A tournament of champions: Four teams battled for the grand trophy in the Spring Swing Fling pickleball tournament. [/caption]

On February 17, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. a true tournament of champions commenced at the Nederland Community Center. Four area pickleball teams, The Ravens, The Ned Picklers, The Kitchenettes, and Team Fugawi, faced each other in a total of seven grueling matches to determine who were the supreme athletes and who were deserving of the “Emotional Support Pickle.” They named the tournament the Spring Swing Fling.

“The sport has really blown up!” Pickleball coach and instructor Tommy Olive told The Mountain-Ear about how pickleball’s popularity has exploded in recent years. Olive explained that the sport is open to everyone of all ages, and spoke about how one of his student athletes is excelling despite being in a wheelchair.

Event Referee Cathy Crawley announced the four teams, who each made a grand entrance before the cheering spectators. Olive was announced as the second referee for the event, Susan Kelly was given a shout-out for providing coffee and biscotti, and young Alma and Serena were presented as the ball retrievers.

After Crawley reviewed the rules for the tournament the athletes began warming up, serving to one another and attempting to work up a good rally.

Round One: Team Fugawi, consisting of Brent Warren and Evan Wasoff, faced against Janna Butler and Serene Karplus of The Kitchenettes.

The “kitchen” is the area of the court that is seven feet from both sides of the net, where players are not allowed to execute a volley shot while inside. “Fugawi” refers to a question one might ask their companion upon realizing that they’re completely lost.

Barb Davis and Theresa Jordan of The Ned Picklers faced against Kirsten Hanna and 89-year-old pickleball powerhouse Arden Buck of The Ravens. “Pickler” is the term used when indicating someone as a pickleball addict.

After about twenty minutes of intense backspinning, backswinging, and backhanding, Team Fugawi came out ahead in their match against The Kitchenettes with a score of 11-2, and The Ned Picklers beat The Ravens 11-8.

The four teams alternated playing against each other for another two rounds, with The Ned Picklers and The Ravens garnering the most victories across all three rounds. A final round was played in order to determine who would be deemed the champions of the tournament.

There were medals to be awarded to the second and third place teams, as well as a crocheted pickle companion known as the “Emotional Support Pickle” to be awarded to the fourth place team. First place athletes would not only be given a gold medal for their triumph, but also would have their names attached to a grand trophy, which would be displayed in the senior lounge in the Nederland Community Center.

At the end of Round Four, Buck and Hanna of The Ravens were named the winners of the tournament. Their indomitable spirit persevered over insurmountable odds and drove the team upward to become the ultimate in the sport of pickleball… in Nederland.

Though the next tournament isn’t planned to take place until closer to the Fall, as National Pickle Day is on November 14, 2024, those interested in pickleball can start playing sooner than that.

If you’d like to learn how to play and get into a truly all-inclusive and fun sport, get in touch with Coach Olive through the Nederland Community Center at 750 Highway 72. Pickleball practice takes place on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8 to 10 a.m.

For more information call 303-258-9721 or check out the online event calendar at https://townofnederland. colorado.gov/community/nederlandcommunitycenter/event-calendar.