year run as hosts for the national event has come to an end乌鸦传媒攁t least for now乌鸦传媒攁s Kingston, ON has been chosen by Pickleball Canada to host the 2019 tournament.
The 2018 event was played on 12 dedicated pickleball courts at Parkinson, along with 16 more temporary ones on the Basil Meikle Tennis Courts.
If Pickleball Kelowna is to remain firmly on the map for future national events, club spokesman Wayne Pierce said a larger, dedicated pickleball facility will need to be built.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been a really good run for us, we certainly recognized going into this that Pickleball Canada wants to move this around the country and we understand that,乌鸦传媒� said Pierce.
乌鸦传媒淲e would like to host this again one day, but with the tremendous growth the sport is enjoying all across the country, we need more facilities here, a platform where all the courts are together. It乌鸦传媒檚 something we乌鸦传媒檒l continue to pursue with the city.乌鸦传媒�
Pierce said regardless of when the nationals return, Pickleball Kelowna will continue to host major annual events乌鸦传媒攑erhaps a Canadian Open or Western Canadian championship.
As far as the benefits the community reaps from hosting such events, the nationals this year generated an estimated $1 million for the local economy.
On the court, the 2018 Canada National Tournament was temporarily hindered by rain on Friday afternoon, but Pierce said by mid-day on Saturday all matches were back on schedule.
Here乌鸦传媒檚 a look at how local players fared at the national tournament:
乌鸦传媒� Men乌鸦传媒檚 doubles senior open乌鸦传媒擬ike Schwarz and Jay Rippel (Issaquah, WA), gold
乌鸦传媒� Men乌鸦传媒檚 singles Open乌鸦传媒擩ordan Renwick, silver
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 Singles Open乌鸦传媒擟hantal Plamondon, silver
乌鸦传媒� Mixed Doubles Open乌鸦传媒擱oberta Meakin and Marco Jankowiak (Fraser Valley), bronze
乌鸦传媒� Men乌鸦传媒檚 4.5 doubles乌鸦传媒擩ordan Renwick and Andreas Wins-Purdy, silver
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 doubles 4.5乌鸦传媒擫orena McClure and Jillian Jackson, bronze
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 doubles 4.0乌鸦传媒� Jillian Nicholls and Chantal Plamondon (Quebec), silver
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 doubles 3.5乌鸦传媒擝everly Shoaf and Margaret Kessler, silver
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 doubles Open乌鸦传媒擱oberta Meakin and Jayna Mikuse (Kamloops), gold; and Laura Schwarz and Sue Fosbery, silver
乌鸦传媒� Mixed doubles senior Open乌鸦传媒擫aura Schwarz and Mike Schwarz, silver
乌鸦传媒� Mixed doubles 4.5乌鸦传媒擪aren Austin and Naveed Butt (Nanton, AB), bronze
乌鸦传媒� Mixed doubles 4.0乌鸦传媒擲tan Kuropatwa and Chantal Plamondon, bronze
乌鸦传媒� Women乌鸦传媒檚 3.5 singles乌鸦传媒擜nne Pettit, silver
乌鸦传媒� Men乌鸦传媒檚 singles 3.5乌鸦传媒擬ichael Botterill, silver
