Orillia hosts first-ever pickleball tournament

The City of Orillia hosted its first-ever pickleball tournament on Saturday at the Recreation Centre, which showcased the growth and multigenerational interest in the sport.

24 teams and 48 participants competed for trophies in two divisions based on perceived skill level.

“Our youngest participant today is 24 and our oldest is 67,” said Haley Birch, program coordinator at the Orillia Recreation Centre. “Which just shows that this is a multigenerational sport and really hits what we’re about here at the Recreation Centre.”

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The winners of Division 1 were a pair from Muskoka – Kevin Boyes from Gravenhurst and Kyle McFadyen from Huntsville – who just started playing pickleball within the last year.

“We both love the game,” said Boyes. “We’re both competitive guys, and so you want to win, and we do it for fun as well but its always great to be able to win.”

“[Pickleball] grows every day,” added Birch. “We are always looking at ways to accommodate more participants in our building because people have such an interest in the sport.”

Organizers hope Saturday’s pickleball tournament will be the first of many for the City and Recreation Centre.