Pickleball Takes Over Wollman Rink in Central Park
Pickleball, a sport which bills itself as the nation’s fastest growing sport, will be getting a major boost in New York as the wintertime Wollman Rink in Central Park is converted into a massive pickleball court in the heart of Manhattan. But not everyone is happy.
| 28 Mar 2023 | 04:23
A depiction of the 14 courts that will soon be available at Wollman Rink. Photo: CityPickle.
Pickleball, a sport similar to badminton and tennis, has grown steadily in popularity over recent decades. Wollman Rink this spring and summer will host fourteen pickleball courts for New Yorkers to enjoy. Photo: Flickr.
This summer, Wollman Rink is opening 14 brand new athletic courts—for a sport you may never have heard of: pickleball.
According to usapickleball.org, pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington. Behind its creation were three men, all fathers, whose children had grown tired with their other summertime games and wanted to try something new.
Pickleball has been steadily growing in popularity ever since, but it took the nation by storm during the pandemic, as people sought outdoor recreation when most sport facilities were closed. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, participation in pickleball grew nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021.
The game bears many similarities to badminton, but uses a shorter paddle and a wiffle ball in place of the shuttlecock. It also allows a team to score a point only during those rallies when they have served.
The area at Wollman Rink will be run by an organization called CityPickle and include fourteen courts. Courts will be available for public use, but at a steep price: $80 per hour during off-peak times, and $120 per hour during peak times.
Some are thrilled to hear of the new courts.
”Pickle ball of the 2020’s is the new Tennis of the Disco Era,” read one comment under a Facebook post sharing Gothamist’s article on the new courts.
“I’m pickled pink about this news,” said another.
However, not all New Yorkers were so enthusiastic.
”Even NYC’s famous noise pollution cannot drown out the sound of that awful game! #picklebull,” said one commenter.
Others bristled at the cost, with one comment reading, “More privatization of public parks. Why not require permits like in tennis and make them accessible to all?? Who’s playing pickleball at $120 an hour? Not real New Yorkers!!!”
Dick Porter, the founder of In Pickleball magazine, weighed in, saying he thought the costs were fair.
”I think it is fantastic,” says Porter. “I don’t know the cost to skate there...but if it’s $30 per person for four to play pickleball, is that more than an hour of skating? I don’t know but suspect it’s in the zone...for a ton of fun!”
The Wollman Rink installation will constitute the largest concentration of pickleball courts in the Northeast. It will be open 7 days a week from 7am to 9pm between April 7 and October 9, at which point it will be converted back into an ice skating rink.