The latest (and some would say greatest) sporting trend to hit the North Coast is a family-friendly racquet game called padel. We caught up with Marcus Rivera, co-owner of the newly-opened North Coast court, Padel Station, situated at Sugar Village in Umhlali.
While it might be new to most of us, the game of padel has been around for a while.
Having started in Mexico in the 1960s, it is basically a fun combination of tennis and squash, usually played in doubles. Having grown steadily in popularity around the world and South Africa (various padel courts have sprouted up in the Cape and Gauteng), padel is now set to be an Olympic sport in 2024.
Thanks to Marcus and his business partners Guy Bower and Andre Jooste, we now have our very own public courts right here on the North Coast (the first in KZN), and they are already very popular!
“Our membership numbers doubled after the first month, and we have more than 600 members and are growing daily,” says Marcus, who also manages the Sugar Village property.
Played in 75 countries around the world, Marcus says padel basically combines the best elements of tennis and squash into one game. What makes it so popular, it seems, is its simplicity and the fact that it’s easy to learn and uncomplicated to play.
“It’s great because you can have longer rallies and the ball is softer and easier off the bat. You don’t have to smash the ball and you don’t have the ‘downer’ of it flying past you. It’s such a great game to play as a family.”
While it might be easy to play, padel still offers a really great workout and there are technical elements involved too, which means you can improve on your skill the more you practice. A padel racquet is smaller in size than a tennis racquet and there are different shapes for different types of players. The court (there are two at Padel Station) is about thirty per cent smaller than a tennis court and the ball is also slightly different. It looks like a tennis ball, but is a few centimetres smaller and has a higher pressure, which means it bounces differently.
Marcus (who is currently doing a coaching accreditation course), says he and his partners have really enjoyed setting up Padel Station in Umhlali, and the response from the community has been fantastic.
The on-site pro shop is fully stocked with racquets which are available for hire and balls (which you buy and keep), and there are plans in place to add to the existing facilities, which include a restaurant and jungle gym, water feature for the kids and possibly other sport facilities as well.
“We are available for venue hire for private functions and parties and can accommodate around 50 to 60 people. This is a great option for year-end functions or get-togethers with friends and family. We really want this to be a family-friendly sports venue where people spend time outdoors, being active and socialising.”
The cost of hiring a court for non-members is R400 during peak times and R320 off-peak. Members receive a 50% fee discount and memberships (which can be bought online) begin from R1 950 per year for a single to R3 950 for a family of four. Hiring a racquet costs R50 and a can of balls R140 (which can be re-pressurised when needed).
Former professional tennis player and Salt Rock businessman, Matt Conningham, is one of the many North Coasters who now find themselves spending a significant amount of time on the padel courts in Umhlali. “It really is so much fun. I honestly think anyone can do it. If you can play ‘beach bat’ you can play padel! You work up a great sweat and because it’s doubles, it’s really fun and social. If you find players of a similar ‘calibre’ as you it gets even more interesting, as there are technical elements and you do get better with time.”
Details: Padel Station, 1 Main Road, Umhlali, www.stationpadel.co.za, [email protected], (010) 900-2242, @stationpadelsa
Text: Leah Shone | Photographs: WAYNE JOHNSTONE
