In 1965 a trio of golfing buddies on Bainbridge Island came up with a novel way to help their kids beat the boredom of a summer afternoon.
A badminton court on the property was useless: the shuttlecocks had gone missing. A wiffle ball was substituted, paddles improvised and pickleball, the world’s newest racquet sport, was born.
The story goes that the game was named for a dog named Pickles. According to the wife of one of pickleball’s founders, the name came from, “the Pickle Boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. ... Pickles wasn’t on the scene for two more years. The dog was named for the game.”
Imagine badminton, tennis and table tennis rolled into one game, played on a court about the size of a doubles badminton court, with the wiffle ball served underhand.
There’s much more to pickleball, of course, with details readily available online via the various national and international pickleball associations or from the players themselves – at Picklemania, for example, the North Shore pickleball tournament coming up Saturday, May 14 at Parkgate Community Centre.
Ed and Lilly Orlovsky discovered pickleball in Arizona and were instant converts. Approximately 10 years ago, they painted lines for a court on the driveway of their West Vancouver home and pickleball was introduced to the North Shore. Soon the neighbours had joined the Orlovsky family on the court and the game kept growing. The Orlovskys estimate there are now approximately 200 players on the North Shore and the numbers are increasing.
Ed and Lilly didn’t rest after bringing pickleball to the North Shore. Advocates and ambassadors of the game for players at any age, they have developed an introductory program for schools, which has been received with enthusiasm.
What makes pickleball so popular? It’s fast, fun and develops physical and social skills – hand/eye co-ordination and balance; sportsmanship and sociability – that are advantageous at any age.
“We play in groups,” says Ed, “anywhere from 12 to 30 people at the same time. Foursomes or doubles play on a rotation. The others visit, talk and kibitz until their turn comes around again.”
“Pickleball is easy to pick up,” says Lilly, “and it takes a lifetime to perfect.”
It’s friendly and inclusive, and allows players to continue to be active – “movement is everything as you age,” as Lilly points out.
Played close to the net, the game is fast, without the strain of tennis due to the smaller playing surface and the underhand service.
Tennis players report that playing pickleball improves their game.
A bonus: even if the body slows down, placing the ball accurately replaces the speed factor, allowing players to continue with the game indefinitely.
Though there are no dedicated pickleball courts on the North Shore yet, it is possible to play pickleball every day on indoor courts at community centres across the North Shore, from Gleneagles and West Vancouver to John Braithwaite and Parkgate in North Vancouver.
Outdoors, pickleball can be played on two North Shore tennis courts: at Marine Drive at 29th Street in West Vancouver, and at Institute Park in North Vancouver.
“Pickleball works well on the existing indoor and outdoor courts,” says Lilly. “Our goal is to play on courts designed specifically for the game, which is growing so quickly in popularity.”
Until that day comes, families can paint the lines for a court on their driveways, purchase a wiffle ball or two, a set of paddles and a badminton net or travel to a dedicated court.
Pickleball is played in every community across the Lower Mainland, where courts are opening in recreation centres, and into the Interior, where Kelowna has hosted national pickleball tournaments.
Might pickleball be for you?
Check out Picklemania, the North Shore tournament on Saturday, May 14 at Parkgate Community Centre.
Laura Anderson works with and for seniors on the North Shore. 778-279-2275 [email protected]
