‘It’s the people’: Pros and locals alike enjoying 12th annual Pacific NW Classic pickleball tournament
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Wednesday was the first day of this year's Pacific Northwest Classic pickleball tournament.
Jane Paulson, a tournament host and pro pickleball player from Portland, loves the event.
“It's a terrific tournament,” Paulson said. The people are nice, it's fun, it's on time and the weather is great.”
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, and now for the next few days at Pine Nursery, some of the best in the Northwest and across the country will be playing for a large cash prize -- and for some bragging rights.
In her 12th year directing the Pacific Northwest classic, Christie Gestvang has noticed some big changes over the time.
“We were throwing tape down on Juniper Park's tennis courts' temporary nets, because nothing at Pine Nursery existed for pickleball at that time,” Gestvang said about the first-ever tournament.
The event started with a little more than 100 players, and used to be one of the bigger tournaments in the country.
But now, with half a million people now playing the sport, it's not quite the case any more.
“Even though there's 535 players here, we’re kind of a small or small-medium sized tournament,” Gestvang said.
Paulson is glad the sport is expanding like it is.
“It's terrific for other people to learn this game that we all are totally addicted to and love, and now other people are getting the bug,” Paulson said.
The event has food and refreshments from Thump Coffee, and sponsors including Hydro Flask, World Pickleball Tour and several other local and regional brands.
For the pros like Joy Liseing and locals like Doug Layman, the best part of the weekend is the players on the other side of the net.
“I think it's the people,” Liseing said. “I came from tennis, and I love tennis, but pickleball is so much more accessible, and such a diverse group of people.”
Layman added, “I think my favorite part is just seeing people that visit that you know in the pickleball community, and just catching up with people that you don’t see all the time.”
Paulson enjoys the community aspect.
"Easy to learn, hard to master, and it's just continually having fun. And you switch around with people, and it's so social,” Paulson said. “I’ve met so many people I never knew I needed as friends in my life, including Joy.”
This tournament will have pickleball games going on from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day through Sunday, with the senior and pro-level players playing for a $34,000 purse at Pine Nursery Park.
