One of the fastest growing sports in Airdrie finally has their own space.

Yesterday (August 22nd) the Airdrie and Area Pickleball Club was joined by Mayor Peter Brown and the City’s Parks Department for the Grand Opening of the City’s first outdoor Pickleball court.

Current President of the Club, Barry Hoffman gives a brief description of the sport.

“We use a badminton court size, and the racquet we can say, is a little larger than a table tennis racquet and then the rules are similar to tennis.”

Hoffman says that the club has grown to over 50 members and with that number expected to increase, they needed their own space.

“We started three years ago in Genesis during the winter and then the membership grew and grew and grew, that was basically how it took off. There’s a waiting system for players. Nobody should feel intimidated to come in and get wiped out by a really good player.”

Mayor Peter Brown took his shot at a few rounds at the sport and says it’s quite unique for the City to have its own Pickleball court.

“It’s pretty exciting actually. The group, they started with a few people and then became a lot of people, then they ran out of room. This craze of Pickleball is really big in the Southern U.S., it’s big with Seniors but I think when the kids start to play it, they’re going to realize how much fun a game it is.”

The new court took about four months to complete and cost around $80,000.

The court is found at the site of the old Street Art Gallery beside Nose Creek Park.