A record 134 participants from all over B.C. attended the Comox Valley Pickleball Association鈥檚 Sixth Annual Pickleball Tournament held at the Canadian Forces gymnasium in Comox on May 6 and 7.
Every year the Comox Valley Pickleball Association (CVPA) hosts one of the largest tournaments on Vancouver Island making it a 鈥渕ust-attend鈥� event for the exploding population of pickleballers in B.C.
This year there were seven events held on six indoor courts handling multiple skill levels including men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 doubles on Saturday and mixed doubles on Sunday.
As the game has grown, the skill level has increased dramatically and our local players have kept pace with some of the best in B.C. winning 20 of the 42 medals awarded.
An event of this size could not operate without the support of its volunteer group. There were 30-plus volunteers working tirelessly throughout the weekend preparing food and lunches for every participant, setting up the facility and refereeing the matches.
The medal winners for this year鈥檚 pickleball tournament were:
Women鈥檚 3.5
Gold: Carol Usher and Sally Morten, Nanaimo
Silver: Tessa Graham and Vanessa Ramsdale, Victoria
Bronze: Lina Vallee and Christine Becker, Powell River
Women鈥檚 4.0
Gold: Barbara Meihuizen and Sandra Bars, Comox
Silver: Glenna Hazeldine and Sharon de Goede, Comox/Cumberland
Bronze: Lina Vallee and Christine Becker, Powell River
Men鈥檚 3.5
Gold: Mike Nesbit and Maurice Gillis, Comox Valley
Silver: Darcy Miller and Serge Poirier, Comox Valley
Bronze: Michael Tymchuk and Al Lobban, Cumberland
Men鈥檚 4.0
Gold: David Blumer and Rob MacDonald, Shawnagan
Silver: Tony Toledo and Calvin Woroniak, Comox
Bronze: Wade Dawe and Neil Rich, Parksville
Mixed 3.0
Gold: Tessa Graham and Bob Friesen, Saturna Isle./Victoria
Silver: Sandra Bassett and Bryan Mitchell, Nanaimo
Bronze: Geoff Brameld and Donna Turner, Comox
Mixed 3.5
Gold: Maurice Gillis and Jane Morris, Comox
Silver: Shawn Hickman and Venessa Ramsdale, Victoria
Bronze: Beverly Truman and David Zyla, Courtenay
Mixed 4.0
Gold: Sandra Bars and Alex Hornby, Campbell River/ Cortes Isle.
Silver: Joshua Mitchell and Lee-Ann Mitchell, Nanaimo
Bronze: Murray Serjeant and Megan Mitchell, Nanaimo
With a current membership of more than 450 active players, the Comox Valley Pickleball Association, in conjunction with the local municipalities, continue to provide facilities, programs and events for both its current members and the exploding number of new players entering the sport.
For more information on the CVPA and the sport itself, visit .
