Vernon Pickleball complex (Anne Longley/VPA photo)

By Pete McIntyre

Rally in the valley

Pickleballers ready for final Vernon tournament of season

Sep 29, 2023 | 7:00 AM

Hundreds of pickleballers will converge on Vernon this weekend for the final local tournament of the year.

The Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA) is presenting Rally in the Valley, powered by Pickleball Depot, from Friday Sept. 29 to Sunday Oct. 1.

Two-hundred-and seventy teams are registered in men’s, mixed and women’s doubles, with games starting at 8 a.m. each day.

The participants will range in age from 14 to 78 in four different skill categories, with the tournament sanctioned by Pickleball Canada and Pickleball BC.

National Bank Financial – Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex (OWA) at Marshall Fields (Photo by Anne Longley/VPA)

Stanley Cup Playoffs

Vancouver Canucks pull off comeback, top Nashville Predators 4-3 in OT

36m ago

Fundraiser

Hike for Hospice features 80's theme for anniversary event

5h ago

tournament ends

Esso Cup ends with Regina on top, host Lakers lose nail biter for bronze medal

Apr 28, 2024

Myron Hocevar, president of the VPA, said thanks to their tournament committee and hundreds of member volunteers, this will be the fifth open tournament put on by the VPA at the National Bank Financial – Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex this year.

“These tournaments not only showcase our facility and organization, but also have a significant economic impact to the City of Vernon because of the large number of out of town participants,” Hocevar said.

Spectators are welcome free of charge, and there will also be a food truck and a beer garden on site.

“We are thrilled to be title sponsor of the second annual Rally in the Valley held in our very own backyard in one of the finest indoor pickleball complexes in Canada” Cara Arding, owner of Pickleball Depot, said. “We love to see this state-of-the-art facility come to life with some of the best and brightest in pickleball and support all the players who have supported us during our decade in the sport.”

Competitors and visitors to the OWA at Marshall Fields will notice construction taking place at the front of the building.

It’s for the final phase of the facility, ‘Herrmann House’, a registration/reception and washroom facility. Seventy (70) per cent of the capital cost and 100 per cent of the operating cost will have been paid for by VPA members and the club over the next 20 years.

“Given that both the public and VPA members are welcome to play in the facility, it is truly a community legacy asset and a testament to the dedication of the Vernon Pickleball Association,” Hocevar added

The VPA is a non-profit society with over 1,100 members who play year-round, both recreationally and competitively.

For more information about the Vernon Pickleball Association, visit www.vernonpickleball.com