This weekend’s American Riviera Classic is perfect example of how pickleball has become a sport of all ages.
The ninth annual tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Santa Barbara Municipal Tennis and Pickleball Center, has an age range of 9 to 78. It also has its largest entry of top-tiered rated players — level 5.0, which is generally considered the highest rating of an amateur player.
The all-doubles tournament starts Friday morning with women’s competition at 9 a.m.; mixed doubles teams play Saturday at 8 a.m. and men take the courts on Sunday at 8 in the morning.
The mixed doubles will include 9-year-old Weston Ruiz, the son of the Santa Barbara Pickleball Shop owner Carlos Ruiz.
“Weston has been playing for a few years and can definitely hold his own on the courts,” said tournament director Barb Kloos. He’ll be playing with Sophia Dentzel.
Another strong young local player is 15-year-old Archie Barcelona. He and his father, Dave, are entered in the under-30 4.5 division.
“Archie is a 15 year-old and a force to be reckoned with on the courts, taking after his dad who is an awesome player,” said Kloos, an avid pickleball player and a local USA Pickleball Ambassador along with Richard Salzberg and newly appointed Erick Trigueros of Carpinteria.
“Erick has been teaching pickleball to seniors at the ‘AgeWell’ senior program the past few years,” Kloss noted. “Erick has got many seniors outdoors, being physical, and making new friends. That’s what pickleball does.”
The eldest player in the tournament is 78-year-old Bill Werlin of Santa Barbara, a past ARC division gold medalist.
This year’s event has drawn one of its largest contingent of 5.0 players
“The competition will be strong this year,” Kloos said. “We have 12 men’s teams in the 5.0 skill level, along with six 5.0 women’s teams and 11 teams in mixed at 5.0. That many high-level teams should make for some great matches.”
A total of 340 players are entered in the three-day competition, making it the largest pickleball tournament on the South Coast.
“Players are coming to beautiful Santa Barbara from different states, including as far as Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina,” said Kloos
The success of the tournament has drawn the support of major sponsors in the sport like JOOLA Paddles, Franklin Sports and Skechers. JOOLA will be showcasing 20 paddles for a raffle.
“Our tournament is more than just pickleball — it’s an experience,” said Kloos. “We have a comfortable player waiting area with music, a mini pickleball shop, vendors, sporty attire shopping, a sunglass shop, and a professional stretch station with Rob Lorton from Los Angeles, who attends many pickleball tournaments and provides complimentary mini-stretches for players. His waiting list is always long.
“Our raffle table has 60-plus quality items, all donated by local merchants who support our tournament. Non-players are welcome to come browse the space and participate in the raffle. We’ll also have a nurse on site each day, quality snacks for players, and an overall uplifting weekend atmosphere.”
