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| LIFE IN SOLERA | AUGUST 2022 | 39 The summer of 1965 was warmer than most on Bainbridge Island, across the bay from Seattle. Lucky families like the Pritchard's went to family homes to vacation on the water and enjoy good living. Joel Pritchard was a man of ideas, with a keen eye for good fun. His oldest son, Frank Pritchard, had turned 13 years old that summer. Frank Pritchard thinks back to a day that is forever etched in his mind. "It was a beautiful day," he says, "and I'm standing on the steps. And I turn and say, 'I hate it here, there's nothing to do.' " He recalls his father's response, word for word. "He says, 'When we were kids here, we used to make games up.' " There was a patch of asphalt on the property, a badminton net and a plastic whiffle ball. Joel Pritchard called in neighbor Bill Bell, and from the tops of their heads, the form of a game took shape. Bill fabricated some crude paddles. Rules were conjured from thin air. "So a little while later," Frank remembers, "I walked up to the badminton court and here's Bill Bell and my dad, and they're hitting this ball around, and they are talking." Barney McCallum lived in a house just down the road. The three of them discussed rules and kept hitting that ball back and forth. At some point, Barney went back to his house and cut out much- improved paddles. The three men, Pritchard, Bell and McCallum created a game that day. Frank's mom, Joann Pritchard, loved crew racing. On the University of Washington crew team, there was a thing called the "pickle boat." The extras not in the 'A' or 'B' boats rowed in the pickle boat. That was the inspiration for the name 'pickleball'. In the last five years, pickleball has exploded like a supernova. There are leagues seemingly everywhere, with an estimated 5 million players in the U.S. alone. It is the fastest-growing sport in America, and quite possibly the world. There are pickleball magazines. The game, suddenly, is EVERYWHERE. All because of a happy accident. Because of bored kids and cool dads and a spirit of adventure. Beginners are very welcome. We play Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. We start around 7:30 am for summer hours. Please wear proper court shoes and bring water. We have paddles and balls for you to use. For more information, feel free to contact either Sue Miller at (503) 702-4273 or Sandy Stearn at (951) 797-0991. PICKLEBALL PADDLERS

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