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Pickleball Yukon held their second annual Pickleball Day at the Canada Games Centre on May 7.

The day consisted of a Family session, followed by an Adult/Youth session.

Twenty-four people took part in each of the events for a total of 72 participants.

The Star stopped in for the Corporate Challenge, which ended the day.

Ed van Randen and Paul Payne of Yukon Health and Social Services won one of the corporate groups.

It was the first time playing the sport for van Randen.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun. It鈥檚 a lot like tennis and ping pong and badminton all combined. So I鈥檓 having a good time.鈥�

Payne has played a few times. 鈥淚 love it too. It鈥檚 really fun.鈥�

van Randen said, 鈥淚鈥檓 actually sweating pretty hard. I鈥檓 surprised by that. I guess it鈥檚 kind of billed as a seniors鈥� sport but 鈥� my heart鈥檚 beating hard and I鈥檓 sweating. It鈥檚 a real cardio workout.鈥�

van Randen has played racket sports his entire life.

鈥淚 had to give it up though, because my knees are quite bad and this feels OK on my knees, so far.鈥�

Payne added 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fun afternoon.鈥�

Yukon Education Minister Jeanie McLean and her husband Rick were playing for the first time.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 won a game yet but we鈥檙e having fun, we鈥檙e learning,鈥� said Jeanie. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the whole point of the day, I think.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e been wanting to try Pickleball because everybody鈥檚 talking about it,鈥� said Rick.

Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott and Keri Rutherford, program supervisor for the city, also came out to play.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty fun,鈥� said Rutherford.

鈥淭otally fun,鈥� added Cabott.

This was Cabott鈥檚 first time playing. Rutherford has played a few times.

鈥淵ou get your heart rate up a little bit and work on some coordination. It鈥檚 good,鈥� said Cabott.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 learned how to keep score yet. Year two,鈥� she joked.

Cabott said she thinks she would like to play again.

鈥淭he pickleball club, they are so assertive on getting people out to play, because they have a good game.鈥�

Yvonne Clarke and her daughter Sabrina came for the second straight year.

鈥淚t was really fun,鈥� said Yvonne. 鈥淪ometimes I make mistakes and it鈥檚 frustrating but the more I relax, the more I get the points.鈥�

When asked if she was pretty competitive, Yvonne replied, 鈥淵eah, I鈥檓 kind of competitive. I don鈥檛 want to make mistakes.

鈥淪abrina鈥檚 so calm.鈥�

Sabrina said, 鈥淚t was a lot of fun. A good social sport.鈥�

Both mom and daughter tried the orientation last year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like this is going to be our tradition,鈥� said Yvonne. 鈥淲e鈥檙e learning lots. The more we play, we just get better and better.鈥�

Yvonne said they鈥檒l be back next year.

鈥淒efinitely. Absolutely.鈥�

Hector Campbell, vice-president of Pickleball Yukon, said, 鈥淚 thought it was a great day. Everyone that came, I think, had a good time. We saw a tremendous improvement in skills from all the people that came out. Some had never played before. Some clearly had some prior experience. And everyone seemed to have fun. We didn鈥檛 hear any negative comments.

鈥淩eally pleased to see some of the younger folks out, like in the family one, because that鈥檚 really the growing sector now and the one that鈥檚 been slower to start up in the Yukon, but now it鈥檚 in full swing. They鈥檙e playing it in the majority of the elementary schools now as part of gym class and of course the rec centres in the remote communities have all started playing pickleball, so we鈥檙e pretty excited 鈥� and that鈥檚 what this day was about. To get the awareness out for pickleball. Because it鈥檚 now the fastest-growing sport in the world.鈥�

Paul Dabbs and Scott Berdahl won the other Corporate Challenge group.

Pickleball Yukon is planning on doing this event again next year.

They will now move outside to play on the tennis courts at Mt. McIntyre.