Summary
Episode 5 of EV-Everywhere: Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour follows a nonstop month of tournaments, long flights, Hawaii surf trips, family emergencies, and major career milestones. From competing on the APP Tour in Sacramento and signing as touring pros to organizing community pickleball events in Hawaii and traveling across the world to Spain, this chapter captures the emotional highs, travel chaos, and real-life moments behind professional pickleball tour life.
Some months feel organized.
This wasn’t one of them.
From tournaments and surf trips to family emergencies and nonstop flights, this past month felt like one long blur of movement — trying to stay focused, grateful, and present through all of it.
The reality of life on tour is that it rarely slows down. Sometimes the biggest challenge isn’t the matches themselves… It’s balancing everything happening around them.
After everything that happened during Episode 4 of Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour, we thought things might finally slow down a little. They didn’t.
Where in the World — Monthly Snapshot
Tournament Stop: Sacramento
Best News: Officially signing as APP Touring Pros
Favorite Reset: Surfing on the North Shore of Hawaii
Most Meaningful Moment: Unexpected family time in Spain
Sacramento — Learning Through the Grind
We kicked off the month in Sacramento, competing on the APP Tour.
We arrived a couple of days early to adjust to:
- The dry conditions
- The time change
- And the completely different ball speed compared to Florida
Different environments can completely change how the game feels, especially when comparing indoor vs outdoor pickleballs and court conditions across tournaments.
Every location brings new adjustments, and Sacramento was definitely one of those places where the game felt different immediately.
Results-wise, both of us reached the Round of 16 in every event. While that wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for, competing week after week against some of the best players in the world continues to push us forward.
Every match teaches something.
The level of modern professional play also highlights how far the sport and its equipment have evolved, from recreational beginnings to today’s high-performance pickleball gear.
One of the biggest highlights was getting to compete together in mixed doubles. In our Round of 32 match, we saved two match points and somehow found a way to battle through.
Honestly, I was incredibly proud of us.
Neither of us felt like we were playing our best pickleball, but sometimes competing at this level means learning how to:
- Stay mentally tough
- Manage momentum swings
- And “win ugly” when things aren’t clicking perfectly
Those matches can teach you just as much as the clean victories.
A Big Career Milestone
During the tournament, something we had been working on quietly behind the scenes was finally announced:
We officially signed as touring pros with the APP Tour.
That moment meant a lot to both of us.
It represents:
- Commitment to the years ahead
- Continuing to build relationships within the sport
- And taking another important step forward in our professional careers
Competing at this level also changes how closely you evaluate equipment, consistency, and performance details like paddle feel, spin generation, and responsiveness.
We recently explored how pickleball paddle weight, spin, and materials impact your game at the professional level.
We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity and excited about what’s ahead.
Hawaii — Surf, Clinics & Community
Right after Sacramento, we headed to Hawaii with our friends Tanner and Bobbi for a week of surfing, clinics, and “Play with the Pros” events.
Tanner shares the same surf obsession we do, so traveling together is always fun, and Bobbi, being from Hawaii, helped make the entire week possible.
The first half of the trip was spent on the North Shore:
- Surfing
- Slowing down a little
- And enjoying some balance before jumping back into work mode
Moments like this reminded us a lot of Episode 2 of Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour, where nonstop travel across Asia made recovery, surfing, and mental resets just as important as the tournaments themselves.
Then we headed to Honolulu for clinics and community events, which ended up being one of the most rewarding parts of the month.
The response was incredible, and we were able to fully cover the trip through the events we organized, which always feels meaningful when you’re building this lifestyle independently.
One of my favorite moments was actually something very simple.
We organized a casual morning of pickleball with local players on the North Shore:
- Portable nets
- Open play
- Just people coming together around the sport
You could tell how much the local community appreciated it, and honestly, those are some of the coolest moments pickleball creates.
Not the stadiums.
Not the medals.
Just a genuine connection through the game.
That connection has been part of this journey since Episode 1 of Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour, when the season began across Spain and Mumbai while experiencing how quickly pickleball was growing around the world.
Back Across the World Again
After Hawaii came another brutal travel day back to Florida, which honestly feels international all by itself.
Travel days like this started feeling familiar after Episode 3 of Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour, where a 36-hour journey back from Japan reminded us how demanding life on tour can really be.
And somehow, things only got busier from there.
Brandon had exactly 12 hours at home before driving to Miami and flying to Peru with his dad for their annual trip together.
It was the only available week on the calendar, so we made it work.
Meanwhile, I stayed home while our kitchen renovation was finally happening — which mostly meant living without a kitchen and realizing how much you appreciate simple things like cooking at home.
Thankfully, my mother-in-law completely took care of me that week and made sure I stayed fed while the house was in chaos.
Spain — Perspective Changes Everything
Originally, I thought I would have around 10 quiet days at home alone.
But life had different plans.
I got a call from my parents in Spain letting me know my grandpa wasn’t doing well.
That’s one of the hardest realities of living so far away from family:
When important moments happen, you’re never truly close.
I knew immediately that I wanted to see him.
Even though it became a very expensive last-minute trip, it was absolutely worth it to spend time with him — possibly for the last time.
Goodbyes are never easy.
And moments like that put a lot into perspective very quickly.
At the same time, I felt incredibly grateful that the life we’ve built through pickleball gives us the flexibility to be there for family when it matters most.
That means more than any result on court ever could.
Back on the Road Again
Tomorrow, I fly back from Spain to Florida.
Brandon flies home from Peru, too.
We’ll have a few short days together before packing again and heading back out for another long stretch of travel, tournaments, and life on the road.
And somehow… we’re ready for it again.
What This Month Taught Us
- Not every successful month is measured by medals
- Mental toughness matters just as much as physical performance
- Community moments often become the most memorable ones
- Family always puts everything back into perspective
Why We Keep Going
This month reminded us that life on tour is never just about pickleball.
It’s:
- Airports and time zones
- Friendships and surf sessions
- Big career milestones
- Family emergencies
- Long conversations
- Emotional goodbyes
- And finding moments of gratitude somewhere in between all the chaos
That’s the real story behind life on the pro pickleball tour.
Follow the Journey
This is Episode 5 of EV-Everywhere: Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour.
More tournaments.
More miles.
More stories ahead.
Until next month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Life on the pro pickleball tour involves constant travel, tournaments, training, recovery, and balancing life outside the sport while competing throughout the season.
The APP Tour, or Association of Pickleball Players Tour, is one of the leading professional pickleball tours featuring top players competing in tournaments across the United States.
Many professional pickleball players travel weekly or biweekly during tournament season, often flying across multiple states and countries throughout the year.
Different tournament locations create different playing conditions, including weather, court speed, altitude, humidity, and ball behavior, making adjustment and preparation important.
Recovery is critical during long stretches of travel and competition because it helps players manage fatigue, prevent injuries, and maintain consistent performance.
“Play with the Pros” events are community-based pickleball experiences where local players can train, compete, and connect with professional pickleball athletes.
Professional pickleball tours are hosted in different cities and states, requiring players to spend much of the year traveling between tournaments, clinics, sponsorship events, and training locations.
EV-Everywhere is Evolute Pickleball’s behind-the-scenes series following the travel, tournaments, lifestyle, and real experiences of life on the professional pickleball tour
