West Central Wisconsin is in a ‘pickle’

Rich Palzewic

Staff

June 23, 2025

WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN – High-level pickleball competitors from across the country are dusting off their paddles as Lake Hallie and Eau Claire are set to host a Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Challenger event July 24-27.

In Lake Hallie, matches will take place at Gower Park (11510 17th Ave.) – the four-day event’s primary venue – while Northstar Middle School (2711 Abbe Hill Drive) will host the action in Eau Claire.

The Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club, Visit Eau Claire and Go Chippewa County have collaborated to assist with organizing and executing the event.

According to organizers, a $15,000 purse will be provided by the PPA and Nicolet Law and distributed evenly among five pro event disciplines.

Additionally, they said a $20,000 purse will be provided by Markquart Motors and evenly distributed among the Senior Pro division, which is for senior master-level players.

Tanner Groff, vice president of the PPA Challenger tour, said the organization is hosting a collection of 15 tournaments across the country this year, and this will be the largest purse for any of them.

“They are both professional and amateur events,” he said. “The PPA tour partners with local sports commissions and some of the nicest facilities across the country to put on big pickleball tournaments. It’s the PPA tour’s answer to the question we’ve heard for the last few years – ‘How do I become a professional pickleball player?’” 

Groff said these tournaments allow lower-end professional players an opportunity to compete at a high level.

“We’re giving aspiring pickleball pros an opportunity to compete against some of our pros and earn PPA tour ranking points and earn cash prizes as well,” he said.

Groff said the goal for PPA Challenger players is to get enough points to advance to the PPA tour.

“We’re actually going to invite the top four finishers in each division – men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – to Dallas this November at the end of the season to compete for a pro contract,” he said. “From there, we’ll sign the top finishing player and group from each of those divisions, and they will then compete on the PPA tour next year.”

Groff said the Lake Hallie/Eau Claire event will be the seventh PPA Challenger event of the season.

“So far, from the first handful of events, we’ve got nothing but positive feedback,” he said. “It’s been really well received from players who are aspiring to go pro and some of the top players in the different communities – they have shown up in droves to our events.”

Groff said it’s important to note that PPA Challenger events are open to both pros and amateurs.

“Amateurs are a big part of our tournaments,” he said. “We anticipate anywhere from 350-600 players in Lake Hallie/Eau Claire, and the bulk of those will be amateur. I’d estimate 55% will be amateur, and 45% will be professional.”

A few years in the making

Lucas Connolly, the sports relationship manager for Visit Eau Claire, said there was a lot of effort that went into bringing the PPA Challenger event to West Central Wisconsin.

“The teams at Visit Eau Claire and the (Chippewa Falls) chamber have worked extremely hard and well together,” he said. “Bill Bethke, one of our main point people (from the Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club), helped bring everything together. He has an ‘in’ with the PPA and has competed in several of its events in the past.”

Once everything started coming together, Connolly said PPA representatives came to the area for a site visit.

“They toured Gower Park before the courts were even finished,” he said. “In fact, construction on the courts had just begun. From there, it was a lot of back-and-forth. We also received a grant for the tournament, which will help us offset some of the costs.”

Connolly said organizers are now in the event marketing and promoting stage.

“Not only in our community but nationwide as well,” he said. “The Challenger series pulls from all over the country. We already have registrants from Ontario, Canada, as well as Texas. I don’t want to say the hard work is done by any means, but it’s definitely been a lengthy process to get it here.”

Connolly said the pickleball courts at Gower Park were completed last July.

Sue Leonard, the Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce tourism director, said there were six original courts at Gower Park.

“With the addition of 12 courts, it’s not only the largest pickleball facility in the Chippewa Valley but in the entire state,” she said. “The new courts are individually fenced to help players control balls while playing. They also include light posts to illuminate some of the courts once the sun goes down and an adjacent 64-stall parking lot. A permanent bathroom facility was also added.”

Leonard said the Gower Park pickleball facility was a big driver behind getting the PPA Challenger event to come to Lake Hallie.

“Probably almost two years ago, Bill, who is a member of the club, came to the Village of Lake Hallie looking for a pickleball home,” she said. “The club saw an opportunity to build some additional courts, so they initially converted the tennis courts to pickleball courts. There was also an old ball field that was underutilized, but it allowed them to come forward to the village and partner with them. The PPA would like even more than 18 courts, so that’s why we’re also using Northstar Middle School.” 

Ellie Peabody, marketing and communication manager with the chamber, said as many people know, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country.

“When a lot of people think of pickleball, they think of retirement communities in the southern part of the country,” she said. “Bringing an event of this caliber to our region is a major draw for us. We are letting people know there are high-quality facilities in this area, too.”

Peabody said pickleball players, by nature, “seem to be very outgoing and want to meet other people who are as passionate about the sport as they are.”

“Tons of people donated money to get the courts built,” she said. “Additionally, for the prize money, there was also a lot of community interest in donating so there would be a higher draw for the tournament. It’s been inspiring to witness it all come together, especially for a market of our size – there hasn’t been a PPA tournament in our size (of) market before.”

Aside from having a top-notch facility, Groff said there are a couple of other reasons why West Central Wisconsin was chosen for a PPA Challenger event.

“That area has a flourishing pickleball community,” he said. “The Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club is huge. I think it has 500-plus members, and they’re all super passionate about pickleball.”

Groff said Mother Nature also played a role.

“It’s a beautiful time of the year to go there,” he said. “I think different parts of the country are big into pickleball but aren’t great places to go at the end of July or the beginning of August. We’re excited to enjoy some beautiful weather in Wisconsin – knock on wood, we don’t get any rain.”

The location of Lake Hallie/Eau Claire geographically, Groff said, also played a role.

“The Chippewa Valley is pretty centrally located between the Twin Cities, the Chicago area and Milwaukee,” he said. “It allows us to draw from a couple of markets that have thriving pickleball scenes. We’re excited about what is there locally but also the ability to bring in people from a driving distance to come stay in the community and enjoy the event.”

Senior Pro division

Connolly said there is a lot of hype around the tournament, specifically for the Senior Pro division.

The Wisconsin PPA Challenger event, he said, is the only tournament that has a Pro Senior division.

“It’s a great opportunity for those who haven’t been able to participate in the past and not only come back and play and compete, but also compete for a $20,000 cash prize that will be split up amongst the podium winners,” he said. “That’s been a huge focus for us and a huge part of Bill’s support and commitment to this tournament.”

More than just fun

Though organizers of the event in West Central Wisconsin said the PPA Challenger is a good way for folks to check out the Chippewa Valley and see what the pickleball facilities offer, it’s also good for the economy.

They said tourism dollars spent in the area are on the rise, as this event has increased the number of visitors the region sees in a normal summer.

“Visit Eau Claire, Eau Claire County and Chippewa County all had increases,” Leonard said. “It’s these kinds of events – that maybe are not typical events – that help our area reach those tourism goals. We don’t have the (financial) numbers yet, but our hotels, our local restaurants and gas stations will see the impact.”

If the tournament is well received by players, fans and the PPA, Connolly said the hope is the event will return in the future.

“Obviously, we want to have a very successful tournament,” he said. “Typically, all the tournaments in the Challenger series are at one facility, so it’s going to be the first time they try (the multiple locations for an event). It’s a quick drive between facilities – only about five minutes. The mile drive from one facility to another is a lot different than a mile drive in, say, Atlanta, Georgia.”

Connolly said he thinks the PPA also appreciates smaller communities like Lake Hallie and Eau Claire.

“I think the aspect of that smaller community that is easily navigable was a huge part,” he said. “There is definitely a possibility that when everything goes smoothly and we host a successful tournament, and if the numbers are what they are comparable to those in other locations, the PPA will be back – maybe even for a full PPA event. The PPA takes a lot of feedback from its players. If the participants really like the spot and want to play here again, the PPA will definitely listen.”

For more information or to register or volunteer, head to ppatour.com and navigate to the West Central Wisconsin event page.