Salem hosts first USA Pickleball sanctioned tournament

Salem, Virginia – The pickleball craze continues, heading to Salem as officials just made an exciting announcement.

In a game-changing move for Salem, the city is eagerly preparing to welcome the sounds of pickleball rallies on fresh courts.

Imagine hundreds of people gathering on the new courts at the Moyer Sports Complex to watch PickleBrawl, the first sanctioned pickleball tournament in the United States, in Blue Ridge, Virginia.

“I don’t over-promise about events, but with that said, I do promise you that this is going to be the biggest and worst tournament we’ve ever seen, especially in Virginia with just the nearby areas.” It’s going to draw people from far and wide, and we’re going to blow the roof off of it,” said John Larser. Performance Pickleball COO and tournament organizer said:

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, and Salem wanted to be a part of the action. This fall, you can hit the court with just a paddle and a wiffle ball to watch or play in the Roanoke Valley’s first large-scale pickleball tournament.

Not only is the pickleball community in great shape, but the economic impact is significant, especially during the weekend of September 13th when the tournament is held.

“We have Virginia Tech on the road that weekend, so it’s a great weekend where we can have a big pickleball tournament that can bring people to hotels and restaurants and go to grocery stores and gas stations.” Salem City Parks・Recreation Director John Shaner said:

A pickleball player is ready to try out a new court and experience a big tournament in his backyard.

Pickleball player Timothy Kass said, “Yeah, it’s great. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to have a tournament of this size in this area. It’s just incredible.”

It’s not for nothing that they call Salem, Virginia, a winning city. The courts at the Moyer Sports Complex are currently under construction and are scheduled to be completed in preparation for the Pickle Brawl in Blue Ridge, Virginia, this fall.