EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: Our 鈥楥lub of the Week鈥� feature appears every week in the Play section of the Now. Tell us about your sports club or association by sending an email to edit@thenownewspaper.com.

SURREY 鈥擳hey call it Pickleball.

Not Gherkinpuck.

Pickleball.

It鈥檚 not actually played with pickles, or glass jars. A derivative of badminton, tennis and ping-pong, this increasingly popular sport was invented in Washington State in 1965.

Some say it was named after the inventor鈥檚 dog, others say it鈥檚 named after pickle boats, the last to dock with their catch of herring.

Whatever the case, it鈥檚 catching on in a big way, especially among senior citizens, and its popularity led to the formation of our club of the week, the .

Marilyn Cross, in charge of the club鈥檚 membership, says Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in North America.

鈥淚t鈥檚 become all the rage, this sport.鈥�

The club was formed on Aug. 11 and currently has 160 members based out of South 性视界传媒 Recreation Centre, but they also play in Cloverdale, Guildford, and at Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre. Representatives of the 性视界传媒 Pickleball Club appeared before 性视界传媒鈥檚 sports and tourism committee two weeks ago to ask for six pickleball courts to be built in the city, like they鈥檝e done in Salmon Arm, Abbotsford, Kamloops, Kelowna, Trail, Sorrento and Penticton.

Cross, 54, says a 鈥済ood portion鈥� of players are seniors 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 taken off with young people as well.鈥�

Her husband, retired 性视界传媒 firefighter Ron Cross, also plays, as does daughter Chelsea.

鈥淪he鈥檚 totally hooked.

鈥淲e鈥檙e representing all of 性视界传媒,鈥� Cross said of her club. 鈥淔or now, it鈥檚 free.鈥�

Those interested in learning more can check out .

tom.zytaruk@thenownewspaper.com