Idaho‘s winter chill often puts a freeze on pickleball for enthusiasts as it restricts their game to indoor courts, which are lacking across the state.
However, that is all set to change with the inauguration of The Flying Pickle, set to be Idaho’s premier indoor pickleball club.
Cutting-Edge Virtues
Nick Petterson, co-owner of The Flying Pickle, extols the cutting-edge virtues of their new establishment:
“No corners have been cut,” he says. “We’ve hired lighting engineers, acoustic engineers, we have layers of rubber under the courts to help with joint problems.
“We have a full kitchen with a chef who knows what he’s doing and makes fantastic food,” he tells Sophia Doumani of idahonews.com. He was on the show Hell’s Kitchen, [so] like, when I say we have a legit chef, we have a legit chef. It’s just a fun place to play, to socialize and hang out.”
Eighteen Courts
The new facility houses 18 courts, which will be operational from dawn to midnight and will accommodate players throughout the week. Additionally, it offers lounge areas for post-game relaxation.
Petterson enlarges on that theme: “Pickleball is a social sport, and we’re trying to feed into that a little bit more,” he states. “We’re not just a facility where people just come play and then leave; we offer amenities such as food and drinks. We want people to socialize after they play.”
Petterson also goes out of his way to explain that pickleball is not a soft touch in spite of it appearing pedestrian at times:
“A lot of tennis players come over, they hit the ball hard, they think, ‘Wow, this is easy,’ but it is more difficult than you would think,” he says. “I would challenge any of you out there to come play somebody who knows what they’re doing on the pickleball court and see if you can hang.”
The Game’s Addictive Nature
Petterson also acknowledges the game’s addictive nature, stating, “If people want to learn pickleball, I would first ask, ‘How much free time do you have?’ Because once people play, they get hooked, and it becomes a time commitment,” he says.
The Flying Pickle offers diverse membership options for enthusiasts, catering to both regulars and newcomers who wish to test the waters.
Non-members can even rent courts and try out paddles.
Community Building
Ryan Myhre, a member, attests to pickleball’s community-building aspect:
“I spend over 15 hours a week playing pickleball,” he says. “You meet people that you hang around with on the courts, and then you do a little bit outside of that, and you have potlucks, and it’s undeniable, that community really brings us together, an environment like this is perfect for it.”
Susannah Barr
Susannah Barr, another owner and also a professional pickleball player, stresses the inclusivity of the sport:
“The great thing about pickleball is just that it’s fun for everyone, everyone’s laughing, everyone’s having fun. You can play with your grandparents.
“You can play with your best friends. You can go anywhere in the country and find people to play with; it’s very inclusive,” she says.
“We just really want to invite people to come and learn the sport. Come have fun. We do offer a lot of clinics.
“We have learn-to-play classes happening multiple times a week that you can just come and learn, and you don’t need to have any prior experience or any equipment.”
“This is definitely the largest indoor facility in the Pacific Northwest, and it is the first only pickleball facility here in the Treasure Valley,” said Barr. “We’re excited to be the first.”
Come along and experience this groundbreaking establishment at 1135 N Hickory Ave STE 110, Meridian, Idaho.
