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.
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Catherine Cruz/HPRDid you know April happens to be pickleball month? The Conversation recently talked to Kaiser Permanente Hawaii sports medicine Dr. Benjamin Chun about the rise of injuries as more and more people take up the sport. -
Courtesy Keven WongImagine getting paid to play pickleball. A national call for elite pickleball players went out last fall for the reality series "Pickleball Paddle Battle." One of the chosen competitors was Keven Wong from Oʻahu. -
Matt York and Frank Franklin II/APThe Conversation spoke with Ron Romano, the executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association's Hawaii Pacific Section, about the tension between tennis and pickleball players. He said their biggest concern is losing tennis courts. -
Lillian Tsang/HPRThe Conversation talked with Honolulu Parks and Recreation Director Laura Thielen about the challenge of getting players to share court space. She said rules will not resolve the fact that there are more players than available facilities, especially at certain times of the day. -
Matt York/APHawaiʻi County Parks and Recreation Director Maurice Messina said pickleball hit his department "like a ton of bricks." He said interest continues to grow, fueled partly by recent transplants accustomed to standalone pickleball facilities.
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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