W
ith its 16 beautiful outdoor courts,
well‑organized tournament management
team, great vendors, food stations, medical team
and some of the best competition in the world,
it’s no wonder the Grand Canyon State Games
(GCSG) is currently the second largest pickleball
tournament in the world for players under the age
of 50.
From February 24 to 28, there was no better
place to be in the world than the Pueblo El Mirage
RV & Golf Resort in El Mirage, Arizona (hosted by
Roberts Resorts and Biltmore Cardiology as the
title sponsor). Nearly 500 players and thousands
of spectators came out to watch the best pickleball
players compete for the gold.
When the event was in its infancy (2012), there
were 60 players. That number climbed to 100 in
2013, 275 in 2014, then exploded to 475 in 2015.
Well, 2016 didn’t disappoint with 491 players and
the majority of the brackets full, with waiting lines
to get in. To get any larger, the already five-day
tournament would have to add days or add courts!
What makes this tournament so popular, besides
being in Arizona in February? Gary Nees, Executive
Director of the GCSG, attributes the popularity to
how well it’s run and the date on the calendar.
Men’s double champion Scott Moore.
Nees said it was Bob Lanius, creator
of pickleballtournaments.com, who
originally pitched him the idea of
bringing pickleball to the GCSG in
2012. Gary said Bob’s genuine love of
the sport came through during those
early conversations. Gary knew from
that moment that having pickleball in
the GCSG would work, as there was no
other motive besides pure love for the
sport that was driving the desire to add
pickleball. So the journey began.
In 2016, Anne Reynolds took over
as Tournament Director of the GCSG.
She came equipped with a resume of
other big-tournament experience. Anne
describes being a Tournament Director
as a bit like having a baby. She said, “It’s
exciting and painful, but when the players
say it’s the best tournament they’ve ever
Mixed doubles champtions Wes Gabrielsen and Alex Hamner.
Continued »
MARCH 2016 |
MAGAZINE
29