KEEPING PACE WITH RAPID RISE IN THE SPORT

Words by Richard Rosenblatt | Photos courtesy of Western Slope Pickleball

The amazing surge in popularity of what used to be a game for geezers has turned pickleball into the fastest growing sport in the United States. The Western Slope has jumped onto the court in a big way, too, thanks in large part to the Western Slope Pickleball Club (WSPC) in Grand Junction and several driving forces within the group.

From its inception in 2016, the goal of the club has been to promote growth in the sport, improve physical and social well-being in the community and provide instructional, recreational and competitive events for players of all ages and abilities.

Club membership, which began with 30 picklers in 2016, stands at 645 as of mid-2023. It’s a drop in the pickleball bucket considering an estimated 4.8 million who are now playing the sport worldwide, but it’s a huge 76.7% increase from two short years ago.

Members range from national, regional and club tournament champions to recreational players and beginners. There’s a place for everyone to find their own comfort zone.

Club membership ($35 per year) includes free clinics, free court time, free tournaments, social gatherings and fundraising events. The club also provides volunteers to teach pickleball at local middle schools.

“This is more than a sport,” says Brenda Furnace, the founder, past president and current tournament director of the WSPC. “It’s about fun, friendship and fitness.”

With Furnace, current WSPC president Jeff Smith and Grand Junction’s nationally-ranked senior pro player Tao Thongvanh leading the charge, the city approved a project that is transforming the tennis/pickleball courts at Lincoln Park into a 20-court pickleball mecca that includes LED lighting, allowing for more court time. When complete, before the end of 2023, it will hopefully set the stage for regional and nationally-sanctioned tournaments.

“We’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” says Furnace, an avid player. “It’s needed. We’ve outgrown the current facilities, and it still won’t be enough. That’s how popular pickleball is here.”

There are courts all around Western Colorado — Delta, Montrose, Fruita, Palisade, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Aspen and Vail, to name a few locations. Grand Junction stands out thanks to the collaboration between the club, Parks and Recreation and the city.

“We’re lucky here in a lot of ways,” says George Gerson, the club’s membership and communications director. “People from all over the state and a lot from other states are club members. It’s inexpensive to join; there’s a bunch of perks (ball and bags); it doesn’t cost anything to play; there’s free tournaments; we run clinics. And, we have Tao.’’

Thongvanh has won dozens of gold medals at pro senior tournaments around the country. He’s also carved out time to work with community leaders and has suggested ways to increase the number of courts and to grow the club.

“Tao has done so much to get us and keep us going,” says Furnace. “Not only is he a talented player, but he’s also a great motivator and teacher. He has been so generous with his time in helping all of us.”

WHAT IS PICKLEBALL?

Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of table tennis and tennis played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net using paddles and a plastic ball with holes. It is played indoors and outdoors and by all ages and skill levels. The sport was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington by three dads, because their children were bored with their other summer activities.

Pickleball Courts

FRUITA Fruita Community Center (324 N. Coulson St.)

PALISADE Peach Bowl Park (567 W. 5th St.)

DELTA Bill Heddles Recreation Center (530 Gunnison River Drive)

MONTROSE Montrose Recreation Center (16350 Woodgate Road)

BATTLEMENT MESA/PARACHUTE Grand Valley Recreation Center (398 Arroyo Drive, Parachute)

GRAND JUNCTION Lincoln Park, (1340 Gunnison Ave.); Pine Ridge Park (359 Ridges Blvd.)

For information about other court locations, visit pickleheads.com.

Pickleball Terminology

• ATP (Around-the-Post): A shot that is hit around (not necessarily over) the net and the net post. Occurs when your opponent pulls you excessively wide with a dink.

• Banger: A person who likes to virtually always hit the ball hard. A banger is frequently not very good at hitting dinks or drop shots.

• Dink: A soft shot that is intended to arc over the pickleball net and land within the non-volley zone.

• Double bounce rule: Refers to the requirement that the ball bounces twice (on the serve and on the service return) before a player is allowed to hit the ball out of the air.

• Drop shot: A groundstroke shot that falls short of the opponent’s position.

• Drop shot volley: A volley shot that is designed to “kill” the speed of the ball and return it short, near the net, to an opponent positioned at or near the baseline.

• Fault: A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.

• Non-volley zone (The Kitchen): The section of court adjacent to the net. A player cannot volley a ball while standing within the non-volley zone. It includes all lines surrounding the zone.

• Transition zone: The area of the court between the non-volley line and the baseline, sometimes referred to as “no man’s land.”

• USA Pickleball: The national governing body for pickleball in the United States — usapickleball.org

Thongvanh, recently drafted by the Indy Drivers of the new National Pickleball League, picks up the latest trends in his travels and incorporates them into his clinics.

“The skill level is going up all the time, and I bring back what I learn,” he explains. “The game is changing. What worked a few years ago on the court is old school now.”

The sport took off on the Western Slope during the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many people isolated for months at a time, pickleball was a way for a few to get outside and play with limited contact with others.

Of course, we now know pickleball is more than just a bit of recreation.

“It’s a very social sport. You just show up and play, no pre-arrangements needed,” says Gerson, an original club member. “It’s also relatively easy to play. And, it’s low-cost.”

In March, the ground-breaking ceremony for the new courts took place at Lincoln Park. Parks and Rec director Ken Sherbenou was clear that the pickleball community produced a win-win plan.

“The love of pickleball is really causing it to spread at an astronomical pace across the country. Up and down the Western Slope, all through Colorado and all over the U.S., pickleball is all the rage,” Sherbenou says. “It’s really cool to see the enthusiasm for the sport and what it does for its users.”

In April, the WSPC held its two-day tournament at Lincoln Park. It was the biggest turnout in club history — 171 players competing in men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

The pickleball expansion project has been years in the making and will be one of the biggest and most popular pickleball spots in Western Colorado.

“Players from neighboring towns will want to play here more often. It will attract travelers to stop and play, and it’ll be good for business and the economy,” says Thongvanh. :