Soo Pickleball in collaboration with the City of Sault Ste. Marie will host the inaugural Pickleball Ontario Championship Series North Region Tournament from August 11 to August 13 inside the John Rhodes Arena.
This event brings together participants from across Ontario to compete for the Ontario Championship Series finals held in September in Collingwood.
Daphne Reid, President of Pickleball Ontario, shared her enthusiasm, expressing, “We extend a warm invitation to our members from the North, East, Central East, Central West, Niagara, and Southwest regions of our province, offering them a unique opportunity to participate in this championship series. We are excited to facilitate an avenue for our members, players and public to engage in the growing phenomenon of North America’s fastest growing sport.”
The Championship Series has garnered support from host clubs, municipalities that serve as event locales, and sponsors. Notably, the expertise of Ryan Hanes, a distinguished Professional Pickleball Tournament and Event Manager renowned for organizing high-caliber events such as last year’s Canadian Nationals Championship in Kingston. Hanes passionately endorsed the Championship Series, highlighting, “This tournament series is unparalleled in Ontario and we anticipate participation from a broad geographical area.” He is also running skills and ref clinics Thursday and Friday.
Linda Marasco, President of Soo Pickleball, welcomes the over 100 players, spanning from Sioux Lookout to North Bay and even crossing borders into Michigan. The weekend will commence with a “Paddle Battle” featuring local Fire and Police departments starting at 6 p.m. on Friday at Arena #2 courts, with Mayor Shoemaker ceremoniously launching the competition. Attendees are encouraged to contribute to KidSport through a donation for entry. The public is invited to witness the tournament in action throughout the weekend. Keep your paddle up!
For further information about the event and the Pickleball sensation, visit www.soopickleball.com.
