Royal LePage Frostbite Classic Draws: Pickleball players from across British Columbia gathered in Vernon for the Royal LePage Frostbite Men’s Doubles Classic on Saturday, March 15. Hosted by the Vernon Pickleball Association (VPA), the tournament featured 61 teams and 122 players competing across multiple skill levels and age divisions.
Tournament director Richard Chambers highlighted the high level of play and strong organization, noting the full referee contingent and the efforts of volunteers.
“It’s a fairly high standard. We have a full referee contingent and a really great organizational team here,” (Richard Chambers).
Competitive Play and Strong Attendance
The early-season round-robin tournament attracted players from the Lower Mainland, the Interior, and many locals. The high level of competition was particularly evident in the advanced divisions.
“The hand-eye coordination, the speed, and the dexterity of soft shots and hard shots is pretty impressive,” (Richard Chambers).
The event relied on 30 volunteers who managed match schedules, tracked scores, and assigned referees, ensuring smooth operations.
“There’s a bunch of complexities to it and we’ve just got a terrific group of volunteers,” (Richard Chambers).
Tournament Results
Ten divisions were contested, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded in each. The top finishers in each category were:
Skill 3.0 Age 13-59
Gold: Brad Tomlinson, Bobby Tomlinson
Silver: Darren Wright, Marshall Melnychuk
Bronze: Mark Jakovcic, Bowen Assman
Skill 3.0 Age 60+
Gold: Garth Rowe, Ken Wright
Silver: Paul Couch, Duncan Cameron
Bronze: William Farmer, Peter Love
Skill 3.5 Age 13-55
Gold: John Marollano, Danny Lasante
Silver: Jesse LaFountain, Marc Desrosiers
Bronze: Jens Lohmann, Periklis Vitoratos
Skill 3.5 Age 56-66
Gold: Gordon Penn, Gary Edwards
Silver: Ken James, Sandy Steinley
Bronze: Bruce Kinshella, David Ringham
Skill 3.5 Age 65+
Gold: Douglas Hogg, Brock Waldron
Silver: Lionel Gray, Colin Greveling
Bronze: Juerg Feldmann, Mark Forsythe
Skill 4.0 Age 13-49
Gold: Rocco Hoeller, Blake Culbert
Silver: Vij Mathew, Trevor Miyazaki
Bronze: Mike Gomes, Raymond Ong
Skill 4.0 Age 50-57
Gold: Sergio Da Silva, Jared Enns
Silver: MG Kong, Storm Moore
Bronze: Mike Macintosh, John Desaulniers
Skill 4.0 Age 58+
Gold: Kevin Thomas, Steven Johnston
Silver: Winston Seto, Rick Klein
Bronze: Sean Kennedy, Paramjit Gill
Skill 4.5 Age 13+
Gold: Thomas Elwell, Carlos DaRosa
Silver: Rob McMillan, Chayton Hauberg
Bronze: Dale Rourke, Anton Venter
Skill 5.0 Any Age
Gold: Bob McIntosh, Matthew Seward
Silver: Kyle Crowder, Brett Forsythe
Bronze: Brett MacPherson, Kalvin Burgess
Looking Ahead
The Vernon Pickleball Association is set to host more events in the coming months. The Royal LePage Women’s Tournament takes place on April 12, followed by a sanctioned mixed doubles tournament on May 10. The BC Pickleball Championships, one of the province’s biggest competitions, will run from July 24 to 27.
News in Brief: Royal LePage Frostbite Classic Draws
The Royal LePage Frostbite Men’s Doubles Classic took place in Vernon on March 15, featuring 61 teams. Players competed across 10 divisions in an early-season tournament organized by the Vernon Pickleball Association. Volunteers played a crucial role in running the event. Upcoming tournaments include the BC Pickleball Championships in July.
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