Over the past several weeks, the Palmera Pickleball crew has been on an unforgettable journey in the United States, blending fierce tournament competition with incredible moments of connection, training, and community. From the sun-drenched courts of Florida to the wind-whipped battles in McKinney, Texas, and from the East Coast grit of Columbia, South Carolina to the Southern intensity of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, our spring adventure has been filled with milestones and memories, including unforgettable training at the Austin Pickle Ranch and a memorable dinner with Ben and Collin Johns in Dallas. Here's a full recap of our U.S. pickleball expedition.
Miami to Cape Coral: The Tour Begins
Our journey kicked off on March 2nd, when we left our home in Nicaragua and flew into Miami, Florida. Within 24 hours, we were on the road heading west to Cape Coral for our first stop: the PPA Cape Coral Open.
This was a special event for several reasons:
- Abigail Bourgeois earned bronze in 3.5 Women’s Singles, her first-ever PPA tournament. She captured the experience beautifully in a blog post that dives into her reflections, takeaways, and what it meant to step onto the PPA stage for her first time.
- Jeremy Bourgeois brought home the silver medal in 3.5 Men’s Singles in his first-ever PPA tournament.
- Van Damrongsri competed in the Men’s Singles Pro Qualifier. He didn’t make it into the main draw this time, but walked away with some key takeaways that will sharpen his edge for upcoming events.
We also had the pleasure of meeting Johnny Shapiro, who traveled down from Maryland to join us. We spent time drilling with Johnny and had some great sessions together at DNA Pickleball, a fantastic facility that felt like home.
On top of all that, we had the joy of watching Championship Sunday, where Christian Alshon earned his first-ever gold medal in Men’s Singles, and Ben Johns partnered with Andrei Daescu for the first time—together claiming gold in Men’s Doubles. What a blast!
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Texas Two-Step: Dallas to Austin
After Cape Coral, we returned briefly to Miami before flying out to Dallas, Texas, for the PPA McKinney Open. This leg was full of firsts:
- Geoff and Jeremy played their first-ever Men’s Doubles event at the 4.0 level in a PPA tournament.
- Jeremy played his second singles tournament, and Geoff stepped into his first singles event at the 4.0 level—both important milestones. Geoff also shared his reflections from McKinney in a separate blog post—worth checking out for a deeper dive into the experience.
- Van competed in both pro-level Men’s Singles and Doubles, continuing his grind toward the PPA main draw.
We also visited a variety of training grounds including DFW Pickleball Club and multiple Pickleball Kingdom locations. Between Open Play, drilling, and watching high-level matches, we soaked in all the pickleball we could.
The weather was wild: 50 mph wind gusts gave many players the most extreme outdoor conditions they’ve ever faced. But adversity makes for great stories.
On Sunday night, Van, Jeremy, and Geoff enjoyed dinner with West Shaw, Andy Gensch (of Johns Design & Consulting), and none other than Ben and Collin Johns. It was a great evening of steak, intellectual conversation, laughs, and shared passion for the sport.
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Austin Energy & Inspiration
The next morning, we road-tripped from Dallas to Austin with West and Andy. There, we connected with Tim Klitch and spent an unforgettable day at Austin Pickle Ranch. With its vibrant community and thoughtfully designed courts, the atmosphere and player experience were truly exceptional. We shared the court for some fun games and training, and Van got in some high-level work with Austin Bricker.
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We also toured a few local pickleball venues and gained valuable inspiration for our own venue project back in Nicaragua. (Thanks, West, for your great job hosting us.)
This U.S. tour has been a whirlwind—intense training, new friendships, competitive milestones, and a deeper sense of community in the pickleball world.
Miami Encore: RacquetX & Moneyball
Once we returned to Miami, the weekend brought two parallel events:
- Van competed in a Moneyball tournament, keeping the competitive rhythm alive.
- Jeremy and Geoff attended RacquetX in Miami Beach, exploring the business and tech side of racket sports, connecting with brands, and gaining insights for the future of Palmera Pickleball. While there, Geoff had the chance to play a few Open Play points with Federico Staksrud and Mari Humberg, and both Jeremy and Geoff met and chatted with Andrei Daescu—a fun and inspiring highlight of the weekend.
East Coast Push: Columbia & Baton Rouge
The following week, a Palmera squad consisting of Van, Mackenzie, Jeremy, and Geoff headed north for the PPA Challenger in Columbia, South Carolina. Van continued to battle through the pro circuit, playing in both singles and, with a new partner, mixed doubles. Jeremy went 3-2 in men's singles (4.0) and Geoff and Jeremy went 4-2 in men's doubles (4.0) to finish 4th overall out of 17 teams. Mackenzie had her first PPA tournament experience here, entering 3.5 women's singles and mixed doubles (4.0) with Geoff. She also shared her perspective in a blog post that captures the excitement and lessons from stepping onto the PPA stage for the first time.
Just days after returning to Miami, Van and Jeremy flew again—this time westward to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for another PPA Challenger. The grind didn’t stop, and the experience gained continues to compound. Van went 1–1 in both the main and back draws of men's singles. In doubles, he teamed up with Austin Bricker for the first time—together, they mirrored the same results: one win and one loss in both the main and back draws. Jeremy went 2-2 in men's singles (3.5 & 4.0 combined) and, with a new partner, went 2-3 in men's doubles (4.0). He also wrote a blog post sharing his insights on the evolution of singles play in pickleball.
Final Stop: Fort Lauderdale & APP Open
As we wrapped up our tour, we spent quality time training in Fort Lauderdale, especially at The Fort, a top-tier facility where we sharpened our games and enjoyed hitting with Steve Rose. We also caught the APP Open, soaking in the competitive energy and getting a close-up look at different styles of play.
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What’s Next for Palmera Pickleball: Building Momentum After Our U.S. Tour
This U.S. tour has been a whirlwind—intense training, new friendships, competitive milestones, and a deeper sense of community in the pickleball world. We're heading back to Nicaragua with fire in our hearts, more tools in our toolbox, and big visions for what’s to come.
Stay tuned as we prep for the PPA Challenger in Punta Gorda and push forward with our mission to create the most inspiring pickleball hub in the world.
See you on the court.
— Team Palmera
Between the wind-whipped courts of Texas and the energy of RacquetX in Miami, this trip was as much about learning as it was about competing.
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