Four Days, 45 Courts, and an All-Out Pickleball Party: Our Experience at the 2026 JOOLA Celebration
Kissimmee, Florida — From September 4 to 7, the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center became the epicenter of amateur pickleball in the United States. The 2026 JOOLA Celebration — the fourth edition of this event — brought together 763 players across 16 divisions, competing on 45 indoor, climate-controlled courts, in what was without question the largest edition in the festival's history.
DINK Authority was on the ground for all four days, and here's what we experienced.
Our coverage team walked the venue from end to end all weekend long — with Cinamon leading the charge, connecting with dozens of attendees on the courts, at the pro shop, and throughout the resort's hallways, capturing spontaneous reactions and the real pulse of the event from the inside. That closeness with the people is exactly what allowed us to bring you this first-hand account.
Flawless Organization, Start to Finish
The first thing worth saying: the event's logistics lived up to the JOOLA name. The venue didn't just have the courts perfectly set up — everything a participant could need was thought through so nobody had to leave the hotel for four days. Solid restaurants, well-set-up sports bars to catch matches between rounds, and a complete experience all within the same resort.
We spoke with participants from several nationalities, and the enthusiasm was unanimous. Many have been coming back year after year — they know each other, returning like a kind of reunion — while others were experiencing it for the first time. We saw entire families: some cheering on a player from the stands, others simply there for the love of the sport.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
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The JOOLA Pro Shop, a Magnet of Its Own
The JOOLA product store set up at the venue deserves a special mention: huge variety and good prices, with discounted paddles, apparel, bags, and footwear from the brand. People genuinely flocked to buy. We got the chance to test JOOLA's new paddle on court — a nice preview for any pickleball lover thinking about their next purchase.
Kids' Clinic and the Level of Play
Friday's kids' clinic was fantastic — a great addition for families bringing the little ones to get started in the sport.
As for the competitive level, the advanced division showed genuinely high-quality pickleball, and overall every category felt tight and competitive — no division felt like a walkover.
Four Days That Strengthen the Ecosystem
At the close, the takeaway is clear: a successful celebration that doesn't just entertain — it elevates the sport and brings the JOOLA brand closer to the entire community, from the recreational player to the serious competitor.
As part of our coverage, we spoke with Gordon Kaye, JOOLA's Chief Experience Officer, in a genuinely interesting interview that will be available soon. We also had the chance to speak with Eric Decker, former NFL player and now part of JOOLA's athlete roster, who not only competed in the tournament but also sat down with us for an entertaining interview — content we'll be sharing with you soon.
Full Results by Division
(Gold, Silver, and Bronze — team and captain)
Division 🥇 Gold 🥈 Silver 🥉 Bronze
1 Treedem (Jared Cohen) Yard Dawgs (Evan Addington) Kitchen Line Cooks (Alex Lantz)
2 Fantastic Four (Brandon Lloyd) Squeezers (Ameen Hafez) Team Eugene (David Kaye)
3 Papa Joe's (Timber Gant) The Exchange Students (Lee Eberly) Kongfu Panda (Yihe Luo)
4 CrabWalkers (Joshua Le) JuicyF (Anakin Kung) Pickle Brain (Persio Filho)
5 SoNo FL (Oscar Alvarez) One+ Young & Old (Mariana Melo) Yo Mama (Gavin Chu)
6 Team ERA (Christian Tejada) Lafayette Pickleball 1 (Tom Neustrom) Vortex (Sonia Purello)
7 Team ERABEANS (Marco Tejada) Get Amped (Francis Pawloski) EPC 2 (Jonathan Chong)
8 PB Coach (Julian Gallego) One+ TheJuniorPros (Scott Culbertson) ONE+ PICKLEBALL+ (Pablo Jaralambides)
9 Amped Ballers (Brett Whitford) One+ Drop it like it's Hot!! (Jess Mortensen) Mixed Signals (Shay Edinger)
10 ONE+ Soneros (Diego Pena) Pickle Chicken Sandwich (Jorge Florez) Mother Flickers (Dave Ma)
11 One+ Kitchen Closed (Ozzie Espinal) Court Crushers! (Amy Lyn Medicielo) Weekend at Ernes (Josef Blitz Means)
12 ONE+DINK-182 (Kevin Escobar) DinkSum (Kyle Khong) Phantastic Remix (Tyler Nguyen)
13 ONE+ Puro Power (Javier Oliveira) Rise Picklepals (Jennifer Kung) BASE Performance (Matthew Hert)
Over 40 – Div. 1 Pickle Peacock (Liping Bright) Pickle Bar Ballers (Gina Horne) DUPR Claim (Sophia Pu)
Over 40 – Div. 2 Dink Jitsu (Ken Siu) Brevard Bangers (Jackie Jemmott) Pinoy Pickleball Lobbers (AJ Jainga)
Over 40 – Div. 3 Clutch City Energy (Leng Businelle) SocalOCPickleball Gladiators (Amit Jagtiani) Coming in Hot (Barbara Chrimes)
Event format: teams of 3-5 players, a minimum of 8 divisional rounds per team over 4 days, professional Pickleroll courts, official JOOLA HC-40 ball. The tournament closed with semifinals and finals on Monday, September 7.
Kissimmee, Florida — From September 4 to 7, the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center became the epicenter of amateur pickleball in the United States. The 2026 JOOLA Celebration — the fourth edition of this event — brought together 763 players across 16 divisions, competing on 45 indoor, climate-controlled courts, in what was without question the largest edition in the festival's history.
DINK Authority was on the ground for all four days, and here's what we experienced.
Our coverage team walked the venue from end to end all weekend long — with Cinamon leading the charge, connecting with dozens of attendees on the courts, at the pro shop, and throughout the resort's hallways, capturing spontaneous reactions and the real pulse of the event from the inside. That closeness with the people is exactly what allowed us to bring you this first-hand account.
Flawless Organization, Start to Finish
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The first thing worth saying: the event's logistics lived up to the JOOLA name. The venue didn't just have the courts perfectly set up — everything a participant could need was thought through so nobody had to leave the hotel for four days. Solid restaurants, well-set-up sports bars to catch matches between rounds, and a complete experience all within the same resort.
We spoke with participants from several nationalities, and the enthusiasm was unanimous. Many have been coming back year after year — they know each other, returning like a kind of reunion — while others were experiencing it for the first time. We saw entire families: some cheering on a player from the stands, others simply there for the love of the sport.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
The JOOLA Pro Shop, a Magnet of Its Own
The JOOLA product store set up at the venue deserves a special mention: huge variety and good prices, with discounted paddles, apparel, bags, and footwear from the brand. People genuinely flocked to buy. We got the chance to test JOOLA's new paddle on court — a nice preview for any pickleball lover thinking about their next purchase.
Kids' Clinic and the Level of Play
Friday's kids' clinic was fantastic — a great addition for families bringing the little ones to get started in the sport.
As for the competitive level, the advanced division showed genuinely high-quality pickleball, and overall every category felt tight and competitive — no division felt like a walkover.
Four Days That Strengthen the Ecosystem
At the close, the takeaway is clear: a successful celebration that doesn't just entertain — it elevates the sport and brings the JOOLA brand closer to the entire community, from the recreational player to the serious competitor.
As part of our coverage, we spoke with Gordon Kaye, JOOLA's Chief Experience Officer, in a genuinely interesting interview that will be available soon. We also had the chance to speak with Eric Decker, former NFL player and now part of JOOLA's athlete roster, who not only competed in the tournament but also sat down with us for an entertaining interview — content we'll be sharing with you soon.
Full Results by Division
(Gold, Silver, and Bronze — team and captain)
Division 🥇 Gold 🥈 Silver 🥉 Bronze
1 Treedem (Jared Cohen) Yard Dawgs (Evan Addington) Kitchen Line Cooks (Alex Lantz)
2 Fantastic Four (Brandon Lloyd) Squeezers (Ameen Hafez) Team Eugene (David Kaye)
3 Papa Joe's (Timber Gant) The Exchange Students (Lee Eberly) Kongfu Panda (Yihe Luo)
4 CrabWalkers (Joshua Le) JuicyF (Anakin Kung) Pickle Brain (Persio Filho)
5 SoNo FL (Oscar Alvarez) One+ Young & Old (Mariana Melo) Yo Mama (Gavin Chu)
6 Team ERA (Christian Tejada) Lafayette Pickleball 1 (Tom Neustrom) Vortex (Sonia Purello)
7 Team ERABEANS (Marco Tejada) Get Amped (Francis Pawloski) EPC 2 (Jonathan Chong)
8 PB Coach (Julian Gallego) One+ TheJuniorPros (Scott Culbertson) ONE+ PICKLEBALL+ (Pablo Jaralambides)
9 Amped Ballers (Brett Whitford) One+ Drop it like it's Hot!! (Jess Mortensen) Mixed Signals (Shay Edinger)
10 ONE+ Soneros (Diego Pena) Pickle Chicken Sandwich (Jorge Florez) Mother Flickers (Dave Ma)
11 One+ Kitchen Closed (Ozzie Espinal) Court Crushers! (Amy Lyn Medicielo) Weekend at Ernes (Josef Blitz Means)
12 ONE+DINK-182 (Kevin Escobar) DinkSum (Kyle Khong) Phantastic Remix (Tyler Nguyen)
13 ONE+ Puro Power (Javier Oliveira) Rise Picklepals (Jennifer Kung) BASE Performance (Matthew Hert)
Over 40 – Div. 1 Pickle Peacock (Liping Bright) Pickle Bar Ballers (Gina Horne) DUPR Claim (Sophia Pu)
Over 40 – Div. 2 Dink Jitsu (Ken Siu) Brevard Bangers (Jackie Jemmott) Pinoy Pickleball Lobbers (AJ Jainga)
Over 40 – Div. 3 Clutch City Energy (Leng Businelle) SocalOCPickleball Gladiators (Amit Jagtiani) Coming in Hot (Barbara Chrimes)
Event format: teams of 3-5 players, a minimum of 8 divisional rounds per team over 4 days, professional Pickleroll courts, official JOOLA HC-40 ball. The tournament closed with semifinals and finals on Monday, September 7.
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