Pickleball Squamish is making a name for itself in tournaments while the sport continues to draw interest among residents of Squamish.
Pam Temple-Hurley, president of Pickleball Squamish, said that two players, Alejandro Rovillard and Arron Vickery, made quite the comeback in a recent tournament in Surrey.“It was a double knockout tournament and they got beat their first game. So, then they had to come in through the backdoor,” she said. “They won all their games, they got to the finals, they won… but then the team they'd been playing hadn't lost the game until then.”
“One more game to 15 and Ale and Arron lost that one, so they got the silver medal.”Pickleball is growing in Squamish, said Temple-Hurley. During the winter, the club played at the curling rink and the membership blossomed to about 130 people. Now that winter has passed, Temple-Hurley expects about 100 people to stick with the club.
Temple-Hurley noted that the cost for membership is about $35, plus the cost of your own Pickleball paddle. The club does its best to provide balls.Additionally, Temple-Hurley said it’s a sport for people of all abilities.
“Well, it's very social for starters,” she said. “It doesn't require the same movement that tennis does because the court is smaller. It's the size of a badminton court. And we normally play doubles, although it can be played in singles. There's some fast movement involved, of course, but it's the kind of game that can be played at any level. So, total beginners — or even people who are really not able to move well — can play it and have lots of fun. And then, high-level players can get tons of exercise.”And although the club met to play at the Brennan Park tennis courts on July 29, Temple-Hurley said that they will soon have a permanent place to play and store their equipment at Eaglewind Park.
According to Temple-Hurley, the project will cost about $64,000 to $65,000 in total, of which the District will provide about $50,000, and the club will provide the remainder with help from a grant from Whistler Blackcomb Foundation.The District confirmed in an email to The Chief that the courts at Eaglewind Park are to start construction on Aug. 16 and the project is expected to be completed by the end of August.
The District said that crews will first remove the existing tennis nets and structures and then install a total of six pickleball courts.Temple-Hurley said Pickleball Squamish is planning on hosting a small tournament and social upon the completion of the courts.
For more information, visit pickleballsquamish.ca.
