Pickleball tourney brings money to Bend, but also parking squeeze

(Update: adding information and comments)

NW tournament hosted by Bend Pickleball Club happening at Pine Nursery Park through weekend

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- About 1,000 people will be at Pine Nursery Park over the next few days for a major pickleball tournament, which will bring lots of fun competition, but also could cause some parking issues.

The Bend Pickleball Club coordinated with the Bend Park and Recreation District to designate some parking spots at the park for the dog park. Some cars resorted to park out on the street. The club has also organized a shuttle service for players and spectators.

"We have a system where people can call or text message," Christie Gestvang, co-tournament director with the Bend Pickleball Club, told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday. "The shuttle service is really friendly and picks people up, or at least brings them to their cars."

The tournament which continues through Sunday, will bring millions of dollars to the area, as players come to Central Oregon from all over the country to compete, according to Getsvang.

Brian Ashworth is one of those competitors. The professional pickleball player from Washington told NewsChannel 21 he and his girlfriend booked an Airbnb three months ago to find a place to stay.

“The parking is kind of a big deal, but whatever -- we are here to play, have fun and make memories, so it's all a part of it," Ashworth said.

Bend resident Kim Johnson has been visiting Pine Nursery Park for close to 15 years and has seen the park's expansion over that time, and the resulting parking squeeze.

"Let's add some more fields and add some play areas and volleyball -- but we need to figure out where we can do parking," Johnson said. "We just need to make sure locals do not get pushed out when other people are coming in."

You can find results for the tournament here.

If you're looking for a shuttle ride for the tournament, you can call 541-408-5198.