The Sport Invented by bored children on summer vacation on Bainbridge Island has taken off in Laguna Beach
The Laguna Beach City Council recently expended approximately $17,000 to accommodate the increased interest in the sport of Pickleball, much to the delight of the Alta Laguna Pickleball Group. Three new pickleball courts were created at Alta Laguna Park, with two dual purpose courts for shared use with tennis.
What is pickleball? Is the decision for court construction prudent?
Pickleball can be described as a hybrid combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis. The rules are similar to tennis, while the racquet bears more resemblance to a ping-pong racquet, with the striking area being more square-shaped. The ball used in the volley is a perforated, hard-plastic. It can be played in pairs or singly.
The Alta Laguna Pickleball Group which started in 2019 with five players, and has since seen exponential growth, was responsible for drawing attention to the need for exclusive pickleball courts. The Laguna Beach Recreation Committee including pickleballer Roger Kempler, current Mayor Sue Kempf, Senior Recreation Supervisor Alexis Braun, and pickleball coach Marc Freije steered the project to fruition.
Now that the courts are up and practitioners are increasing, fashion brands are taking notice and getting in on the action. Fenix Sportier, Ping Pong Surf Club, and Good Together House, are collaborating to design, produce and market accessories for the pickleball market. The luxury athlesiure products promise styles that would transition comfortably from a trip to the court to a trip to the cafe.
Janis Murray, a co-founding member of the Alta Laguna Pickleball Group, described the sport as “..the fastest growing sport in America,”
The first anniversary of the opening of the Alta Laguna Park courts is on November 11, 2022.
