National Bank Financial - Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex in Marshall Field, Vernon, site of B.C. Championships May 11-14. (Photo credit: Anne Longley/VPA)

By Pete McIntyre

645 players

Vernon set to host first-ever BC Pickleball Championships

May 8, 2023 | 5:00 AM

Vernon will be pickleball central this week, as more than 600 of B.C.’s top players converge on the city for a high level event.

Pickleball BC, in conjunction with the Vernon Pickleball Association, are holding the first-ever B.C. Provincial Pickleball Championships May 11-14.

Games will be played at the National Bank Financial – Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex (OWA) and at the adjacent tennis courts at Marshall Field.

There are 645 players registered with more than 1,000 matches taking place over the four-day tournament which is sanctioned by Pickleball Canada. Ages range from 13 to 80 and players are coming from all across B.C. to compete in singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and men’s doubles in three different age categories and five different skill levels.

Walter Knecht, president of Pickleball BC said the response their first provincial tournament has exceeded projections by more than 25 per cent.

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“This event is bringing players from all over our province together. The 600-plus players registered for this tournament are just a small sampling of the 13,000 players who are Pickleball BC members. The opportunity for bigger tournaments in 2024 is a challenge we look forward to,” Knecht said.

Knecht thanked The Vernon Pickleball Association and the tournament organizing committee for their efforts.

Richard Chambers, tournament chair, and Cara Arding, owner of Pickleball Depot. (Photo credit: Anne Longley, VPA)

Richard Chambers, tournament director and VPA member, said it’s been a monumental undertaking spanning eight months of planning, a leadership team of ten, more than 200 volunteers and 40 officials.

“As the first-ever B.C. provincial championship, we have been building the airplane as it’s going down the runway, and we are just about ready to take off!” Chambers remarked.

The club received a grant from the B.C. government’s Fairs, Festivals and Events program, and the support of Tourism BC & Sport & Culture Society of the North Okanagan.

Chambers said a tournament of this size not only takes months of planning and hundreds of volunteer hours, it also needs sponsors.

“Pickleball Depot is Canada’s premier pickleball supply store and has been a big supporter of the VPA for years, and is the platinum tournament sponsor along with National Bank Financial-Okanagan Wealth Advisors.”

Cara Arding, owner of Vernon-based Pickleball Depot, said they are thrilled to have the opportunity to be title sponsor of such a large-scale provincial tournament.

“We’re home to one of the finest indoor pickleball complexes in Canada and we’re so excited to see this state-of-the-art facility come to life with some of the best pickleball in the province, and cheer on players we’ve gotten to know during our decade in the sport,” Arding said.

The tournament is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. daily. In the event of rain, events that were scheduled for outside will be moved inside and will commence as events conclude inside.

Tournament events, players, match statistics and sponsorship information can be found here.

Events Include:

Thursday May 11 – Women’s & Men’s Singles
Friday May 12 – Women’s Doubles
Saturday May 13 – Mixed Doubles
Sunday May 14 – Men’s Doubles

Spectators are welcome to attend, although parking and viewing space inside the OWA complex may be limited. It is suggested to bring folding chairs to watch the outdoor matches taking place at the adjacent tennis courts.

There will be food trucks on-site daily, and the Silver Star Rotary Club will be hosting a pre-paid BBQ for players on Saturday night.

Please visit the following websites for more information:

Pickleball BC www.pickleballbc.ca
Vernon Pickleball Association www.vernonpickleball.com
Pickleball Depot www.pickleballdepot.ca