By LILY TINOCO
Reporter
After a prodding fight, Pong Nimnual and longtime Palisadian Kane Phelps are closer to officially bringing the sport of pickleball to Pacific Palisades. Palisades Recreation Center is adding the sport to its spring program on May 1, and the duo is pushing to get one tennis court converted into a hybrid court.
The Pacific Palisades Park Advisory Board previously voted in support of converting one tennis court into a hybrid playing space on Wednesday, November 10. Funding has kept the project from moving forward.
“It has taken a lot … of emails and phone calls, but we have been able to put the Palisades forward as a template that could be used to initiate the whole idea of converting tennis courts for pickleball,” Phelps said to the Palisadian-Post. “We pushed it to another, higher level … As a result of that, we were able to get a commitment [from the City] … They are committed to creating a hybrid situation and … I think that’s a success story.”
But Nimnual and Phelps’ efforts don’t end there.
Nimnual—who is a USA Pickleball Association Ambassador—said he has been advocating for pickleball in the Palisades since 2020, when he organized the group. He even launched a petition to create dedicated pickleball courts in the Palisades, which has garnered over 300 signatures.
Pickleball is described as a paddle ball sport, which combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Two to four players use paddles, made from wood or composite materials, to hit a perforated ball, similar to a wiffle ball, over a net.
“A group of us were playing badminton … and after COVID hit and everything got closed down, we were looking for another venue for us to play outside … Tennis came to mind first, but I’m not very good at tennis,” Nimnual said with a laugh. “Then pickleball came up. I took a couple of classes at El Segundo and fell in love with it.”
He said he launched a pickleball club in the Palisades with the group he would play badminton with and they began by playing on local basketball courts. When the tennis courts at the Palisades Recreation Center reopened, he said they relocated there.
“You can put four pickleball courts on one tennis court … you can accommodate up to 16 players on a tennis court,” he said. “Before [former Palisades Recreation Center Senior Facility Director Ejiah Cooper] left, she would reserve tennis court number eight for us … Eventually, we would like tennis court number eight to be converted permanently to a hybrid … court where both [pickleball and tennis] can be played … That’s our goal.”
As the group waits for the city to officiate the project, the rec center has offered to provide additional opportunities for community members to play pickleball beyond tennis court number eight.
On Saturday, May 1, pickleball will be added as an official sports program and Palisadians will be able to play inside the gym every Monday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will cost $10 a month for each participant.
Recreation Facility Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi said the rec center is “so excited to start classes soon.” The first class will be on Monday, May 2.
Nimnual and Phelps hope this allows for more community members to join in on the fun, as they say the group continues to grow.
“Pong … is the man who is in charge and really created a culture in a community of folks here in the Palisades that has been growing exponentially,” Phelps said to the Post. “When we started, we were just a few folks and maybe there were 15 to 18 people. Now, the email list is 70 or 80 … and the enthusiasm is just over the top.
“It’s not just about pickleball, it’s really about community.”
For more information, Nimnual can be reached at pongucla@hotmail.com.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
