SALEM, OR - Saturday, July 27, 2024 - Team Axle Moving won the first-ever staging of THE GAUNTLET at Oregon Specialty Group Hoopla XXV presented by Toyota & Dutch Bros. In front of a lively crowd, Axle Moving was the last team standing out of 26 competitors.
AXLE MOVING: Jordan Lind, Cade Hutchins, Tre Hale-Edmerson, Jay Merriweather, & Alex Rentsch.
SALEM, OR - July 18, 2024 - Oregon Specialty Group is the new Title Sponsor of Hoopla. To learn more about this exciting new partnership, please see the press release below.
SALEM, OR - Saturday, July 20 - Today, Oregon Specialty Group Hoopla XXV presented by Toyota and Dutch Bros introduced a new special event at OSG Hoopla: THE GAUNTLET presented by Alaska Airlines.
THE GAUNTLET will be OSG Hoopla's first-ever ladder tournament, and it will involve 26 teams drawn randomly into slots who will try to battle their way in one minute games to a championship - one that will result in each team member winning a round-trip flight on Alaska Airlines. THE GAUNTLET will be held on Saturday after 3x3 play concludes at 6:00pm on Toyota's Championship Court #16.
"We think this has the potential to be nothing shy of epic," commented OSG Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh. "Fun and fast-paced, and open to all, we love this concept and think it has great potential to become a staple at OSG Hoopla moving forward."
In honor of the event's milestone 25th anniversary, the price to enter THE GAUNTLET is only $25 per team. "We want this to be fun for all, and affordable for all," remarked Unruh.
Nominations for teams to play in THE GAUNTLET will be accepted through midnight on Thursday, July 25. If OSG Hoopla has more than 26 teams nominated, they will pick the field based on a number of factors, including the quality of a team's statement as to why they should be chosen to play.
More information on THE GAUNTLET presented by Alaska Airlines is included below.
SALEM, OR - Wednesday, July 10, 2024 - Good news is spreading for those hoping to get a team involved in Hoopla XXV but who missed yesterday's midnight team registration deadline. The deadline has been extended to midnight on Sunday, July 14, to accommodate folks still trying to get their teams organized and signed up.
"We can't promise we will do this every year," said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh, "but we are thrilled to be able to offer this extenstion in 2024. It's our milestone 25th anniversary edition of Hoopla, and we want to give folks every opportunity possible to be involved. A day when no extenstions to deadlines is on the horizon, in the not-so-distant future, but this is not the year for that. Hoopla XXV is going to be a community celebration, and we want those scrambling to get involved to have a little more time to join in the fun."
Deadlines to sign up for the Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney and the Chuck E. Cheese 1x1 Tourney are July 20.
You can register your team at www.oregonhoopla.com/register
SALEM, OR - April 2, 2024 - Team registration for Hoopla XXV will open on Monday, April 22nd.
"We're excited for what we think will be our most exciting tournament yet, and that's fitting because of the landmark year it is for Hoopla," said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh, referring to Hoopla's 25th anniversary in 2024. "We can't wait for what is going to be both a celebration of a quarter-century of fun, memories and basketball and a commitment to more great events to come in the years ahead."
Teams can register online beginning on April 22 at www.oregonhoopla.com/register .
SALEM, OR - January 10, 2024 - Hoopla is known for growing and evolving every year.
The tournament's special landmark 25th anniversary event in 2024 will be no different, as Hoopla officials announced that the "Build Your Own" Division will progress from the pilot stage in 2023 to a full-blown sanctioned division in 2024.
"There seems to be great interest in this division," said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh. "We gave this a look as a pilot division in 2023, and it was well-received. The idea is that a company could build it's own division and have teams from it's company only play against each other at Hoopla for their own rewards and bragging rights. Or an industry, something like Salem Restaurants, could field teams and compete. It's all in good fun, and just another way to bring people together and enjoy basketball and Hoopla."
Rumor has it this will not be the only "new" thing cooking in 2024.
"It's going to be fun," said Unruh.
SALEM (OR) - August 1, 2023 - Hoopla officials announced team participation numbers for Hoopla XXIV, and the event shattered all-time records.
All told, across all events, Hoopla XXIV had 1,067 teams participate in 2023.
"We're thrilled with the turnout, obviously," said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh. "We are pleased by the growth, but especially excited for a couple of other reasons. First, we feel like we hit the mark in terms of getting bigger but not at the expense of quality. We don't just want to grow, we want to remain the highest-quality 3x3 and outdoor street basketball event possible. Second, this demonstrates great momentum for us as we head into what will be a monumental year for the event in 2024."
Hoopla will celebrate its special, milestone 25th anniversary in 2024.
"We're excited about that," said Unruh. "It's a big achievement, just to exist that long, but it's also a special time to celebrate, reflect and point to the future. All of it. Hoopla has never been stronger in my opinion."
Hoopla XXIV is looking to fil a handful of select team slots needed to round out divisions. That list is shared here:
SALEM, OR - Wednesday, 7/12/23 - Hoopla XXIV presented by Capitol Toyota and Dutch Bros. is pleased to announce the team registration deadline has been pushed back to Sunday, 7/16, giving teams that have not signed up for Oregon's biggest and best 3x3 tourney the opportunity to sign up for a few more days.
To sign up your team for Hoopla's 3x3 tourney Saturday, 7/29 & Sunday, 7/30, please go to www.oregonhoopla.com/register .
The deadline for signing up for the Chuck E. Cheese Thursday 1x1 Tourney is Tuesday, July 25, mirroring the registration deadline for the Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney.
SALEM, OR - Friday, 7/7/23 - Hoopla XXIV presented by Capitol Toyota and Dutch Bros. is pleased to announce the new Chuck E. Cheese Thursday 1x1 Tourney will commence this year.
"We're super excited to expand our offerings and build out Hoopla further," said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh. "We've contemplated a 1x1 tourney for a number of years. It's a big part of the history of basketball, and winning that kind of tourney gives you 'top dog' type bragging rights. We think this is going to be fun, and a natural expansion both in terms of offerings but also on the calendar for us."
The wildly-popular Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney paved the way for the new 1x1 event. "There's no question about that," remarked Unruh. "The Kona 2x2 tourney has established itself so fast and it's a huge part of the Hoopla experience now. We had more than 130 teams play in that last year and the growth rate is more than 30% a year right now. So it's booming. We think the 1x1 on Thursday will complement both the 2x2 and Hoopla 3x3 on the weekend."
Making it possible in 2023 is the support of Chuck E. Cheese, who will be the event's lead sponsor having signed a multiple-year agreement with Hoopla earlier this week. "Chuck E. Cheese stepped in and their timing is impeccable," said Unruh. "We could not be more pleased with their partnership; they represent so many of the same traits that make Hoopla great... family, gathering, entertainment, fun. It's a perfect fit."
With 21 divisions from which to choose and a user-friendly year one price of $25/participant, Unruh envisions a robust first year. "We think this is going to be really, really fun."
The format for the event is to be announced, but it will be a blend of Hoopla 3x3 rules and some modifications that will enhance the 1x1 experience.
Registration for the new Chuck E. Cheese 1x1 Thursday Tourney is open now at: www.oregonhoopla.com/register
The deadline for singing up for the Chuck E. Cheese Thursday 1x1 Tourney is Tuesday, July 25, mirroring the registration deadline for the Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney.
The team registration for the 3x3 tourney at Hoopla XXIV is July 11.
It’s a tricky concept, home. It’s easy to define, except when it isn’t.
Is it where you’re born? Or where you live now? Is it a place you visit simply because you’re drawn there? Is it someplace created in your imagination?
We think the concept of home can be used with any one, or all, of those descriptions. We also believe Hoopla can be the vehicle for that.
Take Mike McShane and Thalo Green, for example.
Both former stars on South Salem High School’s 1996 boys basketball state championship team who each went on to play Division I college basketball and then professionally abroad, McShane and Green are returning to Salem this summer to play in Hoopla for the first time.
It may be the first time playing in Oregon’s largest 3x3 basketball tournament for both of them, but it's someplace they’ve both called home over the years. It’s an event that has been a part of their lives – and close to their hearts – since its inception in 1999, right around the time both of them were at the peak of their college playing careers.
“I’ve always been watching it from afar, seeing the atmosphere through people’s photos or videos,” Green told Hoopla ahead of Hoopla XXIII to be played July 12-17. “It’s just knowing how big a game basketball is in this community, and just to see those types of events come together, bringing friends and family of all ages.”
Green may be back home for the summer, but one would be hard pressed to find someone else who will have traveled farther to play in this year’s tournament. He lives in Australia now, where after a successful and lengthy professional career, Green has a career as a teacher, an Australian wife and family – not to mention the hints of an Australian accent.
“The special thing about Hoopla, this year especially for me, is I finally get to play,” Green said. “I’ve been out of the country the past few years and always just seemed to miss it by a week or two.”
The homecoming for McShane is a permanent one.
He’s been a bit of a globetrotter himself, playing professionally in China and with Green in Australia before settling in Tulsa, Okla., for the past eight years where he worked as a teacher while also starting a family (he has two girls). He has now returned to the Salem area, settling in Keizer, where he’ll teach wellness and PE and serve as McNary High School’s head girls basketball coach this upcoming season.
“We’ve always talked about playing in Hoopla, and talked about playing in it once we were over 40,” McShane said of he and his best friend Green.
It’s the community aspect of Hoopla that has drawn them in, even before they were participants. It has felt like home to them both – a part of what makes Salem such a great place.
“I think it’s really cool that it’s an annual local event; it’s almost like a high school reunion every year,” he said. “Even if you’re not playing and you’re walking the streets of Hoopla, you’re bound to run into someone that you haven’t seen in a long time and have that chance to reconnect, which is really cool.”
As far as the competitive aspect, well, both McShane nor Green know their days of playing Pac-10 and professional-level hoops are behind them but what isn’t is their competitive natures. They opted against the top division this year for the 40-and-over bracket, but don’t expect them to take it easy.
“I think the main thing for us is we just want to go out there and have fun, and not get hurt, leave with all of our Achilles and knees still intact,” he said. “I’m sure though once we get going those competitive juices are going to start flowing and our nature is going to surface, and if it’s a close game we’re going to be battling.”
Outside of the community is the kind of showcase for the game of basketball Hoopla provides. Both Green and McShane said they expect playing in the event will bring back memories of getting together with a few buddies and throwing together a pickup game.
It’s basketball at its purest form.
“To see that next generation of little hoopers just walking around absorbing the game, absorbing the culture of basketball, that's really one of the things that makes this game so special,” Green said.
Said McShane: “Hoopla is kind of ahead of the curve there. It’s a great way to learn the game and break the game down to the game within the game. Also, it's a more fun way to play the game because you’re getting more touches.”
McShane and Green will be joined by former ‘96 South Salem teammates Geoff Rice and Jeff Harrison and Todd Meyerding, who played on South Medford’s third-place team that same year. So, look for them out on the streets surrounding the Oregon Capitol this Hoopla weekend – and welcome them home.
“It’s really cool to just go outside, round up your friends... Hoopla and 3 and 3 is really just an opportunity to get outside and play the great game of basketball,” McShane said. “That camaraderie is really cool.”
CLICK HERE to see video of interview with Mike McShane & Thalo Green
The state’s largest tournament of its kind and the second largest in the world will be held on the streets surrounding the Capitol building July 12-17, 2022
It was a triumphant return for Hoopla in 2021 – with a record-setting number of teams following 2020’s pandemic-related hiatus.
Now, as Hoopla looks to a bright future, the organizers are only thinking two things: bigger and better. Oregon’s largest 3x3 basketball tournament played on the streets surrounding the state Capitol will be a nearly week-long celebration of all things basketball, July 12-17, 2022, for its 23rd edition.
"It was so special to be back after a two-year break. The joy and excitement on people's faces was so fulfilling,” Hoopla tournament director Jason Unruh said. “Our players, volunteers, spectators and sponsors have such a deep-rooted love for this event and that love was never more evident than last summer at Hoopla.”
Hoopla organizers are expecting even bigger numbers this year after the 2021 tournament saw a record 1,012 teams participate.
"Each year we have a renewed energy and focus to continue to bring all involved a first-class event,” Unruh said. “Our goal after each year's event is to evaluate how we do things and continue to make improvements. This year is no different, and we have some very exciting things in store."
The Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tournament also continues to grow into an essential part of the entire
Hoopla experience.
“I really encourage anyone playing on the weekend to sign up for the Friday 2x2,” Unruh said. “It is such a great way to get some games in before the main event on the weekend."
A special edition to last year’s tournament for the first time was the Free Unified Basketball Clinic and Unified Division during the main tournament for student athletes with special needs. The smiles, laughter and teamwork were beyond rewarding for everyone involved.
This year, it will be expanding to include middle school students.
“This program is so rewarding and we could not be more thrilled to host these incredible kids,” Unruh said.
Team registration for Hoopla XXIII and the Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney is open now at
www.oregonhoopla.com/register. Other important dates are as follows:
For a full schedule of events, visit oregonhoopla.com/week/events.
About Hoopla
Believed to be the second largest tournament of its kind in the world, Hoopla features roughly 1,000+ teams, 4,500 participants, 1,000 volunteers, and thousands of spectators at one of the best imaginable venues – in the shadows of the Oregon State Capitol Building on Court and surrounding streets in downtown Salem. The non-profit Hoopla Association has generated more than $750,000 for local organizations and causes since it was founded in 1999.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #Hoopla2022.
Team registration for Hoopla XXIII and the Kona Ice Friday 2x2 Tourney opens Tuesday, March 1! Sign-up today at www.oregonhoopla.com/register.
Hoopla is the largest and grand-daddy of all Oregon 3x3 street basketball events. Join the fun this July 12-17 on the streets of Salem in the shadows of the beautiful Oregon State Capitol Building!
#Hoopla2022
Stories of tradition, camaraderie, friendship and family surrounding Hoopla are almost too numerous to tell.
Oregon’s largest 3x3 basketball tournament, played in the streets surrounding the Oregon state Capitol, brings thousands together each and every year – for countless reasons, the love of basketball being forefront but also for myriad others that often go much deeper.
For Team Sparkle and Clean, Hoopla has been a tradition that’s brought together a group of family and friends for over a decade. Each and every year, its players have converged from locations up and down the West Coast to participate in not just a basketball tournament but a long, mid-summer weekend that has spawned memories for a lifetime.
The bond of the four men who make up Sparkle and Clean was also put in sharp perspective a year ago when Hoopla was forced to cancel its yearly tournament because of COVID-19 restrictions – something the entire Hoopla community was forced to cope with. Now, with Hoopla’s return, the restoration of that community is one reason, among many, to celebrate.
“On my side of the family, it’s kind of bigger than Christmas,” Jarrod Sumpter, the catalyst behind Team Sparkle and Clean, recently told Hoopla going into his squad’s 12th straight tournament (minus last year’s hiatus) together.
Comprised of Sumpter, who lives in Denver, Adrian Cendoya of Seattle, Roche Cendoya of Los Angeles, and Carlos Suarez of Portland, Sparkle and Clean first played in Hoopla 12 years ago. It all came to be when Sumpter, living in Seattle at the time, heard about the tournament and told his close friend Adrian Cendoya.
They played the first year as the Bayside Tigers.
“We were just testing it out to see how fun it was,” Sumpter said.
Something must have left an imprint because they returned for another year, this time under the name Gang Green. After that first season, Sumpter’s uncle, Jim Palmer, the owner of Sparkle and Clean Janitorial in Salem, had the group and other friends and family over for a BBQ after the first day of competition.
That not only became part of the tradition but also exploded into an annual event that draws sometimes in the 100s. Palmer also decided to sponsor Sumpter’s team after their second year participating.
“When the date comes around, everyone looks forward to it,” Palmer said.” For Carla and I (his wife), those guys are almost like our kids... this is the time of year we get to see you. And it was really somber not being able to see everybody together. So this year, it’s going to be special. We’re going to look forward to having everyone here.”
A BBQ turned blow-out party, the competition in Hoopla, the brotherhood, it all became part of the
draw for four out-of-towners to a streetball tournament in the middle of downtown Salem.
“I still remember the very first BBQ. Just seeing how much it’s grown and how much we’ve come
together and changed and life has changed has been really cool,” Adrian Cendoya said. “We keep
spreading farther and farther apart, but Hoopla brings us together.”
It made such an impact on the team that Sumpter put together a video documentary two years ago highlighting their 10-year anniversary of playing in Hoopla.
“It’s been a really cool experience for all of us,” he said. “It’s not just a basketball tournament to us
anymore.”
But that’s not the only reason why Sparkle and Clean make the effort to include Hoopla on their
calendars every year. The growth of the tournament year in and year out, its organization, increased level of competition while also maintaining sportsmanship and its emphasis on making it an inclusive, family-orientated event are other reasons why they never miss out on Hoopla.
“This tournament is just way more wholesome, way more family orientated, kids everywhere, dogs
everywhere; it’s just a good time, and it’s a completely different environment than you get in other
tournaments,” Roche Cendoya said. “It’s a totally different tournament.”
Sumpter said everything from the referees to improvements made to the street surfaces that house the courts to the volunteers all set Hoopla apart.
“To be honest, the way the tournament is put together is impressive to us,” Sumpter said. “Adrian and I have played in other tournaments, and not to throw them under the bus, but it’s just not the same. We enjoy the people, everybody that gets together for the tournament, honestly … it just seems like it keeps getting better and better.”
The four teammates and all those surrounding them plan on making Hoopla XXII extra special this year – especially with the perspective gained after losing it for a year.
“The fact that we couldn’t do it, and now this year it’s back, I’m just excited to get there and get
together with the guys and go out and compete,” Suarez said. “Just enjoy friends, family and basketball, just the whole weekend.”
Hoopla XXII will be played the weekend of Aug. 7-8, 2021, in the streets surrounding the Oregon state Capitol building in Salem, with events beginning Thursday, Aug. 5.
About Hoopla
Believed to be the second largest tournament of its kind in the world, Hoopla features roughly 1,000+ teams, 4,500 participants, 1,000+ volunteers, and thousands of spectators at one of the best imaginable venues – in the shadows of the Oregon State Capitol Building on Court, State and surrounding streets in downtown Salem. Along with the Hoopla-affiliated Cherryfest NW and The Salem Winter Brewfest, the non-profit Hoopla Association has generated more than $750,000 for local organizations and causes since it was founded in 1999.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #HooplaIsBack.
Thanks to a partnership with the Salem-Keizer School District and sponsorship from Green Acres Landscape and iWingz, Hoopla XXII is expanding access to student-athletes with special needs
For years, Hoopla has been Oregon’s biggest 3x3 street basketball tournament, enjoying strong growth annually in teams young and old, male and female, skilled and recreational.
This year at Hoopla XXII presented by Capitol Toyota and Dutch Bros., the granddaddy of all 3x3 events in Oregon is expanding its offerings to student-athletes with disabilities through the creation of a new Unified Division and a new Free Unified Basketball Clinic. These events were built in consultation with educators in the Salem-Keizer School District, who are generously supporting the effort. The new initiatives also are possible because of sponsorship provided by Salem-area businesses Green Acres Landscape and iWingz. The support from Green Acres and iWingz will cover all participation entry fees for teams playing in the Unified Division at Hoopla and also will underwrite the costs associated with the free basketball clinic as well.
“We are thrilled about this step we are taking in making Hoopla more accessible,” said Hoopla Tournament Director Jason Unruh. “We work very hard to be sure we are as inclusive as possible to every population and group we can be. Yet, to truly be inclusive and welcoming to students with disabilities, we simply need to do more. So with the help of our friends in the Salem-Keizer School District, who have been instrumental in helping us design ways to improve our offerings, and then thanks also to the support of Green Acres and iWingz, this year we are taking big steps that way. The new division and the free clinic are both going to be wonderful additions to Hoopla, and we could not be more excited about growing Hoopla in this way.”
Unruh said that the Green Acres Landscape/iWingz Unified Division will be co-ed in nature and feature a mix of high school athletes with special needs and their partners. Hoopla has worked with local high schools to sign up a number of teams, and interest already has exceeded expectations, according to Unruh. He expects the Free Unified Basketball Clinic to be well attended as well. “Everything is taking shape,” remarked Unruh, “but none of it would have been possible without community support and involvement. We are really thankful to everyone who is helping make this possible.”
“We are excited to support Hoopla’s efforts to involve students with disabilities in what is a great community event,” said Rich Kansky, president of Green Acres Landscape. “One of our core values as a company is strengthening the community. Hoopla has done that for years by bringing people from all walks of life together for a fun weekend-plus of healthy activity and competition. Sponsoring the new Unified Division and the Free Unified Basketball Clinic is a special opportunity for us, because these new programs will help Hoopla better serve an important part of our community that too often gets left on the sideline. This is a winner for everybody.”
Green Acres has a history of investing in the community, often, for example, working with DSP Connections on special occasion events for families with individuals with disabilities at Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.
Paul Xin, the owner of iWingz, has strong ties to basketball in the area. A former prep player, Xin runs youth basketball programs and training through Team Icon locally in Salem, making the Hoopla partnership a natural one for iWingz.
The Free Unified Basketball Clinic presented by Green Acres Landscape & iWingz will be held on Hoopla’s Championship Court at Hoopla XXII on Thursday, August 5th at 9:30am. For more information about playing in the Green Acres Landscape/iWingz Unified Division or attending the Free Unified Basketball Clinic presented by Green Acres Landscape & iWingz, please contact Hoopla at 503-881-6066.
About Hoopla
Believed to be the second largest tournament of its kind in the world, Hoopla XXII presented by Capitol Toyota and Dutch Bros. will feature roughly 1,000+ teams; 4,500 participants; 1,000 volunteers; and thousands of spectators. Held at one of the best imaginable venues – in the shadows of the Oregon State Capitol Building on Court, State and surrounding streets in downtown Salem – Hoopla and the non-profit Hoopla Association have generated more than $750,000 for local organizations and causes since it was founded in 1999.
Follow Hoopla on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @oregonhoopla
#HooplaIsBack
About Salem-Keizer School District
Salem-Keizer School District (24J) is a school district in Oregon that serves the cities of Salem and Keizer. It is the second-largest school district in the state with more than 40,000 students and nearly 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Salem-Keizer Public Schools serve more than 172 square miles of Marion and Polk counties.
About Green Acres Landscape, Inc.
Since 1992 Green Acres has been trusted landscape partners for thousands of customers throughout Oregon. From two guys pushing lawnmowers to now over 100 team members, they continue to focus on the basics — great listening, solid communication, and exceptional results. Green Acres offers full landscape options—from custom outdoor installations to maintenance solutions—that are safe for kids, pets, and the planet.
About iWingz
Locally-owned, iWingz features wings, beer and build-your-own mac-‘n-cheese. They also offer mouthwatering sides to go with more than 30 wing flavors. iWingz has local brews, wines, and spirits along with fresh fruit lemonade to wash it all down.
About DSP Connections
DSP Connections (dspconnections.org), located in Stayton, Oregon, is committed to providing families with the support they may need to accomplish daily tasks. They take pride in being loving and compassionate, with a talented staff wanting to help those with disabilities.
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