Celebrate 60 Years of Dinks, Drops and Kitchen Violations at the Sixth Annual Founders Tournament Aug. 13-17 at Battle Point Park!
Pickleball’s Sixth Annual Founder’s Tournament will be held at the Founders Courts at Battle Point Park from Aug. 13-17th. The tourney coincides with the 60th anniversary of the game’s founding on Bainbridge Island.
The multi-day tourney is a fundraiser for the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum in partnership with the BI Metro Parks & Recreation District, and the island’s growing Pickleball community (https://bipickleball.org/).
In 2018, History Museum (BHM) board member Jim McNett saw an opportunity to bring Pickleball’s story full circle. With the sport booming across the globe (there’s an estimated 4 to 5 million playing the sport around the world these days), McNett proposed a tournament that would honor Bainbridge’s unique role in Pickleball history, raise funds for the museum, and bring the community together. The result was the Founders Tournament.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Chris Miller – Windermere Real Estate Bainbridge
Among many other activities, the tourney includes clinics, a Wooden Paddle contest, doubles matches, as well as a whole slew of contests involving men’s and women’s doubles play and mixed doubles games. More than 475 players are registered to play in this year’s Founders tourney.
As in years past, the tourney is offering tours of the famed First Court, or Court 1, as some call it. Tickets are available at the History Museum booth and participants will be shuttled to the site.
AUGUST 15 – MEN’S DOUBLES
AUGUST 16 – MIXED DOUBLES
AUGUST 17 – WOMEN’S DOUBLES
The event also includes music, food, cold beverages (including a Beer Garden over the weekend), cool merchandise, such as new hats and shirts and, of course, ongoing Pickleball competition.
✨ New in 2025
✅ Guaranteed 5 games for all players
✅ Certified referees for medal matches
✅ Men’s Doubles – Friday | Mixed Doubles – Saturday | Women’s Doubles – Sunday
🍔 Plus the classics:
🎟️ Exclusive tours of the original pickleball court
🍽️ Food trucks, vendors, and fun all weekend!
🗓️ Tournament Dates: August 13-17, 2025
🎾 Register here: https://pickleballtournaments.com/tournaments/b7766fe2-6f55-4447-a241-02679a7e4d0d
Register for Our Annual RISE Clinic
August 7-8 or August 10-11
Join Rob Davidson at RISE Pickleball Camp’s most popular destination!
This 2-day RISE Pickleball Camp (August 8-9 & 11-12) is designed to help the 3.0 – 3.5+ players improve their game by focusing on fundamental strategies and mechanics that you will need to reduce unforced errors and improve consistency in their game at the Bainbridge Island Battle Point Park Founders Courts. https://www.risepickleball.com/camps
2025 Founders Tournament
Some information provided by the Bainbridge History Museum and Bainbridge Pickleball.
If you’d like to read more articles from The Island Wanderer Blog website, click here, to subscribe to The Island Wanderer Blog, click here.
ADVERTISE WITH US! We offer exceptional rates and packages for advertisers, to learn more, contact us at Contact Us | THE ISLAND WANDERER
