Back In The Paddle Again: Pro Flight Platform Tennis Tour Returns to Stone Harbor
From left: Guillermo Nunez, Marc Powers, Drew Broderick, Tomas Christian, Macie Elliott, Bea Lopez, Tom King, Alvi Regalado, Jose Salazar, Eric West, Filip Rams, Tea Pejic, Laura Owens, and Charlotte Sikora.
By Jack Byrne
Stone Harbor is once again poised to become the center of the platform tennis universe as some of the sport’s top-ranked professionals arrive for one of the most anticipated stops on the paddle national tour. Many of paddle’s top talents will be vying for significant earnings in an exciting new tournament format. This year’s Pro Flight Paddle Tour Stone Harbor Invitational promises to be the biggest and most entertaining yet.
“We’re truly going to have a sampling of the top players that you’ll find at nationals here in Stone Harbor,” says event organizer Tom King, a longtime paddle enthusiast. “We’ll definitely get a slice of the top 20 players in the country.”
For the sixth consecutive year, many of the nation’s best platform tennis, or “paddle” players will make Stone Harbor their first stop on an eight-month tour that culminates with the prestigious APTA National Championships. Competition will be heated, as established champions face a growing wave of former high-level tennis players who are rapidly making their mark on the sport and challenging the old guard for a chance at winning the title.
Four-time national champion Drew Broderick is the mastermind of the Pro Flight Paddle Tour, and it features a high-speed, invitation-only format that brings eight of the sport’s top players together for a high-stakes showdown. Rather than enduring a grueling elimination bracket that can last four to six rounds over two days, competitors start playing in the semifinals. That way, the tournament participants are fresh, rested, and ready to show the shore what championship-level paddle looks like. The result is a winner-take-all atmosphere packed with elite shot-making and nonstop action from the very first point. For players, it’s a chance to compete at the highest level. For fans, it’s paddle at its absolute finest.
Why Stone Harbor?
Part of the reason why players enjoy the Stone Harbor Invitational is because it falls right at the perfect time. After a brief offseason, players get the opportunity to hone their skills at this event just before the national APTA schedule intensifies. The real appeal, however, is Stone Harbor itself, as few tournament destinations can match the atmosphere of the Jersey Shore.
“Not to dog on any other place that they play,” King says. “But a lot of these tournaments are in a Detroit, or an Indiana, or Cincinnati, which are all great but they don’t have this beach vibe with the beautiful breeze that comes in from the ocean while they’re playing … Last year, we had people between sets running over to the beach and jumping into the ocean.”
Paddle players yearn to return to Stone Harbor year after year, not only to play outside at the championship-level courts found at the 96th Street Recreation Center, but also so they and their families can enjoy the beautiful beach, award-winning restaurants, and charming mom-and-pop shops that the Seven Mile community has to offer.
“They all want to come to Stone Harbor,” King says. “They’re like ‘Hey Tom, who’s coming this year? Am I going to get invited?’ That’s kind of the vibe of these top players because they love it here so much.”
The New Format Raises the Bar
The 2026 tournament adds a major new spin to the Friday night paddle pro-am that will make the event much more exciting for both players and spectators.
The first night’s festivities will begin at 6pm with an electrifying pro-am tournament that will pair top professionals with some of the area’s best amateur players. Local paddle enthusiasts will have the rare opportunity to play alongside, and learn from, cream-of-the-crop paddle players.
“We’ll actually play a serious tournament round-
robin where a local will be teamed with a pro for the entire night,” King says. “I think it’s going to be really fun. When I told some of my buddies who play, they were like, ‘How do I get in now? What do I have to pay?’ They were so excited. They were jumping at the chance to do this.”
The twist on this year’s pro-am is that the pros have more than just their reputations on the line. A portion of their tournament earnings will be determined by their performance on both nights of the event, so each point scored will be crucial from the opening serve. Onlookers can expect the professionals to give their maximum effort all night long.
“There’s always been a pro-am for the sponsors of this tournament and for local talent, local guys who play paddle,” King says. “The pro-am is always such a highlight for the people in the area who play because they get a chance to play with national champions. It would be like a local basketball player getting to play with LeBron James in a two-on-two tournament. That’s what it’s like for these local paddle players. They get to play with the top talent in the country.”
Saturday Showcases the Best & Brightest
After the excitement of Friday night’s pro-am, the tournament ramps up with a slate of all-pro matches featuring the sport’s top competitors battling for the championship and a purse of big prize money.
“Saturday is the big showdown for the pros,” King says. “That’s when the pros are going to dig down and play seriously.”
Spectators will witness some of the most spectacular shots imaginable in racquet sports. Unbelievable spins which can reverse the ball’s course, sending it back over the net after landing on the opponent’s side, making it practically impossible to return.
Pro Flight players constantly chase down balls and use the surrounding screens to create nearly impossible angles. Paddle is such a thrilling sport for fans and newcomers alike because the action consists of lightning-fast exchanges, point-blank volleys, and between-the-legs winners.
What’s so Unique About Paddle?
The racquet sport of paddle was first conceived in 1928 and has gone through a renaissance in recent years, pulling in competitors from other racquet sports such as tennis, pickleball, squash, and more.
A multitude of seasoned tennis players can naturally transition to paddle because the skills of both sports are so compatible. What differs between the two is that paddle introduces an entirely new dimension to the game – the boundaries don’t end at the painted lines. Paddle players frequently return the ball off the wired screens surrounding the court, creating a 4-D chessboard field of play with strategic possibilities that simply do not exist in the conventional court-only sports.
Agility, touch, strategy, spin, and creativity play equally important roles in this fast-paced, multidimensional game. Points often continue long after they appear to be over, producing dramatic rallies that keep spectators guessing who will finish the point. Whether you’re a longtime paddle enthusiast or a complete newcomer, it’s easy to see why so many become passionate fans after seeing it in action.
Community Support Makes It Possible
The tournament is made possible through the support of several outstanding local and corporate sponsors, including Mack’s Pizza of Stone Harbor, RJ Soens Compass Real Estate, The Princeton Bar & Grill, 23K Studios, Inc., Silver Linings, and many more that continue to help bring premier sporting events to the Jersey Shore.
The Stone Harbor Invitational, as well as the Pro Flight Paddle Tour itself, brings brand recognition and significant notoriety to all of its sponsors. Planners of the event are always looking to represent more iconic Jersey Shore businesses to continue the success of the tournament and help benefit its beloved sponsors.
Why Watch?
“You don’t have to be a player, or a tennis or platform tennis fan in order to enjoy this,” King says. “The athleticism, and reflexes, and cool shots that these guys make with spins in between their legs, that’s what everybody loves watching.”
Whether you’re just getting into pickleball, are a seasoned tennis player, have never even heard of paddle, or simply looking for a fun summer event, this is a unique chance to watch the sport’s best athletes compete in one of the most beautiful settings on the East Coast. Come see why Stone Harbor has become one of the favorite stops on the national paddle circuit and experience firsthand the skill, quickness, and exhilaration that makes paddle one of the fastest-growing racquet sports in the country.
Key Event Details
Play begins on Friday, Aug. 7 at 6pm with the pro-am tournament, and will continue with the professional competition on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 10am for the semifinals and 4pm for the finals.
The tournament will be played at the Stone Harbor Recreation Center at 120 97th St. Spectators are asked to enter the premises from the entrance at the corner of 97th Street and First Avenue.
For more information on the Pro Flight Paddle Tour Stone Harbor Invitational, or to find out how your business can become a sponsor, call Tom King at 610-587-1153.