It’s been a long time coming for the Vancouver Island Pickleball Association.
Players were rejoicing about the return of tournament play during the 2021 Skinny Singles Shootout at the Fuller Lake Pickleball Courts Sunday.
“It’s been 18 months since we last had a tournament,” said Ken Holman of the VIPA.
“They’ve been looking forward to it. For a lot of these people, they’re seeing a lot of their friends for the first time in 18 months.”
Holman was grateful to the Municipality of North Cowichan.
“They’ve allowed us to put this on,” he said. “They’re pretty supportive of us here which really is good.”
Since last March, pickleball has also been confined to singles play but the reinstatement of doubles is on the horizon.
The majority of players are geared toward doubles, but there was still a great turnout from around the area – including Cortes Island and Victoria – for the revised singles event.
“Skinny singles, we’re only using one-half of the court,” Holman explained. “To play singles on a full court is asking too much of too many. It becomes more manageable.”
Two Chemainus players were victorious in their respective categories, Holman in Men’s Flight A and Janet Ruest in Women’s Flight B.
Andy Daniel of Duncan came second and Tony Toledo of Cortes Island third in Men’s Flight A. Deana Nickerson of Duncan (second) and Marj Wilder from Victoria (third) rounded out the top three in the Women’s Flight B.
In Women’s Flight A, Kerry Savory of Victoria placed first, Kirsten Vinge of Nanoose Bay second and Becca Stuve of Victoria third.
The top three, in order, for Men’s Flight B were: Clemens Smienk of Mill Bay; Wayne French from Nanaimo; and Victoria’s Robert Cullen.
