Paradise Meets Pickleball: How the Hawaii Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open is Transforming O’ahu
By The Pickleball Weekly Editorial Team • July 15, 2026 • 12 min read
A premier destination tournament for pickleball
FOR MOST TRAVELRS, a trip to Hawaiʻi begins with thoughts of turquoise water, volcanic landscapes, and sunsets over the Pacific. For pickleball players, October is adding another reason to book a flight.
This fall, the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open returns to O’ahu for its second year, bringing hundreds of amateur and professional players together inside the Hawaiʻi Convention Center for four days of competition, camaraderie, and celebration. What began as an ambitious inaugural event has quickly grown into Hawaiʻi’s premier indoor pickleball tournament, attracting players from across the islands, the continental United States, Canada, Japan, and throughout the Pacific Rim.
Scheduled for October 8-11, the tournament will once again transform the Hawaiʻi Convention Center into a sprawling pickleball venue featuring more than 33 indoor courts, amateur and professional divisions, a new collegiate invitational, a product expo, corporate competitions, and a $15,000 professional prize purse. It’s an impressive lineup, but organizers see something much larger taking shape.
They aren’t simply hosting another tournament. They’re building one of pickleball’s premier destination events.
From Strong Debut to Bigger Vision
The tournament’s rapid growth didn’t happen by accident. When the inaugural Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open debuted in 2025, organizers weren’t entirely sure how quickly Hawaiʻi’s pickleball community would embrace the event. The response exceeded expectations.
More than 800 players registered for the four-day tournament while daily attendance surpassed 1,000 spectators, creating an atmosphere that confirmed Hawaiʻi was ready for a large-scale indoor championship. Competitors traveled not only from Oʻahu but also from neighboring islands, the continental United States, Canada, and Japan, demonstrating that Hawaiʻi could successfully blend competitive pickleball with sports tourism in one of the world’s most recognizable destinations.
On the professional side, the inaugural champions reflected the tournament’s growing international reach. Keven Wong and Tama Shimabukuro captured the Open Men’s Doubles title, while Oʻahu’s Jamie Haas teamed with Canada’s Christina Chin to win Open Women’s Doubles, highlighting the event’s ability to attract both local standouts and international talent.
Rather than viewing the inaugural event as a successful one-off tournament, organizers immediately began planning for something larger.
This year’s event builds on nearly every aspect of the original concept, expanding competitive opportunities while strengthening Hawaiʻi’s position as an emerging pickleball destination.
“We’re excited to bring back the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open for our second year,” said Matt Apana, General Manager of ESPN Honolulu. “With the growing popularity of pickleball both in Hawaiʻi and across the U.S., we’re providing an elite venue and format for pickleball players across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”
That vision extends beyond simply filling tournament brackets. It reflects a broader strategy to position Honolulu as a recurring stop for players seeking both high-level competition and an unforgettable travel experience.
Building a Pickleball Destination
Few tournament locations offer what Honolulu naturally provides. Players can spend the morning competing inside a climate-controlled championship venue before watching the sunset along Waikīkī Beach that evening. A short drive leads to the hiking trails of Diamond Head, the history of Pearl Harbor, or the crystal-clear waters of Hanauma Bay. North Shore surf breaks, Kualoa Ranch, botanical gardens, and world-famous beaches all sit within easy reach of tournament headquarters, transforming a weekend of pickleball into a true island vacation.
That combination of competition and destination travel is no coincidence.
Sports tourism has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, and Hawaiʻi is uniquely positioned to capitalize on it. Tournament organizers understand that today’s pickleball players often travel with spouses, families, and friends, turning tournaments into extended vacations. The result benefits not only the competitors but also hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, and local businesses throughout Oʻahu.
While no official economic impact study has been released, the inaugural tournament generated significant visitor spending by attracting mainland and international competitors during Hawaiʻi’s shoulder tourism season. Visitors filled partner hotels, explored local attractions, dined at neighborhood restaurants, and extended their stays beyond tournament play, demonstrating pickleball’s growing role as an economic driver.
The venue itself plays an equally important role.
Located just minutes from Waikīkī, the Hawaiʻi Convention Center has emerged as one of the country’s most versatile indoor sporting venues. Backed by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, the facility invested in premium rolling pickleball courts specifically to attract large-scale sporting events. Those investments allow organizers to quickly transform the expansive convention halls into a championship-quality pickleball complex while providing players with the consistency and comfort of indoor competition, regardless of outside weather conditions.
Located just minutes from Waikīkī, the Hawaiʻi Convention Center has emerged as one of the country’s most versatile indoor sporting venues. Backed by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, the facility invested in premium rolling pickleball courts specifically to attract large-scale sporting events. Those investments allow organizers to quickly transform the expansive convention halls into a championship-quality pickleball complex while providing players with the consistency and comfort of indoor competition, regardless of outside weather conditions.
For competitors, that means cool temperatures, reliable playing conditions, and enough courts to accommodate one of the largest indoor pickleball events in the Pacific.
For Hawaiʻi, it represents something even bigger. The islands are no longer simply embracing pickleball. They’re positioning themselves as one of the sport’s premier destinations.
Inside Hawaiʻi’s Pickleball Boom
The success of the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open reflects something much larger than a growing tournament. It reflects the remarkable rise of pickleball throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Just a few years ago, pickleball occupied only a small corner of Hawaiʻi’s recreational landscape. Today, the state is home to approximately 520 pickleball courts spread across 160 locations, serving an estimated 110,000 players annually. While Hawaiʻi ranks near the bottom nationally in total courts because of its relatively small population, it ranks among the country’s leaders in courts per capita, illustrating just how deeply the sport has taken root across the islands.
Oʻahu has become the center of that growth. Honolulu County now offers more than 190 public courts spread across dozens of parks and recreation facilities, while new dedicated venues continue opening to satisfy demand. One of the most significant recent additions is Pickles at Forté, Honolulu’s first major private indoor pickleball club, a 40,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility created specifically for the island’s rapidly expanding pickleball community. Court construction and tennis-to-pickleball conversions continue throughout the state, growing at an estimated 26 percent year over year.
That momentum has transformed Hawaiʻi from an emerging market into one of the country’s most intriguing pickleball destinations.
Unlike many mainland tournaments, where players often fly in, compete, and leave, Hawaiʻi offers something few destinations can match. Competitors arrive for a tournament but often stay for an island vacation. Families extend their trips. Friends plan sightseeing excursions around match schedules. For many players, the tournament becomes only one part of a much larger Hawaiian experience.
Tournament organizers understand that dynamic. Rather than simply hosting a championship, they’re creating an event that encourages visitors to experience the islands while celebrating the sport.
Why ESPN Honolulu Entered the Game
At first glance, it may seem unusual that a sports radio station is producing one of Hawaiʻi’s largest pickleball tournaments. For ESPN Honolulu, however, the decision was a natural extension of its mission to support local sports while embracing one of the fastest-growing athletic movements in the country.
The tournament gives the station far more than a weekend of competition to cover. It creates original local sports content, strengthens community partnerships, expands corporate engagement, and positions ESPN Honolulu at the center of pickleball’s continued growth throughout the islands. It also allows the station to showcase championship matches through local television and digital broadcasts while giving Hawaiʻi’s players a platform that few regional tournaments can offer.
Matt Apana, General Manager of ESPN Honolulu, believes the tournament has the potential to become far more than a regional championship.
“Our goal is to grow this into a world-class pickleball event for both participants and spectators to enjoy,” Apana said while discussing the tournament’s long-term vision. That ambition can already be seen throughout the event schedule.
Alongside amateur and professional competition, visitors will find product demonstrations, vendor exhibits, professional exhibitions, promotional giveaways, and the popular Corporate Cup, which brings together businesses from across the islands in a friendly but competitive team challenge. The result is an event designed not only for players but for families, spectators, and anyone curious about the sport’s explosive growth.
More Than a Sponsor
The tournament’s title sponsor, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, views pickleball through a different lens. As one of the state’s largest healthcare systems, operating Kapiʻolani Medical Center, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Medical Center, and Wilcox Medical Center, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health sees pickleball as more than recreation. It sees the sport as a powerful tool for preventive health and community wellness.
Few sports appeal to as broad an audience.
Children play alongside parents. Grandparents compete with grandchildren. Beginners can enjoy the game within minutes, while elite athletes continue pushing the sport’s competitive ceiling. That accessibility has made pickleball one of the most effective activities for encouraging lifelong physical movement while simultaneously fostering meaningful social connections.
“Events like this bring people together in ways that support both physical and social well-being,” said Ray Vara, President and CEO of Hawaiʻi Pacific Health. “Pickleball continues to grow across our communities because it’s accessible, welcoming, and fun for people of all ages.”
For Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, supporting the tournament aligns directly with its broader mission of encouraging healthier lifestyles throughout the islands. Beyond promoting physical activity, the organization recognizes the important role that recreation plays in strengthening mental health, reducing social isolation, and building stronger communities. That commitment extends beyond the tournament itself.
A portion of the event’s proceeds will once again benefit Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina, a nonprofit organization serving Waimānalo through agricultural education, community resources, and programs designed to help individuals experiencing housing insecurity build pathways toward greater self-sufficiency. By combining competition with philanthropy, organizers have created an event that leaves a positive impact long after the final medal has been awarded.
The Next Generation Takes the Court
One of the most significant additions to this year’s tournament isn’t found in the professional draw. It’s found in the collegiate bracket.
For the first time, the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open will feature a Collegiate Invitational, recognizing one of pickleball’s fastest-growing movements nationwide.
Across the United States, college pickleball has exploded in popularity. Universities continue adding club programs, regional tournaments attract increasingly competitive fields, and collegiate national championships now feature many of tomorrow’s professional players. Hawaiʻi has already played an important role in that movement. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa helped establish an early collegiate presence by hosting the state’s first major collegiate pickleball championship in 2022, laying the foundation for the next generation of island players.
By introducing a dedicated collegiate division, tournament organizers are investing in the future as much as the present.
The new invitational creates another competitive pathway between recreational play and the professional ranks while encouraging younger athletes to remain involved in the sport. It also brings additional energy to the tournament atmosphere as university clubs from Hawaiʻi and the mainland gather to compete alongside experienced amateurs and professionals.
For many collegiate players, the Honolulu Open won’t simply be another tournament. It may become the first chapter of their own competitive journey.
More Than a Weekend of Competition
The Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open is about more than medals and championship matches. It’s about bringing together players from across Hawaiʻi, the mainland United States, Canada, Japan, and the Pacific to celebrate one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Whether competitors are chasing a podium finish or simply enjoying their first major tournament, the event has been designed to create an experience that extends well beyond the court.
Professional exhibitions, a vendor expo, promotional giveaways, and the popular Corporate Cup all add to the atmosphere, creating a festival that welcomes players, families, and spectators alike. The addition of the Collegiate Invitational further reinforces the tournament’s commitment to growing the sport while giving young athletes another opportunity to compete on a larger stage.
For players traveling to Oʻahu, the location offers another advantage. The Hawaiʻi Convention Center sits just minutes from Waikīkī Beach, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and many of the island’s most recognizable attractions. Tournament organizers understand that many competitors turn events like this into extended vacations, blending high-level competition with time to experience one of the world’s premier travel destinations
Looking Ahead
Only entering its second year, the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open has already established itself as Hawaiʻi’s premier indoor pickleball tournament. Organizers aren’t simply looking to repeat last year’s success. They’re building an event capable of attracting players from across the Pacific while showcasing Hawaiʻi as one of pickleball’s most unique destinations.
The expanded professional divisions, $15,000 prize purse, collegiate competition, and continued community partnerships all reflect a tournament moving confidently into its next chapter.
As pickleball continues its remarkable growth throughout the islands, the Honolulu Open is growing alongside it. For four days this October, the sport will once again take center stage inside the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, where local players, visiting professionals, college athletes, and first-time competitors will gather for a tournament that has quickly become one of the highlights of Hawaiʻi’s sporting calendar.
For those looking to combine championship pickleball with the spirit of aloha, few tournaments offer a setting quite like the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open.
The Pickleball Editorial Team produces in-depth reporting and cover features that examine the sport’s growth, innovation, competition, and culture. With contributors who understand both the strategy of the game and the forces shaping its future, the team is committed to telling the full story of modern pickleball.
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