The daily Astorian., September 16, 2016, WEEKEND EDITION, Page 3C, Image 19

3C
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
IN A PICKLE
Demand for courts on the rise as pickleball craze pummels peninsula
By DAVID PLECHL
EO Media Group
L
ONG BEACH, Wash. — Early one
recent Wednesday morning, before most
of us were starting our workdays, four
older adults were spotted commandeering a
local tennis court for the purpose of Pickleball.
On hands and knees, Deb Stone, a recent
retiree and newly anointed pickleball nut, was
cleaning, scraping and “chalking out” a court so
the foursome could get their fi x.
“This is what you have to do to play locally,”
Stone confessed.
The four unfurled their contraband; a por-
table pickleball net. Once assembled, the quar-
tet quickly and quietly got to “ dinking,” that is,
gently volleying the pickleball back and forth
over the net, within the “ kitchen” of the court,
that’s the inside box, closest to the net. The
rhythmic, continuous volleying was made pos-
sible by lots of gentle twists, swings and under-
hand “ dinks.”
Bounce. Thwack. Bounce. Thwack. The
hypnotic ritual was but a warm up to the nefari-
ous action yet to come.
Within minutes, two opposing teams now
stung the ball back and forth with a good deal
more gusto. Lunging this way and that, the duos
danced like partners at a Wimbledon reunion.
Most passers-by would hardly know it,
but Stone, her friend Lois Hantho, along with
Dave and Jackie Stout, are part of a fast grow-
ing movement. Let’s just call it a Pickleball
Revolution.
While the craze has attracted thousands of
players of all ages, shapes and sizes, some of
its most ardent enthusiasts are of retirement age.
And though they may not be spring chickens
themselves, the game helps keep the spring in
their step, they say.
As this pickleball contingent grows, so too
does the demand for dedicated pickleball courts.
If local players get their wish, both the Penin-
sula Senior Center and Culbertson Park may
soon boast dedicated pickleball facilities. The
more the merrier, local pickleballers are saying.
“What we would like to do is get the city to
do something permanent here,” Stone said. The
others nodded in agreement.
In the fi rst game of the morning, Dave Stout
was paired with his wife, Jackie. The two dab-
bled in the sport 35 years ago in
Bellingham, Washington, but
both only began playing reg-
ularly three years ago while
living in Arizona when they
saw it take off in their Phoe-
nix community. Dave said he
knows of some hardcore pick-
leball heads that have been play-
ing locally for 15 years in the second story of
an old barn.
He’s right, the Chinook Observer featured
the story of Steve McPhail and his curious band
of barnyard pickleball enthusiasts way back in
2004. Now, the game has gone street level.
“There’s a real following here,” Stout
assured. He and the others often commute to
Seaside to play at Thousand Trails, a camp-
ground and RV resort that boasts a dedicated
outdoor pickleball court.
Long Beach Mayor Jerry Phillips said pick-
leball has recently breached the council agenda
and there is some talk of developing a dedicated
court at Culbertson Park, on the site where the
skatepark used to be. That might cost as much
as $9,000, said Phillips, who added that plans
are still in a discussion phase, and no decisions
have been fi nalized or funds set aside.
After each game to 11, the players alternated
partners. The focus was fi rmly on having a good
time and getting in a light workout. Although
there was some debate about that.
Luke Whittaker/EO Media Group
Pickleball enthusiasts are coming out of the woodwork. Several local players pose for a picture before another morning of friendly
informal pickleball gets underway at Culbertson Park.
“This is all for fun. Right?” Stone said, after
some confusion about how many points had
been tallied.
“Nothing’s for fun if you’re keeping score,”
Dave Stout replied with a smile.
What the heck is pickleball?
The game the foursome played looked a lot
like doubles tennis, t hough a singles version of
pickleball is also popular. The ball is hard, light
and punched with little holes; similar to a whif-
fl e ball. Instead of a tennis-like racket, a large
stiff paddle is employed. In the doubles version,
players don’t need to alternate hits on the ball,
but rather, must cover the court, left to right,
and front to back with cooperative aplomb.
The pickleball can be volleyed back without
a bounce, but the player has to avoid stepping
“into the kitchen” to do so.
Even though the game is quick and resem-
bles tennis, it is less jarring, and the smaller
court means players travel a shorter distance
to the ball. While it may simulate a slower ten-
nis-like game, fi tness, skill and strategy are defi -
nite advantages. The doubles game rewards
partners that muster a mix of seamless team-
work and individual hustle.
Pickleball was born in Bainbridge Island
when then-Congressman Joel Pritchard and
friends improvised a game to keep the kids busy
through the lazy days of summer. By the end
of that fi rst week however, the adults had taken
over the court and then introduced the game
to more friends. It spread from there. Today,
approximately 2 million people are playing
pickleball, and the number of places to play has
doubled since 2010.
No pickles are used to play. According to leg-
end, the game took its name after the Pritchard’s
spaniel, “Pickles,” who was said to disobe-
diently fetch the ball and run off with it. But
even the family has disputed that claim, saying
it made a good story, but the dog was actually
named after the game, not the other way around.
Joan Pritchard said the game reminded her of a
slow boat of oarsmen, something she called the
“pickle boat.” Joel Pritchrd said they needed a
“nutty name,” and so pickleball fi t the bill.
David Plechl/EO Media Group
David Plechl/EO Media Group
Lois Hantho performs the patented underhand pickleball
serve during a game with friends, including Jackie Stout,
pictured behind. Both the Peninsula Senior Center and
Culbertson Park may soon boast dedicated pickleball fa-
cilities if local players get their wish.
Deb Stone backhands the pickleball as Jackie Stone read-
ies a return during a informal game at Culbertson Park
recently. The friends set up their own net and chalked out
their own court. As the game grows locally, so does the
demand for dedicated facilities.
David Plechl/EO Media Group
Local players set up their own net and court at Culbertson
Park on a recent weekday morning. Pickleball is growing
nationally, but local places to play are still lacking.
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