Pickleball has earned the distinction of being one of the fastest growing sports in North America, built a loyal following of devoted players across the globe and has even carved out a niche in the West Hawaii sporting community.
The bizarrely named sport combines elements of tennis, pingpong and badminton into a single sport that caters to a wide demographic. The rules are similar to most racquet games, except that a 7-foot section on each side of the net — “the kitchen” — is off limits.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash. when three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — were dealing with unruly kids, bored with usual summertime activities. The desperate dads improvised with what they had in the garage, using a badminton net, pingpong paddles and a perforated plastic ball to create the game.
After finding the combination to be a viable mixture for a new sport, the three men crafted a set of rules and pickleball was born.
The game has come a long way from a makeshift, backyard diversion. According to the USA Pickleball Association, there are currently more than 100,000 active players in the country.
What’s in a name?
Pickleball was not named after a marinated cucumber, but the origin story of the game’s name is convoluted and a source of debate.
Some believe it is a reference to the Pritchard’s cocker spaniel, Pickles, who tried to get involved in the games by chasing after stray balls, often causing delays.
Others say it is a reference to “pickle boats,” where the oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. This would make sense, considering the founders raided their garages for leftover sporting equipment to create the game.
Either way, the name has caused major confusion for those who casually come in contact with pickleball.
“I think a better name could do the sport justice,” two-time pickleball national champion Randy Bither said. “It makes people think of pickles. This game has nothing to do with pickles. It’s a great reaction game and a test of athletic ability. I think the name is so ingrained now on T-shirts and equipment that there is no going back now.”
The pickleball boom
In the past four years, pickleball has exploded in popularity in West Hawaii, going from a handful of hardcore picklers playing on temporarily converted tennis courts, to a thriving community of pickleball enthusiasts who gather nearly every day to play.
“In retirement, our kids gave us tennis rackets, so my husband and I were staying at our hotel and went over to (Kailua Park) to play tennis,” said Sonya Kincheloe, a snowbird who calls Kailua-Kona home for a quarter of the year. “This couple came to play after us and drew all these chalk lines on the court and were playing a different type of game. They invited us to stay and play. Since that day, we have been fully converted. Pickleball has become our addiction.”
Sonya and her husband Dennis Kincheloe, along with Bob and Jovon Courtney — the couple who introduced them to the sport — spearheaded an effort to grow the sport in West Hawaii.
The result — a tight-knit group known as the Kona Pickleball Hui, where the pickleball passion runs deep. The diverse bunch is made up of people who gave the sport a chance, caught the pickleball bug, and haven’t put the paddle down since.
“My husband and I were tennis players, but I blew out both my knees,” said Big Island resident Pam Ashburn. “We walked by one day and were wondering what the heck was going on. The people playing enticed us in, gave us paddles, and now we are here all the time. It’s much more fun than tennis and user friendly on the knees. My knees are now healing and I still get to play.”
A game for all
The Kona Pickleball Hui get-together at Old Kona Airport Park Saturday was an example of the range of athletes the sport attracts. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 95, and came from all walks of life.
“I love playing pickleball,” said Vailana Akeo, a student at Kealakehe High School and the youngest pickleball player of the group. “I like that there are always new people who come to play and have different techniques. I tell my friends in school about it and even tried to get my principal to make a team, but right now we just play it in PE class.”
Pickleball has built a reputation for its friendly and social nature. The hui has made sure to contribute to that sterling status, frequently hosting players who are either coming to Hawaii on vacation, or snowbirds who call the island home a few months a year to escape the cold.
The USA Pickleball Association offers a map on its website showing the locations of all active pickleball leagues around the nation. It has been a handy tool to attract newcomers to the Kona courts.
“I looked online before coming and we found where the sport was being played in Kona,” said Antoinette Spina, a resident of Bend, Oregon. “I told all my friends in Bend that I was going to play pickleball in Hawaii and no one believed me. They said no way they have that there.”
Marshall Tohara, recreation director for Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation, acknowledges that pickleball has been a draw for visitors lately.
“I know there are some visitors who changed their destination just to play pickleball here in Kona,” Tohara said. “I think it is a good thing for the tourism industry to have a program like this in place and a facility to play it at.”
The pickleball bug has not spared Tohara. He and his wife Linda have also become avid players.
“It’s a fun sport,” Tohara said. “It helps you improve on reaction time. I play softball and I know it has helped me a lot.”
National exposure
Bither, a two-time pickleball doubles national champion stopped in Kailua-Kona to put on a clinic and share some of what he has learned during his three decades on the pickleball circuit.
“This sport has really grown by word of mouth,” Bither said. “Every age group can play. For older people, it’s easier on their bodies than tennis and young kids love it too because they get to swing away at something. It also works all aspects of athletic ability, from foot speed to hand-eye coordination.”
Bither, a former basketball player at the University of Western Oregon, has seen pickleball evolve from the primitive backyard game into an internationally known sport.
“One thing that has changed is now we serve behind the line,” Bither said. “Initially you could straddle the back line on a serve. That was because the court in (Pritchard’s) backyard had a tree in the way so you could not stand behind the back line, you had to straddle to get around the tree.”
The future
Bither has been around the nation and world playing in various competitions and demonstrating to current and prospective players what the sport has to offer. From what he has seen, he is optimistic about the sport’s future.
“I see it growing. A lot of good athletes are taking it up,” Bither said. “There are tough players now, but I know some former professional tennis players are going to take it up and they will be top notch. It would be great to see it someday be an Olympic sport, but I don’t think I’ll be playing at that point.
“Hopefully more places and athletic facilities start recognizing the sport for what it is. Tennis clubs are not always open to pickleball clubs. I don’t know what it is, but a lot of the time we find the opportunities limited.”
The game’s growth also looks to be trending positively on a local level.
Kailua Park, near Coconut Grove Marketplace, is set to become pickleball’s primary home. Three permanent pickleball courts will be installed, and three other courts will have painted lines for portable nets, according to Kincheloe.
“It’s wonderful to come back here and see our Kona pickleball family,” said Kincheloe. “Everybody always welcomes us back. The aloha spirit is really present here on the pickleball court.”
For more information on pickleball visit, usapa.org. For more information on local pickleball leagues contact Marshall Tohara at 327-3565.