Chayton Hauberg (middle) stands on the podium after winning a gold medal at the Myoflex 2024 Pickleball Canada National Championship tournament in Halifax last month.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Chayton Hauberg

A North Okanagan teenager is the youngest player to win gold at a national pickleball tournament.

Chayton Hauberg, 15, from Coldstream competed in the Myoflex 2024 Pickleball Canada National Championship tournament in Halifax last month. He picked up the sport just over three years ago when he started playing with his grandparents and his skills have grown. He currently plays at the pickleball club in Vernon five times a week for training and practice.

Hauberg, who competed in the 15 to 29 age category at the tournie, said he wasn't intimidated by the older athletes.

“I’ve only ever played maybe three people who were actually my age. I’ve been playing with people a lot older the whole time I’ve been playing,” he told iNFOnews.ca in a phone interview.

The Halifax tournament, which took place from Aug. 20 to Aug. 24, used a rally point system in which participants can get a point whether they are serving and rallying. Typically points are only collected while the individual is serving the ball.

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“I wasn’t used to playing that at all. Neither were the refs actually. It was a little bit of a learning experience for everyone," Hauberg said.

The wind on the outdoor courts proved to be an even greater challenge.

“I’d say the thing that threw me off the most was the wind. We play at the indoor facility here in Vernon so I’d say the wind was a big factor that I was not used to at all since we were playing outside there," he said.

Pickleball tournament skill level ranking begins at 2.5 at the low end and ends at 5.0. During registration for the tournament Hauberg was playing at a 3.5 level but has since moved up to 4.0 for singles and a 4.5 for doubles.

The tournament was a double knockout-style of competition, meaning if a participant lost two matches, they'd lose the game as all matches are best out of three. He played five matches in total and only two went to best out of three. He won all five games overall. The games can each last between 15 to 30 minutes.

“It always does feel really nice to get gold and be up on the podium, but I just love playing. I’ve been playing for so long now. It’s just so fun. I love the competition too, being competitive like that is so fun. I love all of it,” Hauberg said.

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The tournament involved more that 800 athletes and had large crowds for the games.

“I’ve played lots of tournaments. I’ve gotten used to quite a few people watching over the years,” he said.

Hauberg is a bit of a pickleball ambassador those his age. He says the game has increased his physical activity and has been good for his social life as he's always meeting new people.

“I’m training a lot and working out to try and sustain that level of improvement,” he said. “It is very good for anyone to get into for a variety of different reasons.”

Hauberg has close to 30 medals for his time competing in pickleball tournaments over the last two years. Last week, Hauberg played a 4.5 level game for doubles in Penticton and won his first silver medal in that category.

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