A pro pickleball tour is coming to Meridian, Idaho. Could a local win it all?
Did you know there’s professional pickleball?
If you didn’t, now might be your chance to learn — or even play with the pros.
The Professional Pickleball Association is launching its inaugural Challenger Series, a national pro tour with a stop in the Boise area in May. And amateurs can register to play.
The tournament will be hosted by The Flying Pickle in Meridian, the Treasure Valley’s first sports complex dedicated solely to pickleball.
Popular among retirees and known for being easy to learn, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America — for the third year running, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s 2024 report.
Paul Starita, one of the owners of The Flying Pickle, which is located off Fairview Avenue at 1135 N. Hickory Ave., told the Idaho Statesman that he’s seen the sport soar in popularity in the Treasure Valley.
“I can tell you from firsthand experience that our courts are booked pretty much all day every day now, especially in these colder months,” Starita said in a phone interview.
The Flying Pickle has 18 indoor courts, a player’s lounge and a full-service restaurant called The Kitchen, named after the area closest to the net on a pickleball court.
“I think what makes pickleball so fun is that everyone can pick it up very quickly,” Starita said. “But you also get those people that can really master it and become a professional athlete, you know, even in your adult years.”
The Challenger Series is scheduled to stop at The Flying Pickle from May 30 to June 1, 2025.
Starita said the tour is aimed at up-and-coming players and is not open to the top-20 ranked professionals in the country.
Professionals and amateurs can register to play in the Boise-area tournament for $70 and compete to make a name for themselves and perhaps win a bid to a higher-level pro tour.
Billy Buchhauser, a professional pickleball player and coach at The Flying Pickle, told the Statesman he thinks the tournament will be an opportunity for pro-level players in the Treasure Valley to “show our local talent.”
“There is kind of a lot on the line,” Buchhauser said, noting that the winning player can enter into the Professional Pickleball Association’s Carvana Tour, one of the top pro tours in the world.
Buchhauser plans on playing in the May tournament and says he thinks local players will make a strong showing.
Asked who he’s most excited to see compete, Starita pointed to players at his club. “Members of The Flying Pickle,” he answered emphatically.
Susannah Barr, the club’s co-founder, told the Statesman that while the top pros in the country may not be able to compete in this series, the tournament will be a chance for the Treasure Valley to get acquainted with some of tomorrow’s big names.
Barr started playing pickleball “as a hobby” eight years ago at the YMCA in Meridian. She said she got hooked and began playing professionally full-time three years ago. Now, she travels the world for her sport and is also a member of the Atlanta Bouncers, a Major League Pickleball team.
Barr said The Flying Pickle was opened a year ago out of need for more courts in the community and the “love of the sport by the owners.”
Barr said the owners reached out to the Professional Pickleball Association, who visited the Flying Pickle a few months ago. She said they were impressed, and the potential for hosting a tour stop grew from there.
The association and the club also teamed up with Visit Boise, which is part of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, to secure the location for the event.
“The Boise pickleball community is growing quickly, and we saw a great opportunity to take the PPA brand to where we felt like was a deserving community that didn’t yet have world-class pickleball events,” Nathan Boschult, a communications manager for the association, told the Statesman by email.
Jeff Watson, the association’s vice president of communications, told the Statesman that Idaho is “one of the best states for pickleball” and that the Challenger Series allows for stops in “passionate” pickleball communities.
Watson said the series is unique because amateur players can compete “next to” professionals.
“It’s a very cool opportunity to be able to compete at a tournament, but then in your downtime, go and watch the professionals play,” Watson said.
The Boise tournament will have a $10,000 prize pool and is expected to bring an estimated $800,000 of revenue to the Boise area through lodging, retail, and food and beverage, according to a news release from the association.
The tournament will have professional and amateur divisions. Games will include men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Championship games will be streamed live on the Tennis Channel app. Grounds pass tickets will be available for $15.
Registration for the tournament is open now.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
