Raising a real racket
Girmaye Gabre keeps his eye on the ball during Saturday’s pickleball tournament.
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Updated: September 17, 2009 11:09 AM
More than 80 seniors made a racket at the South Surrey Recreation Centre last Saturday, at the third annual over-50 Pickleball Tournament.
Competing in two age divisions (50-64 and 65-plus), pickleball players from across the Lower Mainland, as well as Washington, Vancouver Island, the Okanagan – even Saskatchewan – took to the rec centre's 10 courts.
"We had 'em in from all over," said Guildford's Jim O'Connor, 76, who competed in men's doubles with teammate Girmaye Gabre and also helped organize the event with fellow enthusiast Chuck Levaive.
"It went very well, and we got a lot of people out – it's really a growing sport."
Pickleball, with has gained popularity with seniors in recent years and is now expanding to young athletes, as well, is a combination of badminton and tennis. The game is played on a badminton court, but the nets are lower, as they are in tennis.
For the past few years, both Levaive and O'Connor have been trying to help the sport catch on with Peninsula youth. Last year, local senior taught the sport to students at White Rock Christian Academy, and this school year they'll be at Southridge School.
Pickleball tournaments will also be held at WRCA and Star of the Sea School, Levaive added.
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