“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in North America,” states South Shuswap resident Jim Hall. “Think tennis, badminton, squash, table tennis.”
The game was invented in the summer of 1965, in response to “I’m bored” whining from the children of two desperate dads in the Puget Sound area of Washington, Bill Bell and Joel Pritchard.
As the whining was replaced by kids yelling at the Pritchard family dog, cocker spaniel Pickles took an interest in the new game, in particular the ball. When he could get away with it, Pickles would fetch the ball and hide in the bushes. ‘Pickleball’ became the name of the game.
The game is played with wooden paddles, like a ping-pong paddle. A plastic ball, similar to a slightly larger practice golf ball with holes in it, is the object hit over a net in the middle of half or quarter of a tennis court. Size of the court depends on the agility of the players. During inclement weather, pickleball can be played at an indoor facility.
In Blind Bay, pickleball is played at the Shuswap Lake Estates (SLE) Tennis Court, every day of the week, from 11 a.m. to dark (except for Monday and Tuesday evenings, due to scheduled tennis games). Coordination between tennis and the newly formed pickleball club means times will be altered as required.
Many enthusiastic former tennis players who have aged, become physically incapacitated or can no longer handle the speed and agility required for tennis, find pickleball is a suitable sport.
There are others who would like to get into a sport which provides physical exercise and social interaction with others having common interests. SLE tennis members have graciously offered the space to play pickleball.
As the Blind Bay Pickleball Club is new, the invitation is out to anyone interested in joining. Call Jim Hall at 250-675-4002 or email jimhall@telus.net for further information.
Probus Club of Copper Island
It’s official, the Probus Club of Copper Island is now one of more than 200 such clubs in Canada, with more than 27,000 members.
An executive committee has been selected, for the bit of organizing involved with this club. It’s relatively easy, given the simple mandate to network and socialize.
Copper Island Probus meets every second Thursday of the month at Toad Hall behind Toby’s Restaurant in Sorrento. Coffee is on by 9:30, the meeting starts at 10 a.m. The next meeting will be June 14.
Aside from enlightening conversation with other members, a guest speaker will be featured at each session. Dan Baskill of Blind Bay Resort spoke at the May 10 meeting, on the topic of planned development in the area.
Any retired or semi-retired male or female, new to the area or not, the invitation is there for residents from North Shuswap, Chase, Sorrento, Blind Bay, White Lake, Eagle Bay or Wild Rose Bay areas.
For more information, call Simon Brown in Blind Bay at 250-675-2140 or Gary Koo in Chase at 250-679-3340. There is a Probus website at www.probus.org.