Pickleball, a relatively new racquet sport, is now being offered at the Dorval Aquatic and Sports Complex for people of all ages and skill levels.

In 1965, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, three dads from Bainbridge Island, a city in Washington, invented pickleball after they realized their kids were bored with their usual summertime activities. Since then it has evolved and spread throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It’s played using a perforated ball, a paddle that is bigger than a table tennis paddle but smaller than a tennis racquet and a slightly modified tennis net on a badminton-sized court.

“There are currently about 1,000 [pickleball] players in Quebec,” says Claude Gauthier, president of the Quebec Association of Pickleball.

Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent fails to return the ball or hits the ball out of bounds, like you would see in a tennis match. The first side to score 11 points and lead by at least a two-point margin wins.

Pickleball is now one of the activities open to all at the gym at the Dorval Aquatic and Sports Complex. They offer family pickleball Saturday from 1:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. and for adults only Wednesday from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. No membership is required. For residents of Dorval, it costs $3 for children and 55+ and $4 for adults. For non-residents it costs $6 for children and 55+ and $7.50 for adults. Paddles and balls are available for those who don’t have them. For more information, call 514-633-4001.

For information on other places to play pickleball, visit quebecpickleball.com.

Video via Pickleball Canada