OUR FOUNDERS

It's hard to remember when we weren't having some fun hitting some kind of ball with some kind of racket. Racquetball, Squash, Paddle, Ping Pong, Tennis, — we've played them all!

We cut our competitive teeth during the hey-days of racquetball in the 80's and early 90's. The intensity of tournament play and the camaraderie among the participants hooked us big. So, we turned our lifestyles into our actual lives, both on the professional racquetball tour and in the corporate racquetball boardroom at Wilson Sporting Goods. Those were great times.

And then there was pickleball. We saw the wave coming and quit our jobs to catch it. What an incredible ride it has been! Worth every risk.

We envisioned the largest pickleball tournament in the world combined with the biggest pickleball party in the world, all set in a beautiful outdoor paradise. The Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships is that vision. Ask anyone.

We are proud to invite you to join us in Naples to see for yourself. You haven't experienced pickleball until you've been to The Open.
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‍See you in April!
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‍Chris Evon & Terri Graham

When we arrived in Naples, Florida we hunted down the greatest minds to create some of our crazy ideas for the event. Jim Ludwig and Bryan McKenzie were able to listen to our ideas, roll their eyes, and then build it bigger and better than we ever imagined. They invented some of the crown jewels of the US OPEN. From the beautiful Zing Zang Championship Court to everything IT related and every detail in between. And they did not come alone, as we were blessed by the expertise and passion of their wives (Carol & Lisa). We have all become life-long friends in our journey to create this historic event.
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We invite you to Naples to experience The OPEN and to have The Time of YOUR Life!