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What’s all that racket? Pickleball and tennis players go toe-to-toe

A file photo of the Ke‘ehi Lagoon Pickleball Complex after fencing was added between the courts. (March 15, 2024)
Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation
A file photo of the Ke‘ehi Lagoon Pickleball Complex after fencing was added between the courts. (March 15, 2024)

Do you play pickleball? Chances are you've asked or been asked this question in the past couple of years.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and its popularity in Hawaiʻi is evident just about everywhere.

At peak leisure times on the islands, there have been turf wars between pickleball and tennis players at shared courts.

"It really is going to come down to us as adults being a little bit more empathetic, patient and willing to make compromises," Honolulu Parks and Recreation Director Laura Thielen said.

Tennis players say they're big proponents of standalone pickleball courts, like the ones created by the city at Keʻehi Lagoon on Oʻahu. They say blended courts are only a short-term solution.

The Conversation has been sharing stories about pickleball from around the islands — the good, the bad, and the noisy. Coincidentally, April and May are national pickleball and tennis months, respectively.

Fun fact: Pickleball started in 1965 in Washington state when a trio of families created a game using a badminton net, some ping pong paddles and a plastic whiffle ball to entertain their bored kids.

The name was inspired by the “pickle boat,” a rowing term used when a last-minute crew is created randomly from leftover rowers.


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Lillian Tsang is the senior producer of The Conversation. She has been part of the talk show team since it first aired in 2011. Contact her at ltsang@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Russell Subiono is the executive producer of The Conversation and host of HPR's This Is Our Hawaiʻi podcast. Born in Honolulu and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, he’s spent the last decade working in local film, television and radio. Contact him at rsubiono@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Maddie Bender is a producer on The Conversation. She also provided production assistance on HPR's "This Is Our Hawaiʻi" podcast. Contact her at mbender@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Sophia McCullough is HPR's digital news editor. Contact her at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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