Oasis pickleball courts celebrate Grand Opening
By RDKB
The Oasis Recreation Committee has seen a summer wish come true. At their June grand opening they gave away free burgers, smokies and pickleball paddles with the hope that the nearly 100 people who turned up would keep on coming to the Oasis Community Park to play pickleball— one of the fastest growing sports in Canada. And they have.
“This project was definitely a hit with members of the public,” said Linda Worley, Electoral Area ‘B’/Lower Columbia-Old Glory. “Now that word has got out about the new courts in Oasis we’ve seen the launch of a regular Tuesday and Thursday night group and people playing every day of the week. It’s a great success!”
Construction of the new pickleball courts was funded by RDKB Electoral Area ‘B’ Recreation and Columbia Basin Trust. In addition to the new courts the committee also renovated park washrooms which are now open for use during the day for families and user groups. And, on July 29 a new timber frame shelter with picnic tables was completed for players and park goers.
Pickleball is rapidly gaining popularity across the region with Christina Lake recently securing the official trademark designation, “Pickleball Capital of Canada.”
Sources say the game is named after the “pickle boat” in rowing in which a crew is made up of rowers from various boats. Pickleball, like the pickle boat, combines a number of elements, including those of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Two or four players use a special paddle to hit a perforated ball over a low net on a badminton-sized court and can score points only on the serve.
The Oasis Community Park pickleball courts are open to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis.
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