Even on a soggy January day, the thwacking sound of pickleball echoes faintly from behind the playground in Beacon Hill Park.
The duo paddling back and forth are alone mid-winter, but come spring the trio of courts will face lineups of people looking to play.
Victoria Regional Pickleball Association reported a 300-per-cent jump in membership since October 2021, with 680 members in July 2023. Today that membership is officially 870, president Connie McCann said courtside.
The courts took off “like a cannonball” once they were created, after others in the area were closed to resolve noise impacts on neighbouring residents. It seemed an acknowledgment of the need by the city, McCann said, adding they included nice touches in signage and are considering more picnic tables in the area.
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Victoria spearheaded the regional pickleball study underway by the four-core communities: Saanich, Victoria, Esquimalt and Oak Bay. While the sport is much larger, the two men playing on the court behind her, for example, aren’t members of the association and the Saanich Peninsula has its own group.
“That’s (four core) where we’re doing a huge amount of our work. But the other municipalities will be able to glean some really good points from that study, which I believe staff have seen the first draft of,” she said, adding it’s about 58 pages.
“I am sure the first 25 are going to talk about how this sport is on fire. The growth is amazing. The social attributes, the accessibility, the affordability, because that is what this sport is about.”
McCann is also aware it should, and likely will, mention noise.
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But that report won’t be out until later in the winter or early spring. In the meantime, membership is active in sharing their thoughts, opinions and expertise.
“There’s going to be some interesting recommendations that come out of that. VRPA will be prepared to put the professional voice on the sound of pickleball,” she said.
What she also knows is that 1,000 people responded to the survey, likely including many of the nearly 900 members and hopefully including those who live near courts.
The need, she says, is for both appropriately placed outdoor and indoor courts in the region.
On the bigger scale, they want to see a dedicated 12-court indoor facility that would allow the region to host provisional or national championships.
“That would just be a feather in our cap for the region.”
What it also does is bring the sport indoors, a significant sound reduction, and gives players a home.
Socialization is key aspect of the sport, McCann said.
“So many emails we get are ‘Where can I play? This is full. This is full. Where can I go?’ We want to direct them to – and we want to be part of and we’re willing to put money up for – a 12-court indoor facility.”
Victoria also impressed the president with its temporary pickleball courts coming to Crystal Garden Jan. 9 to Feb. 18. The city even purchased appropriate flooring, she noted, that can be moved to other temporary sites.
RELATED: Oak Bay battles pickleball noise with rubber fencing
Early sound-dampening initiatives – such as foam balls floated in Oak Bay years ago – are out of the question.
“You don’t ask golfers to play with a foam ball,” McCann said.
Technology is seeking answers for both those who live near courts and players. For example, McCann is trying a new “breakthrough paddle” this month. Designed to diminish sound it appears coated in fabric, and clearly dampens sound.
“Like any sport there is a range of equipment, depending on the size of your hand, the strength of your arms, your style of play, you want to have a choice. This may become one of the choices for people playing in courts too close to houses,” she said, gesturing with the OWL paddle. “There are 300 paddle-makers and they’re all trying … this will help get us to that point.”
READ ALSO: North Saanich looking at 3 different options for pickleball courts
