September 3, 2009 - by Marcia Downham
 
It’s like tennis, badminton, ping-pong and volleyball, all rolled into one.
 
Volleying and bouncing a lightweight perforated plastic ball across a low set net with large oversized ping-pong paddles — playing pickleball is just as fun as it sounds.
 
Pickleball, which first started in the United States in 1965, is a sport that has, over the last year, been increasingly popular among Canadians of all ages, and is currently one of the fastest growing sports in North America. The sport has been gaining so much attention that an official national association, Pickleball Canada, was launched in Kelowna, B.C. this past April. Pickleball is also gaining headway as a competitive sport in many seniors’ Olympics.
 
The vast majority of pickleball players in Canada are located in the major hubs of B.C. and Ontario, but as more people find out about this intriguing sport, it won’t be long until it is being played in every city and small town across the country.
 
With high hopes of adding this sport to Muskoka’s roster, Beverly Butt, a long-time Muskoka cottager and founding member and ambassador of Pickleball Canada, is trying to spread the word and introduce this easy-to-play family sport to residents, cottagers and seasonal visitors across the region.
 
Read the full article at OUTDOORS MUSKOKA — Pickleball craze hits Muskoka