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Poulsbo Joins The Pickleball Frenzy
Pickleball Kingdom features a dozen indoor courts
There’s more good news on the Pacific Northwest pickleball horizon for those who can’t get enough. The sister-brother team of Mara and John Hylton recently converted 31,500 square feet of former OfficeMax and Big 5 space into Poulsbo Pickleball Kingdom PPK, a venue featuring 12, luxurious, climate-controlled, brightly lit indoor courts, as well as onsite catering. The facility opened last weekend.
The Hyltons have secured 21 franchise licenses for Pickleball Kingdom, including in Seattle, Lynnwood, Bellevue, Vancouver, Wash., and the Tri Cities. Pickleball Kingdom, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, three years ago, has more than 400 locations.
The greater Seattle area is quickly becoming the epicenter of pickleball, with several major pickleball centers set to open soon, including: The Picklr, which will open in the Fremont neighborhood this fall; and Picklewood, set to open this summer in SODO.
Pickleball, of course, was founded on Bainbridge Island in 1965. Two years ago, then-Gov. Jay Inslee declared pickleball the official sport of Washington state. It is the fastest-growing sport in the United States.
As for me, a lifelong competitive tennis player, I’m admittedly becoming a fan. Will I give up my USTA rating that has fluctuated between 4.0 and 4.5 for decades? And give up my leopard-print Don Jo “Flirty” tennis skirts and hot pink racer-back tops for a traditional pickleball outfit of long-sleeved shirts, leggings and a cap? I don’t know.
What I do know is that I’ve witnessed the dark side. And I like it.
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