Thunder Bay Pickleball Tournament: The Thunder Bay Pickleball Club celebrated the opening of its new facility by hosting its first-ever tournament. Held at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition (CLE) building, the event not only showcased the club’s new home but also raised funds for Special Olympics Thunder Bay.
“The Thunder Bay Pickleball Club is donating all the proceeds of this tournament to Special Olympics Thunder Bay.” – (John Duck)
A Dream Come True
The tournament marked a significant milestone for the Thunder Bay Pickleball Club. John Duck, the director of long-term planning, explained that the club’s goal was to create a permanent facility for the sport.
“When I got my position with the board, they gave me the responsibility of finding a facility that the club could have as their own and here they stand at the CLE.” – (John Duck)
The new facility occupies the space that once housed the Boulder Bear Climbing Centre.
Supporting Special Olympics
The club dedicated the proceeds of the tournament to Special Olympics Thunder Bay. With nearly 2,000 athletes participating over the three-day event, Duck emphasized that every registration dollar would go directly to supporting local athletes with intellectual disabilities.
“Every dollar that was given for registration — we’ve had close to 2,000 athletes have signed up for this tournament over a three-day period — so all of that money will be donated back to the local community through Special Olympics.” – (John Duck)
A Successful Tournament
The tournament featured men’s doubles on Friday, women’s doubles on Saturday, and mixed doubles on Sunday. Duck explained that doubles events are especially popular in Thunder Bay, which made them an ideal choice for the tournament.
“At least here in Thunder Bay, we typically just play doubles. Not very much in singles is played and that gets the most amount of players in through the gate here as well for the fundraiser.” – (John Duck)
Registration fees for each event were about $10 per athlete, and the club also hosted a silent auction to raise additional funds.
“We’re also hosting a silent auction for a few donated items that we have here as well and we have a couple of buckets up front that we’re taking additional donations. So, we’re hoping that by the end of today, we’ll have a good number, but we won’t know exactly until the event’s finished.” – (John Duck)
Club’s Legacy and Future Plans
Tudor Nisioiu, the past president of the club, competed in the men’s doubles tournament and took home a silver medal.
“I got a silver medal, which I’m really proud and I’m going to continue to improve as much as I can.” – (Nisioiu)
Nisioiu reflected on the club’s progress, saying,
“This tournament is a charity for the Special Olympics and we’re really proud to help out the community. The club was opened just a week ago and here we are. Dream come true.” – (Nisioiu)
He added that the tournament’s success and the club’s dedication made the event a “dream come true” for the Thunder Bay pickleball community.
“Absolutely fantastic atmosphere and experience, all led by our volunteers, an amazing board, dedicated, passionate pickleball players and very successful.” – (Nisioiu)
Looking to the future, Duck mentioned plans for additional tournaments, including the Thunder Bay Open, which will take place around July at the Boulevard Lake outdoor facility. If it rains, the event will be moved indoors to the new CLE courts. The club also plans to host a 24-hour pickleball marathon to raise awareness and funds.
“We have a few things kind of up our sleeve. There are other communities that run pickleball tournaments, so we’re trying to navigate through all of those and find an ideal spot.” – (john duck)
A Unique Playing Surface
One feature of the new facility that Duck highlighted is the unique acrylic textured flooring. This surface, similar to those used by professional pickleball players, provides an outdoor-like experience indoors.
“We have acrylic textured floors here, something that’s unique. It’s very similar to an outdoor playing surface and it’s also the playing surface that the professional pickleball players play on. So, we’re pretty excited to offer that to the players here in town.” – (john duck)
News in Brief: Thunder Bay Pickleball Tournament
The Thunder Bay Pickleball Club hosted its first pickleball tournament at its new facility at the CLE building. Proceeds from the event were donated to Special Olympics Thunder Bay. With nearly 2,000 athletes participating, the tournament was a success and helped raise funds for the local community.
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