Two dozen members of the Port Alberni Picklers Association donned their Christmas finest—reindeer antlers, Santa hats, “ugly” Christmas T-shirts and the Grinchiest green garb—for a fun pickle ball competition at the Alberni Athletic Hall on Dec. 14, 2021.
Pickle Ball is best described as a cross between table tennis and badminton. It is played in pairs and players use large paddles to hit balls over a net. It’s a popular sport in Port Alberni, both indoors and outdoors.
“We have 60 members” in the Picklers Association, said spokesperson Mike Bauer. Many have played together for the past seven or eight years. Once COVID-19 restrictions eased in the summertime players regularly used the outdoor courts at Gyro Park. “We started up again as soon as they let us,” Bauer said.
There is a range in ages of participants, and many of them travel south for the winter so the association is always looking for new members. They play three mornings a week whenever they can get into a hall.
Teams will be back at it after the Christmas holiday, and once public health restrictions around COVID-19 ease up again.
For more information, go to Facebook.com and search for the PA Picklers Association.