By Dan Marshall

Nanaimo Pickleball Club prepares to host tournament

Jun 22, 2017 | 8:45 AM

NANAIMO — Chances are you’ve seen a group of people playing pickleball somewhere in the city.
 
The Nanaimo Pickleball Club has about 160 members but there are many others who have picked up the game just for fun. 
 
The main indoor games are at the Oliver Woods Community Centre and there are outdoor courts at Beban Park, Departure Bay, and Pioneer Park.
 
There’s also a new court nearing completion at Beaufort Park.
 
That project is in the fencing stage now and should be finished in mid July.
 
Nanaimo club president Dave Eaton says the game is a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.
 
“It’s played on a badminton sized court and the net is very similar to a tennis net but two inches shorter,” said Eaton. “The ball is a whiffle ball and the paddle we use is like a table tennis paddle but quite a bit bigger.”
 
Most of the games are played in doubles and are co-ed.
 
For tournaments there are mens, womens, and mixed categories with singles or doubles play.
 
Each game is played up to eleven with points only being handed out to the serving team.
 

Wednesday night pickleball at Oliver Woods Community Centre. A fast growing sport in Nanaimo pic.twitter.com/KwAYCrhDsN

— danmarshall77 (@danmarshall77) June 22, 2017

One of the bigger local events is coming up this weekend at Oliver Woods.
 
The 2017 Nanaimo Indoor Pickleball Tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Upwards of 110 competitors are expected from all over BC and Alberta.
 
Eaton says last year they had players from Washington State as well.
     
The sport is gaining in popularity, especially among seniors.
 
It was invented on Bainbridge Island in Washington State in 1965 but interest in pickleball has seen a sharp increase in the last ten years.
 
According to Eaton a lot of older tennis players are turning to pickleball because there’s less court to cover and it’s easier on the joints. 
 
Players aren’t ranked individually but they can achive a top rating of 5.0.
 
Eaton says there aren’t any 5.0 players in Nanaimo.
 
“We have a couple of players who are rated at 4.5. We have a number of players, probably another 15-20 in our club, who are rated at 4.0,” said Eaton.
 
The largest upcoming events include the PC National Western Tournament in Kelowna next month, and the Vancouver Island Pickleball Championship at Fuller Lake in August.
 
For anyone thinking about trying pickleball for themselves there are weekly opportunities listed online at nanaimopickleball.org.
 
  
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77