BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL
WELCOME BACK to Hoopfest 2024 and the Best Basketball Weekend on Earth! We’re excited to report that we’ve increased our numbers for the second consecutive year. Hoopfest may seem like just a basketball tournament to some, but to many people, including myself, Hoopfest is something bigger and more impactful — it’s a way to connect with family and friends who have a common bond through sports and Spokane, allowing everyone to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Over the last 34 years, Hoopfest has changed, but our goal of putting on the best 3-on-3 basketball tournament has never wavered. This is impossible to do without the players, volunteers and spectators who make Hoopfest what it is. We are so grateful for you and everybody who participates in Hoopfest. Thank you for allowing us to create this incredible event, and we hope your experience in Hooptown USA is one to remember!
Riley Stockton Hoopfest Executive Director
NAVIGATE THE WEEKEND
Find the schedule of events and the location of your court starting on page 11
HOOPFEST 2024 POSTER
On the cover of this Guide, you’ll see this year’s official poster by Spokane artist Jesse Pierpoint. Read all about it on page 16.
DESIGN ELEMENTS BY
HOOPFEST OFFICIAL EVENT GUIDE SPONSOR
Idaho Central Credit Union is excited to be part of the Spokane community, and we are here to serve you, no matter what your financial needs are. Stop by one of your local Spokane branches to see for yourself how we can help you achieve your financial success, or visit us online at iccu.com.
DON’T MISS A
THING
TEN CAPITAL TEAM CHECK-IN
Ten Capital Team Check-In will again be in the Central Plaza, just west of the Spokane Pavilion inside Riverfront Park. Ten Capital Team Check-In will be available during the following times: Thursday, June 27: 3 pm – 7 pm; Friday, June 28: 11 am- 7 pm.
LOG YOUR WINS
Mobile scoring is available, allowing you to drop off your score sheets at any of the Avista Scoring Kiosks located at: 1) Riverside and Post; 2) Main and Washington; 3) the Visit Spokane Information Center in Riverfront Park; 4) The Plaza in Riverfront Park (next to the Spokane Pavilion); and 5) the North Channel Bridge near the north entrance to Riverfront Park.
SPOKANE HOOPFEST STORE
Visit us at our new location in the US Pavilion Lobby, next to Northern Quest Center Court, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods and featuring Hoopfest’s Local Corner, featuring exclusive Hoopfest/Great PNW gear. (To learn more, go to page 16.)
NORTHERN QUEST CENTER COURT
Hoopfest is thrilled to welcome back Northern Quest Center Court to the heart of the city, located under the Spokane Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Northern Quest Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and has served the Inland Northwest as a community partner for more than two decades. Northern Quest Center Court will be the epicenter of excitement, featuring former college stars, local legends, national champions, and slam dunk extraordinaires. (To learn more, go to page 6.)
TEST YOUR SKILLS
You can win a 2024 RAV-4 with your half-court shot at the Toyota Shootoff, or try free throws and three-pointers in the Rodda Paint Contest Zone. And new for 2024, check out the Baden Bump Contest Zone, with three age-specific divisions. (To learn more, go to page 18.)
A COMMUNITY AFFAIR
Whether you’re a player or a spectator, the work of volunteers is what makes your Hoopfest weekend possible. We all know the numbers. It’s two days, hundreds of courts, thousands of teams and even more players. They all come together for the best basketball weekend on earth. Yet all that three-onthree hooping is made possible by an enormous team of volunteers — more than 3,000 of them.
Spokane is Hooptown USA because we make basketball happen here. But Hoopfest doesn’t happen without the volunteers. There are court monitors who keep each court running efficiently, assisted by the lunch-runners who keep them fed. A crew of behindthe-scenes workers lays the tape defining each court’s twopoint line while a platoon of helpers arrives to clean up all that tape and everything else after the event. No matter the job, every volunteer matters.
“Every year I want to come back,” says longtime court monitor Sharon Hedlund. “It’s always been fun.”
To volunteers like Hedlund, the long hours are worth it.
PARKING
“A lot of it is you get to watch the really fantastic plays and streetball they play. It’s a game of its own,” she adds.
As a court monitor, Hedlund is tasked with keeping the games going and flowing, making sure that the event goes on smoothly. It’s more than being a referee, though — it’s being a part of something that can sometimes span generations.
“I’ve always had a lot of fun, [and for years] I had a niece or a nephew I would drag down with me and they’d be my scorekeeper. So that was kind of cool. We’d hang out once a year and just spend a couple days together,” Hedlund says. “Oneon-one time, so that was nice.”
All parking garages are open during Hoopfest, with access provided to entrances and exits. Street parking where available is paid until 7 pm Saturday, but free all-day Sunday. The Parkade is offering day and weekend passes; more information can be found on the Hoopfest website under Travel. Please note that the Parkade closes at 9 pm.
Beyond the time with family and community, Hoopfest volunteers get some excellent perks. Court monitors who devote a full weekend’s time get a set of Under Armour gear, including shoes. Cool Hoopfest swag is where Idaho Central Credit Union also comes into play. Along with sponsoring this official event guide, ICCU also sponsors the shirts every volunteer gets to wear with pride: “We wanted to show our appreciation for the time and work the volunteers put into making Hoopfest such
Every year, volunteers put in the hours to make Hoopfest happen
a success,” says Clark Rasmussen, marketing sponsorship supervisor at ICCU. “We love the community involvement, economic development and opportunities that Hoopfest brings to Spokane.”
Like Sharon Hedlund, many volunteers continue to come back year after year to help make Hoopfest happen. “We’ve got volunteers that you see and you don’t see — typing in the scores, updating the brackets,” says Hoopfest Director of Volunteers and Staffing Chad Smith. “They’re just behind the scenes just doing that job; which is a lot of work, a lot of long hours.”
Hoopfest is working to draw another generation of volunteers that’s ready to help out with all that work, people who are ready to jump into the fray and keep the event running smoothly. It took the entire community to turn Spokane into Hooptown USA. It takes that community every single year to put on the greatest basketball weekend on earth, though the event’s effects continue to ripple out long after the last swish on Center Court.
So when you’re downtown for Hoopfest, you’ll see countless volunteers who make it all possible. Don’t forget to thank them — and think about joining the team as a volunteer yourself.
Visit ewu.edu/runningstart
CENTER COURT SLAM
Fifty years after it was the center of Expo ’74, the Spokane Pavilion is set to be the center of Hoopfest 2024
Located in the iconic Spokane Pavilion in the heart of Riverfront Park, Northern Quest Center Court is the place to catch the most high-level — and high-flying — action of the weekend.
Pull up a seat on the grass lawn of the amphitheater or post up on the elevated walkway for a bird’s eye view of the action. There’s not a bad seat in the house at Northern Quest Center Court. And this year there’s more reason than just the on-court action to draw you to the Pavilion, as the Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods is now located inside the Pavilion building.
The on-court action will be highlighted with a pair of elite division championship games on Sunday afternoon, as well as the impressive action of the MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition on both Saturday and Sunday.
There will be some serious intrigue around the dunk contest as Tyler “Ty” Cronk is looking to take home the trophy for a third straight year.
“It’s insane. That’s all I can really say,” Cronk says of the atmosphere at the MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition. “It’s all full of people in the stands, people standing around, phones are out, people are taking videos. It’s crazy. It’s like a high school game with the number one athlete in the world.”
Cronk hails from the Seattle area where he was a prolific athlete at the high school and college levels, particularly and unsurprisingly in the high jump, at which he claimed a state championship in high school. Considering his background in vertically inclined athletics, Cronk gave a sneak peek as
BUCKET-LIST TRIPS
New to Hoopfest Weekend is the FESTIVAL OF HOOPS, located on the 2nd floor of River Park Square. Hoopfest will be raffling off three exciting experiences: a trip to San Francisco for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game; a trip to New York City to watch GU take on UConn in Madison Square Garden; and a trip to Seattle for the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $1 each from Saturday, June 22, through Sunday, June 30. Winners will be announced between the two Elite finals on Sunday afternoon at Northern Quest Center Court.
to what fans can expect from him at Northern Quest Center Court this time around.
“I’m just going to start jumping over people,” Cronk says. “The fans have seen the athletic, the twists and turns and the 360s, but now I’ve got to pull out some objects to go for the three-peat this year. Jumping over maybe some logos or maybe three guys or a group of kids. I dunno. I’m going to have to pull out some stuff.”
Catch Cronk and the other high-fliers in action at the MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition at 2 pm on Saturday and again for the finals on Sunday at 3 pm.
“You’ve got to be there,” Cronk says. “The energy, the atmosphere is just a hundred percent amazing. You’ve got to show up, got to be present, got to watch, maybe participate.”
ELITE FINALS
Immediately following the MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition finals on Sunday afternoon comes the pair of elite division championship games to cap off the greatest basketball weekend on earth.
First up is the Men’s 6-Foot-And-Under Xfinity Elite Championship, which is followed by the Men’s Open Xfinity Elite Championship. The Festival of Hoops Raffle drawing takes place at Northern Quest Center Court between the two games.
Fifty years after Expo ’74 brought the world to Spokane, the former United States Pavilion is drawing some of the best 3-on-3 basketball players from around the country. The Open Xfinity Elite bracket is loaded with recognizable faces, and the championship game regularly features some big names.
Last year, Former Gonzaga star Mike Hart was named the bracket’s MVP after helping lead his HUB Northwest team, along with former Eastern Washington Eagles Parker Kelly, Marc Axton and former Northwest Nazarene big man Robert Lippman, to the team’s fifth-straight Xfinity Elite championship.
After a long weekend of battling it out on the downtown pavement, there’s no better place to put a bow on Hoopfest than on the grass at Northern Quest Center Court.
Reigning slam dunk champ Ty Cronk
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HOOPTOWN ROYALTY
Meet the 2024 Hooptown Hall of Fame inductees
Adam Morrison
Terry Kelly
Gonzaga Prep Bullpups, Washington State University
With his jump shot, his college choice, and a harmonic convergence of player, coach and hungry audience, Kelly may well have been the true kick-starter for the basketball revolution we now call Hooptown USA. “A lot of what we created at Washington State in capturing the area’s imagination, I’m not sure happens without Terry Kelly,” his legendary college coach, George Raveling, once said.
At the state parochial school tournament in 1972, Kelly scored 51 of his Our Lady of Fatima team’s 58 points. At G-Prep, he would be All-City three times and shatter Dave Wood’s all-time scoring record.
“There’s no secret to getting better,” says Kelly. “You have to play. I had the passion. So I sought out every gym and every pickup game. My mom would drop me off, and I’d spend all day if I could.” Kelly, who was on the founding board of Hoopfest, also got to witness his son Parker not only help G-Prep win its first state basketball championship, but duplicate his own feat of playing on an NCAA Tournament team for Eastern Washington University.
Mead Panthers, Gonzaga University, Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Lakers
High-octane competitiveness has always been the basketball essence of Adam Morrison. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13, Morrison still made himself into one of the most feared, un-game-plannable offensive forces in college basketball history.
At Mead, he rewrote the Greater Spokane League record book with 1,904 points — 37 in the state championship. And off he went to Gonzaga — his only college offer. “I just wanted to not get redshirted,” Morrison recalls. “I felt I was good enough to play.”
The first time he touched the ball — in Madison Square Garden, no less — he let it fly. It was a 16-footer, contested. He made it.
“He turned us into a national brand,” acknowledged his coach, Mark Few.
As an NBA rookie, he averaged nearly 12 points a game. An ACL tear during the 2007-08 preseason derailed his career, even though he still won two championships with the Lakers.
But his story always comes back to Gonzaga and Spokane — aka, Hooptown. “The thing that I was most thankful for was I was never asked to change,” Morrison says. “I was allowed to play and be myself. That was a gift.”
Tammy Tibbles
The 2024 Hoopfest Hall of Fame dedication ceremony will be at the Hooptown USA court complex on the North Bank of Riverfront Park on Wednesday, June 26, from 6-9 pm. hooptownusa.com
Creston Comets, Gonzaga University
Coming out of the small Eastern Washington town of Creston, Tammy Tibbles took her game to Gonzaga University, where she would set the school scoring record. She also led the Zags to their first West Coast Conference championship.
At Creston, Tibbles was a legend, and in a sport — women’s basketball — that was still only a decade old as an official high school activity. Her rivalry with Reardan in those days would pack the house in a way no boys game ever could. She scored 35 points a game as a senior in 1984 while setting the state record. Now, with the women’s game rocketing up, she sees it as part of an evolution she and her teammates — and rivals — had something to do with.
“I love that Caitlin Clark is getting all this attention,” says Tibbles. “Anybody who’s dedicated to the game, excels at it and competes at that level — we all had a little pieces of promoting women’s sports to where it is today.”
Photos provided by Hoopfest
Linda Sheridan
Shadle Park Highlanders
Growing up in the Garland neighborhood, Linda Sheridan was Spokane through and through. But her moment of truth came 1,000 miles away in California at her first teaching and coaching gig upon graduating from Washington State University.
“I knew nothing about the sport,” Sheridan once said. “A bunch of eighth graders were looking at me with adulation… it changed my life.”
When she returned to her alma mater, Shadle Park, Sheridan brought a conviction that she owed her athletes an experience that couldn’t be measured solely by points. Her Highlanders measured up there, too, winning state in 1988 and ’89. After 10 trips to state, with seven GSL championships and a gym named in her honor, Sheridan would retire. She died in 2013 after a battle with ALS.
Sheridan’s partner of 37 years, Linda Wolcott, says it was never about winning, and that the number of her players who followed her into coaching speaks for itself.
“It became very clear,” Sheridan said about her first job, “how much influence you can have over kids’ lives. It’s really, really important to remember that this is for the kids.”
Larry Wendel Referee
Larry Wendel’s nearly 50-year officiating career started in the Spokane Valley church league. The pay was $5 per game. From there, Wendel made a steady climb: high school games, then junior colleges; eventually he would work Pac-10, Big Sky and West Coast Conference games — but, really, almost every night was booked.
“I’d do the Greater Spokane League games in the old Coliseum on a Tuesday night, a junior college game in Moses Lake on Wednesday, Gonzaga on a Thursday, back in the Coliseum on Friday night and then maybe Whitworth on Saturday,” Wendel recalls. By the time he retired at age 67, he’d worked more than 5,000 games.
Wendel’s relationship to Hoopfest is special, as he patrolled center court for 30 years. “It sounded like something fun, so I put my name in,” Wendel says, adding that since he was the only one with college experience, they put him at center court. “So that’s where I started and stayed.”
FOUND MONEY
Numerica sponsors more than just Hoopfest; the local credit union is hoping to sponsor your wallet as well with its annual scavenger hunt
Asponsor of Hoopfest for more than a decade, Numerica Credit Union is once again making it rain off the court with the NUMERICA CASH DASH
“Hoopfest is one way that we can give back to the people who make Spokane and our region so wonderful,” says Chelsea Maguire, AVP of content and communications at Numerica.
From Tuesday, June 25, through Friday, June 28, Numerica will hide 25 mini basketballs around the region, from Wenatchee to North Idaho, and from Spokane to the Tri-Cities. Each basketball comes with a cash prize worth between $50 and $1,000. The Cash Dash finals will be at 10:55 am at Northern Quest Center Court.
Numerica has been providing financial services to the Inland Northwest since 1937. As a sponsor of Hoopfest, the credit union has found another way to serve the community that has kept it going strong for all these decades.
“Our core purpose is to enhance lives, fulfill dreams and build communities. We do that with our fullservice financial offerings and also how we give back to the community, whether it’s through events like Hoopfest or our philanthropic initiative, Numerica CARES for Kids,” Maguire says. Location hints for the Numerica
TEAM HOOPFEST
SYSTEMTWTSpokaneTribeResortandCasino#1Amp’dLighting&AudioVisualZagShop#1EdwardJones#2USFoods
CochinitoTaqueriaSpokanePackagingWalkerConstruction#3
STCU#5STCU#4STCU#3STCU#2STCU#1
Takis#2 FortitudeFinancial#3 WashingtonStateSeniorGames DairyQueen#14 HeritageBar&Kitchen EasternWashingtonUniversity#2 WashingtonStatePatrol#3 MultiCareHealthSystems#5 PlasticSurgeryNorthwest#4 EPIC WildroseGraphics
BankofAmerica#1BankofAmerica#2FisherConstructionGroup#1FisherConstructionGroup#2FisherConstructionGroup#3 GesaCreditUnion#2 Lukins&AnnisAttorneysVisitSpokane.comThomasHammerCo eeRoasters#4 PapeRentsWilliams#1 SpokaneTribeResortandCasino#3 HollisterStierAllergyTheGreatPNWGlobalCreditUnion#4DairyQueen#2Carlisle&ByersPLLC#3EdwardJones#4Inlander#2 Williams#3EWUAdaptiveAthleticsCountryFinancial#2AlohaIslandGrillWitherspoonBrajcichMcPheeTheDavenportHotel&Tower DeltaDentalofWA#21-StopMediaInlander#3Health&Home SDS-BlockSpokaneRegionalHealthDistrictBaden#2InlandOralSurgeryVerizon#2DamonOrthodontics#2BODYARMORSpokaneTribeResortandCasino#4 WSUHealthSciencesSpokane#1WSUHealthSciencesSpokane#2WSUHealthSciencesSpokane#3WSUHealthSciencesSpokane#4WSUHealthSciencesSpokane#5
O’Doherty’s
Vandal Block
Bennett Block
COCA-COLA#2
David’sPizza Bloomsday#1 CanopyCreditUnion#2 Powerade WashingtonState Patrol#1 McPartland#2 PlasticSurgery Northwest#1
NumericaCreditUnion#3
CHAS#2CarterSubaru#2CollegeH.U.N.K.S.#1Lee&Hayes#2GreenstoneBakerConstructionHotstartAmericanOn-SiteServices#2IdahoCentralCreditUnion#1 JACOBS#2
Goods#3
FirstInterstateBank#1 MortgageTED TheMcKinstry KellenCares FoundationNomNom#2 St.JubilantHollisterStierMaryCatholicSchool#3 ChickenHoustonTxHot #2ProgressionsCreditUnion Carlisle&ByersPLLC#2IndigenousEats#2EdwardJones#3McPartland#3 FortitudeFinancial#4 FirstInterstateBank#2 BoiadaBrazilianGrill#1IntegrityRemodeling#2 PacicMobileStructuresFairwayFloorInc.#2Carlisle&ByersPLLC#1TheOnionTaphouse&Grill PenskeTruckLeasingClaimYouCash.org#2BestWesternPlusCityCenter U.SBank#1U.S.Bank#2U.S.Bank#3
SWX#2CollegeH.U.N.K.S.#4Toyota#2DayspringConstructionLee&Hayes#1PeironeProduceCo.MerillLynch-Cresswell&Associates MichelobUltra#1Lydig#1SpokaneTribeResortandCasino#7 WindermereSpokaneMMECArchitecture&Interiors ThomasHammerCo eeRoasters#3AgWestFarmCredit#2
GlobalCreditUnion#5PlasticSurgeryNorthwest#2 CharliesProduce#2SignDogWraps&SignsTheMAC-NorthwestMuseumofArts&Culture WhiteDogCoeeBoiadaBrazilianGrill#4IEDSLogistics#2
DOWNTOWN NORTH OF THE RIVER
YOU!
Maximize your weekend with the FREE Hoopfest App! We want to make sure you can keep an eye on as many games as possible with our Team Tracker. Look up players, find courts and have all event details right at your fingertips. Download or update it FREE today from the App Store or Google Play.
FOOD VENDORS
Ali’I Hawaiian
Shave Ice
Azars
Beamaes
Seafood
Gumbo & Sweet Treat
Ben & Jerry’s
Berry KaBob Best Buzz Coffee
Birdie’s Pie Shop
Camerons Fried Ice Cream
CC Delivery
Chubby Hot Dogs
Dippin’ Dots
El Camaron
El Charro Birrieria
Felkers BBQ
Good ’Dilla
Gourmet Soul BBQ
Gravy Train
Houston TX Hot Chicken
Kettle Krazy
Kona Ice
Longhorn
Barbecue
Lonnie Bills
Lemonade
Lylo’s Teriyaki
TENCapital#1 NorthwestOrthopaedicSpecialists#3SpecialOlympicsWashingtonDairyQueen#5NorthtownAutoSales Inlander#5-AnnualManual BannerFurnace&Fuel FairwayFloorInc.#1
TecateGrill McPartland#1 BulldogRooterInc#2
WalkerConstruction#4
MacDaddy’s
Mother Hen’s Pit Stop
Nomnom
Old Fashioned Kettle Corn
Palmyra
Papa Murphy’s
Pina Coladas Acapulco 2
Pizza Rita
Puget Sound Pizza
Raspados & Hot Dogs Del Sur
Smokenhagen Sno Pros Concessions
Sugar Shack
Tacos Camargo
Tea’s Company
Teriyaki Grill and Orange Chicken Express
The Bibby Booth
The Cuban Way
The Lemonade Guy & Cliffs Corn Dogs
Wake Up Call Coffee
Your Mom’s Soda Shop
Wednesday, June 26
9 am to 6 pm: Festival of Hoops Raffle, 2nd floor of River Park Square
6 to 9 pm: Hoopfest Hall of Fame ceremony at the Hooptown USA court complex, North Bank of Riverfront Park
Thursday, June 27
9 am to 6 pm: Festival of Hoops Raffle, 2nd floor of River Park Square
3 to 7 pm: TEN Capital Team Check-In in Riverfront Park Central Plaza next to US Pavilion
2 to 6 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods — new location, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court
3 to 7 pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)
Friday, June 28
9 am to 6 pm: Festival of Hoops Raffle, 2nd floor of River Park Square
11 am to 7 pm: TEN Capital Team CheckIn in Riverfront Park Central Plaza next to US Pavilion
11 am to 5 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods
— new location, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court
11 am to 7 pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)
PLAN YOUR
12 to 1 pm: Join current Vandal players on Gesa High School Center Court for a skills clinic. Open to grades 1-6
1 to 1:30 pm: Mascot showdown, see Joe Vandal in action as he takes on other mascots in 3-on-3 at Gesa High School Center Court
4 to 4:30 pm: Guardian Showcase at Gesa High School Center Court
Saturday, June 29
6 am to 8 pm: STA Hoop Loop
7:30 am to 7 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods — new location, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court
7:50am: Opening Ceremonies and National Anthem at Northern Quest Center Court
8am: Tip-Off (site-wide)
8 am to 6 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods — new location, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court
9 am to 6 pm: Festival of Hoops Raffle, 2nd floor of River Park Square
9 am to 6 pm: Rodda Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking Lot, corner of Spokane Falls Blvd and Stevens
10 am to 3 pm: Baden Bump Zone in the Bennett Block Parking Lot
9 am to 6 pm: Toyota Shootoff in the Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)
10:55 am: Numerica Credit Union Cash Dash Finals at Northern Quest Center Court
11 am to 12 pm: EWU Adaptive Athletics Exhibition at the MultiCare Hooptown, USA Community Courts on the North Bank of Riverfront Park
2 to 2:55 pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition at Northern Quest Center Court
Sunday, June 30
7 am to 6 pm: STA Hoop Loop
7:30 am to 4 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods
— new location, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center
8 am: Tip-Off (site-wide)
8 am to 5 pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods at our new location in Riverfront Park, inside the US Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court
9 am to 2:30 pm: Festival of Hoops Raffle, 2nd floor of River Park Square
9 am to 1 pm: Rodda Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking Lot, corner of Spokane Falls Blvd and Stevens
10:30 am to 1 pm: Baden Bump Zone (finals) in the Bennett Block Parking Lot
9 am to 1 pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)
1 to 4 pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (quarters, semifinals and finals)
3 to 3:30 pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition (finals) at Northern Quest Center Court
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
(Sunday after 3:30 pm)
Men’s 6-Foot-And-Over Elite Semifinals (2 games) at Northern Quest Center Court
Men’s 6-Foot-And-Under Elite Championship at Northern Quest Center Court
Festival of Hoops Between the championship games, winners of the Festival of Hoops dream vacations will be announced.
Men’s Open Elite Championship at Northern Quest Center Court JUNE 28-29, 2025 Hoopfest Weekend returns!
2 0 2 4
of Hoopfest.
BALL AS ART
Hoopfest pivoted with this year’s poster, passing off to Spokane painter Jesse Pierpoint for a slam-dunk design
Over the years, Hoopfest has turned to local sports stars to help get the word out by highlighting athletes like Klay Thompson, Corey Kispert and the Hull sisters on the event’s famous poster. This year, however, the focus was turned inward on the event, the participants and the beautiful location in downtown Spokane.
Spokane fine artist Jesse Pierpoint was up to the task, and his painting-turnedposter captures the scale and energy of the event.
backboard in the foreground.
That simplicity, along with the instantly recognizable imagery in the work, communicates the message of Hoopfest loud and clear.
“Some of the initial poster ideas that I sent them were more player based,” Pierpoint says, “but with more of that painted artistic kind of approach versus a photograph, and then ultimately went back to this concept of trying to capture the feeling of Hoopfest from a different viewpoint.”
The painting depicts a look from above down a stylized Main Avenue, packed with courts and players and lined with spectators. It’s Hoopfest as it would look from inside one of Spokane’s many skywalks.
Another departure from tradition is in how the poster stayed true to the painting. Nothing was added to Pierpoint’s original work; the only words are “Spokane Hoopfest” on the
With a background in both art and athletics, including Hoopfest, selecting Pierpoint as the artist was an easy decision to make.
“I played football in college, and I love basketball as well,” he says. “I moved here in 2000 and played in Hoopfest quite a bit over the years. My son has also played in it, and I got into the coaching. It’s a local event that kind of put Spokane on the map.”
On the creative side, Pierpoint spent 10 years as creative director at a local digital agency. In his spare time, Pierpoint worked on numerous projects around the region from murals and billboards to smaller-scale canvas pieces like this year’s Hoopfest poster.
“To me, this one was just unique in that it wasn’t their typical, the way they have done that in the past. So that was kind of a fun and neat approach to it,” Pierpoint says.
Those who come downtown for Hoopfest can see more of Pierpoint’s work on display in the M Building on the 600 block of West Main Avenue, the very street depicted in the poster. Grab your free 2024 poster at the Hoopfest Store, this year located inside the Spokane Pavilion.
NEW LOCATION, SAME GREAT GEAR
Get exclusive gear only at the SPOKANE HOOPFEST STORE presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods! Visit us at our new location in the Spokane Pavilion Lobby, next to Northern Quest Center Court. Inside, check out our Local Corner, featuring exclusive Hoopfest/Great PNW gear available for the whole family. Don’t miss your copy of this year’s poster, painted by Jesse Pierpoint, capturing the vibrant Hoopfest action in downtown Spokane. We also have official 2024 basketballs from Baden Sports, featuring a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74 by showcasing the iconic United States Pavilion and Clock Tower. This year, choose from three different ball sizes, each with distinct color piping: size 5 (27.5”) purple piping; size 6 (28.5”) pink piping; and size 7 (29.5”) teal piping.
Jesse Pierpoint capturing the essence
11a.m. WSECU GRAND PARADE
12p.m. FESTIVAL OPENS
LIVE MUSIC ON THE HOMETOWN CHEVY STAGE
COOKING DEMOS/PULSE EXPERT Q&A
TASE T. LENTIL 5K & SPORTS TOURNAMENTS
: Pullman Chamber of Commerce | Hoopfest Guide : Hoopfest : 20 S : MF
LIL LENTIL LAND FEAT. THE SEL SCIENCE TENT
INWB BEER GARDEN AND DELICIOUS FOOD
LIL LENTIL ROYAL CORONATION
SHOOT TO WIN
TOYOTA SHOOTOFF
The annual half-court shooting contest runs Thursday through Sunday in Riverfront Park, north of the Orange Bridge. You can attempt three half-court shots for just $10; sinking one shot qualifies you for the quarterfinals. Surviving finalists reconvene at 3:30 pm Sunday for a chance to win by dropping a half-court shot. The last man or woman standing drives home this year’s completely Hooped Out 2024 Toyota RAV4 (pictured below).
RODDA PAINT CONTEST ZONE
Show off your skills at the Rodda Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking lot, near Spokane Falls Blvd and Stevens. Test your long-range game at the 3-Point contest, your clutch shooting in the Free Throw Contest or your ability to hit from all over the court in the Hot Shot Contest. Entry is $5.
BADEN BUMP ZONE
Baden Bump Contest Zone is new to Hoopfest weekend. Get your game face on to showcase your determination to be the last person standing in Bump/Knock Out/Lightning. There will be three divisions: Elementary (1st-6th grade), Junior High and High School (7th-12th grade), and Adult (18+). Make sure to register for one of the preliminary rounds for each division at 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, or 2:30 pm. The top five from each round will advance to the final rounds on Sunday. Located in the Bennett Block parking lot.
MULTICARE SLAM DUNK CONTEST
Watch as Hoopfest’s best athletes defy gravity at Northern Quest Center Court in the Pavilion! Qualifying round is Saturday, June 29, at 2 pm; the finals are Sunday, June 30, at 3 pm. It is $10 to participate.
XFINITY ELITE DIVISION
The Elite division showcases teams composed of top-tier players at Hoopfest, with many having competed at the highest levels of the game. Catch the action at the Xfinity Elite Division located along Spokane Falls Boulevard. Finals are at Northern Quest Center Court Sunday after the Multicare Slam Dunk Contest.
WINNING WITH WORDS
GREAT 2024 HOOPFEST TEAM NAMES
Peaked at the Rec
Malibu Barbies
Stars and Scars
Sink it and Drink It
Yo Mama Wembanyama
Rizzards of Oz
Losing Fourmula
Sublime Dimes
Swish Sistaz
Phat and Fourty
Men in Tights
Chicken Noodle Hoops
Dunking Donuts
Sneaker Squeakerz
Baptizing Buckets
Mom Said No
Tater Shots
Jalapeno Hotties
Back Street Ballers
Bench Babes
Kareem and Coffee
Fruit Hoops
Five Finger Slingers
Culdesac Kids
Hoops I Did It Again
BEAUTIFUL BACKBOARDS
Work from talented local artists will be on display in Hoopfest’s Amazon Lot
Ryan Barbieri
As someone who grew up in Spokane with both a passion for sports and design, Barbieri’s backboard effectively conveys the way Hoopfest takes over Downtown Spokane. “My goal was to create a backboard that left a lasting impression, something unforgettable and cool for players,” Barbieri says of his design. “I imagine people’s attention being drawn to the vibrant red flames of the burning city left in the wake of the basketball-playing monster, hopefully inspiring players to unleash their inner beasts on the court.”
Rachel Dolle
Born and raised in Spokane, the 28-year-old Dolle is now giving back to the community through her work as an educator. Her eye for photography and design shines through in this collage backboard and conveys a strong sense of place. “I superimposed three pictures I’ve taken of some of the city’s landmarks, Dolle says. “The Pavilion, Clock Tower, and the drive into town from I-90 are things that true Spokanites know and recognize as ‘home.’”
Hoopfest and Amazon have teamed up once again this year to give local artists a chance to participate in the best basketball weekend on Earth. Artists submitted designs in April, and 13 were selected to grace backboards in the Amazon Lot located on the Liberty Building block, between Main Avenue and Spokane Falls Boulevard, and Stevens and Washington streets. Submissions and selections came from local artists of all ages and experience levels — from talented youngsters to professional designers. Here’s a sneak peek at four of the works you can find on courts over Hoopfest weekend.
Hadley Landreth
Growing up in rural Eastern Washington, the 12-yearold Landreth turns to our region’s natural beauty for inspiration. From the subject matter chosen to the execution of the piece, Landreth’s ability as an artist is on clear display even at such a young age. Through her artwork for Hoopfest, Landreth shares her view of the Pacific Northwest, with inspiration from Spokane Falls and Washington’s state fish, the steelhead.
Evalyn Sambrano
A local middle school student, Sambrano enjoys playing sports and is a keen artist as well. Her backboard captures the current moment in sports, which is seeing record enthusiasm for women’s sports, especially women’s basketball. Sambrano describes her work, showing a woman driving to the hoop, as “highlighting women and girls in sports — our time to shine!” When Sambrano isn’t on the court, the field, or the art studio, she’s planning for a future as a pediatric radiologist.
Joshua Thomas
Thomas is a former Eastern Washington Eagle and current Hoopfest Elite player. He is the owner and operator of Lejit Creative, a full-service branding agency that helps companies in tech, entertainment and sports launch and elevate their brands. He lives with his wife Kasey, son Julian, and their weenie-dog Bennie out in Liberty Lake. “This yellow backboard was done in the style all of our Lejit murals are done in and features a lot of different hoops references and easter eggs. Enjoy!”
CAMERA READY
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A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to all Hoopfest area administrators, marshals and court monitors, as well as the dedicated individuals serving in our subcommittees and volunteer roles. You help us create magic, enrich lives and foster community spirit year after year. Your efforts are truly appreciated. And a special thank you to all Hoopfest court sponsors! Your support is invaluable — we couldn’t do it without you.
— THE HOOPFEST TEAM
MAJOR SPONSORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mike Nilson Board Chair
Rick Betts
Founder
Danny Beard
Brandon Haugen
MEDIA SPONSORS
OPERATING COMMITTEE
AWARDS
Jennifer Chaparro
COMMUNICATIONS
AND SECURITY
Jim Dibble, Lance Dahl, Nathan Mulkey, Kevin Keller, David Overhoff, Kyle Yrigullen, Tom Michaud
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
Pat Dever, Mike Busby
CONTEST ACTIVITIES
Arianne Johnson
COURT TAPING
RJ Del Mese
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
Jim DeStefano
ELITE DIVISION
Jim Jacobson
FESTIVAL OF HOOPS
COORDINATOR
Gudu Fischer
Helen Higgs
Scott Jones
Hubert Langenhorst
Rob Hartman
Tom Psomas
Shelbie Rabe
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
1-Stop Media
Avista
Baden Sports Bank of America
College H.U.N.K.S Hauling Junk and Moving
Davenport Hotel Collection
Eastern Washington University
First Interstate Bank
Gesa Credit Union
Houston TX Hot Chicken
Idaho Central Credit Union
Lee & Hayes
Propaganda Creative
Rodda Paint
Takis
Ten Capital Wealth
Advisors
The Great PNW Verizon
Visit Spokane
Walker Construction
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Cricket Wireless
Delta Dental of Washington
King Beverage
Kustom Restoration
Lime Scooters
No-Li Brewhouse
River Park Square
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
T-Mobile
US Foods
Velocity Clinical Research
Washington State Senior Games
HIGH SCHOOL CENTER COURT
Daniel Swartz
INFORMATION
Charlotte Finnegan
IT CONNECTIVITY
Don Hartzog
MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING
Dave Jackson
MASTER SCOREBOARD
Sarah Olson
MERCHANDISE
Claire Soulek
MONITOR HEADQUARTERS
Gina Scott
NORTHERN QUEST CENTER COURT
Holly Elmer
RECYCLING/CLEAN-UP
Christina Ridenbaugh
Matt Littrel
RETAIL BEVERAGES
Darcy Markham
SITE TEAM ORGANIZATION
Scott Jones, Blake Jones
SPECIAL PROJECTS
John Koenig, Bev Stamper, and Jim Olson
SPONSOR GARDEN
Kari Kostelecky
TEAM CHECK-IN
Kathleen Sullivan Garman
TIP-OFF PARTY/HOSPITALITY
Julie Ottmar
TRAFFIC SAFETY
Adam Jackson
VOLUNTEER COORDINATION
Stacey Stockton
VOLUNTEER LUNCHES
Julie Laird
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