By Adam Taylor
The Sun Valley Pickleball Classic was the final event in a busy community pickleball season. Two years running, the tournament was bigger than ever, hosting 169 players from 16 states. Run by the Wood River Pickleball Alliance (WRPA) with support from the Sun Valley Tennis & Pickleball Center, matches were fun and competitive. “We couldn’t offer this great tournament experience without the support of Sun Valley and our generous sponsors,” said Adam Taylor, VP of the WRPA. “The Classic gets more competitive each year and provides local and national players an opportunity to enjoy our fantastic Sun Valley facility and the hospitality of the Valley in a beautiful fall setting.”
The tournament kickoff was at the Sun Valley Tennis & Pickleball Center on Thursday, September 21 with a player appreciation party featuring local singing favorite, Bryan Speth, and hors devours from Sun Valley. Idahoans took home 75 medals during the three day event September 20-22 which consisted of 21 events ranging from Men’s and Women’s singles and doubles, Mixed doubles, First time tournament Social event and a newly added Youth category, where local Sun Valley players Eli and Noah Vavra took home the gold. All medal results will be listed on the tournament website, sunvalleypicklkeballclassic.org.
The Sun Valley Pickleball Classic was a fitting end to a busy community pickleball season that started with the Racquet Sports Picnic in June at Atkinson Park with over 250 members of the community in attendance. Mayor Neil Bradshaw welcomed everyone and thanked pickleball for enforcing community values by bringing so many people together. Pickleball play at the park has increased tremendously, with many days seeing all pickleball courts in use, with players eagerly waiting to play. “Play at Atkinson Park has been exploding every year for the past several years as more local players and visitors play the sport and enjoy one of the prettiest places to play in the country. It’s really fun to see!” said Larry Meads, local Ketchum resident.
The 2024 Big Wood Pickleball League was bigger and better than ever with 196 players of all ages and abilities from the Wood River Valley. The 14-team league was competitive at times but is designed to be a social event for “shots & giggles” with an opportunity to meet new players, work on your game and team spirit. Each week the league hosted a pickleball pizza party at Atkinson Park for team members and friends to gather and talk about their best shots and best parts of their day. “The league had a great vibe this year with lots of good competition and laughs,” said Jen Embree, one of the team General Managers.
The Legends Celebrity Fundraising Weekend and Senior Pro Pickleball Tournament rallied into the Valley on August 1st – 4th. Some of the biggest names in tennis including John McEnroe and the Valley favorite Mats Wilander, who played an exciting pickleball exhibition at a private home in Hailey to an audience of 200 excited fans. The weekend started off with 18 of the top Senior Pro pickleball players in the country teaching their best shots at a clinic hosted by The Valley Club. The Pros finished the weekend with an exciting team competition showcasing some of the best pickleball play ever seen in the Valley. All events raised money for two community based charities, Men’s Second Chance Living (MSCL) and The Wood River Pickleball Alliance. “We were thrilled to have partnered with MSCL and to provide a fundraising event that hasn’t been done in the US before,” said Lee Sponaugle, President, WRPA.
As the weather turns to colder temps, members are invited to check out the Gravity Fitness & Tennis Winter Pickleball schedule, available at https://www.woodriverpickleball.org/.
The Wood River Pickleball Alliance year-end member meeting will be held in late November or early December. Please be on the lookout for a member announcement.
