Pickleball tournament set to return in July
· Yahoo Sports
Astoria Parks and Recreation is once again hosting a Clatsop Clash summertime pickleball tournament, slated to return on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12 at Fred Lindstrom Park in Astoria. The tournament is divided by age groups — the adults will play on Saturday at $50 per team and the youth tournament is on Sunday and costs $15 per team. The tournament is open to everyone.
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Parks and Recreation Director Jonah Dart-McLean said during an interview with The Astorian that 19 players participated in the tournament over Fourth of July weekend last year. This year may draw more.
“A big draw to the tournaments we put on is that it’s a lot more casual,” Dart-McLean said. “There’s more accessibility for community members, not like they have to travel a ways and it’s relatively low cost.”
McLean said that interest in pickleball throughout Clatsop County has stagnated a bit lately due to the weather, but overall the sport is on a meteoric rise — and has been since 2020.
About the sport
For those who are unfamiliar with pickleball, think of the game as a mashup of badminton, table tennis and regular tennis that’s played on a tennis court. It also has ties to the Pacific Northwest as the sport was introduced in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Since its introduction, the sport has expanded to a total of 22 million participants in the United States in 2026, according to the pickleballscorer.com. Pickleball really took off as a sport during COVID. Due to the natural social distancing and outside atmosphere Pickleball became one of the go-to sports for people trying to enjoy recreational activities in accordance with the social distancing rules.
According to 2025 data from the Sports and Fitness Association, it is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. The sport has seen a five-year growth from 2020 to 2025 of more than 479%.
One other thing to note is that the average age of participation for the sport continues to get younger. According to the website pickleballheads.com, the average age of pickleball players is now 34.8 years of age. The main demographic is ages 25-34 with 2.3 million players.
The tournament is “a great opportunity,” Dart-McLean said. “It’s a great way to explore the more competitive side of Pickleball without having to go too far and getting to do it in a setting where you get to play against people you know.”
Registration for the tournament is currently ongoing through the Astoria Parks and Recreation department’s website. Click on the “registration” tab.
Looking for places to play pickleball?
If you’re new to the sport, or just want to try it out, here are some places to check out according to northcoastpickleball.org.
In Astoria: Clatsop Community College Patriot Hall.
Fred Lindstrom Park (aka: Peter Pan Park) at 6th & Niagara in Astoria. The Astoria Parks and Recreation Department has paved the tennis courts and converted them to pickleball courts. There are floodlights for evening play.
Astoria Middle School Gymnasium.
In Seaside, play pickleball in the Sunset Empire Recreation District’s gymnasium at Broadway and Highway 101.
In Gearhart, two courts are open for anyone to come and play on the corner of Pacific Way and S. Marion Avenue. FYI: Balls for outdoor play are harder and heavier than those used for indoor play.
In Long Beach, Washington, play pickleball at the Lighthouse Oceanfront Resort, 12417 Pacific Way. They welcome the public.
In Nehalem, there is an outdoor four-court facility on 7th Street just off Highway 101.