By BECKY GOODRICH
Over 100 pickleball players from multiple states will be in Missoula this weekend for the fourth annual Montana Open pickleball tournament at Playfair Park. Pickleball, a fast-moving combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, is one of the country’s fastest growing sports. The tournament is hosted August 4 -6 by Missoula Parks and Recreation and Zoo Town Pickleball.
“Pickleball has an enthusiastic base of support in Missoula and is growing rapidly throughout the Northwest, so we’re thrilled to be hosting this regional competition here in Missoula,” says Ryan Yearous, Recreation Supervisor with Missoula Parks and Recreation. Tournament participants, who range in age from their early twenties to seniors in their eighties, will compete in Men & Women’s Singles, Men & Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles beginning this Friday afternoon. Parks and Recreation and Zoo Town Pickleball host a wide variety of Learn-To-Play clinics, open play sessions, ladder leagues, tournaments, and lessons throughout the year.
The popularity of pickleball in Missoula is evidenced by the outpouring of support for additional pickleball courts at the new Fort Missoula Regional Park, Yearous says. “The original site plan called for four dedicated pickleball courts. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of Zoo Town Pickleball, we’ve added two additional dedicated pickleball courts and we’ll have another 16 courts overlaid on the resurfaced tennis courts when Phase 2 of Fort Missoula Regional Park opens next year,” he added.
For more information about the tournament, visit the 2017 Montana Open on Facebook. For information about Zoo Town Pickleball programs, visit www.missoulaparks.org.