Professional Pickleball Tournament to Debut in Chippewa Valley July 24-27
athletes will duke it out for large purse prize at first-time Wisconsin PPA Challenger and Senior Open events
McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth
This summer, Lake Hallie and Eau Claire will host the first ever Wisconsin Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Challenger tournament – and the stakes just got even higher (like, $20,000 higher).
From July 24-27, the Wisconsin PPA Challenger will be held at Lake Hallie Pickleball Complex at Gower Park – the largest in the state – and Northstar Middle School. The two facilities are located just 1.5 miles apart, and the overall event expects to draw hundreds of visitors to the area.
When the event was first announced, Visit Eau Claire's Luke Alexopoulos said the PPA was expecting 400-600 participants for the debut event.
"Our goal is to help attract the best, world-class senior pickleball talent to our community by offering the largest Senior Pro prize pool on the Challenger circuit." –Dave Markquart, owner of Markquart Motors
Alongside the PPA Challenger, the Wisconsin PPA Challenger Senior Open will also be held, open to anyone age 50 and over. Thanks to a $20,000 donation from Markquart Motors, Senior Open participants will be vying for one heck of a grand prize – the largest prize pool in any PPA senior touring division event.
“As a passionate pickleball player, I couldn’t be more excited to help bring the Challenger Senior Open to our community,” Dave Markquart, owner of Markquart Motors, said in a recent media release. “Our goal is to help attract the best, world-class senior pickleball talent to our community by offering the largest Senior Pro prize pool on the Challenger circuit. We want our community to be able to watch and experience pickleball at the highest possible level.”
The Wisconsin PPA Challenger event will also have a substantial prize of $15,000. The PPA Challenger Series provides opportunities for amateur players and is a structured pathway to the Carvana PPA Tour for aspiring professionals, the media release noted.
Registration for both events is open now through July 17 ($70/person). Tickets for spectators and fans are also now up for grabs at $15/person (kids ages 8 and under will have free entry).
Learn more about the Wisconsin PPA Challenger and Senior Pro Open events – slated for July 24-27 in Eau Claire and Lake Hallie – online at pickleballtournaments.com/tournaments/wisconsin-ppa-challenger.