AVALON – No less authorities than the New York Times, Forbes and NPR have dubbed pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America. The sport is often described as an amalgam of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. It can be played by enthusiasts of all ages. Its adherents are passionate in their feelings for the sport.
In Cape May County, facilities for pickleball dot the landscape in several county municipalities. Perhaps no town here has made the investment in the sport quite like Avalon has. Ten pickleball courts are available to players at the borough’s recreation complex on 8th Street between Dune and Ocean drives. At a press event Oct. 17, Mayor Martin Pagliughi announced that Avalon would be doubling its number of pickleball courts in 2023.
Pagliughi also announced that Avalon would be a stop on the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) tour in 2023. A tournament, part of the inaugural APP New Jersey Classic, will be played at the 8th Street complex in September. As a stop on the tour, Avalon will join venues in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and St. Louis.
“We are thrilled to include Avalon as a tour stop in 2023 and the APP looks forward to a long-lasting partnership with the community and the region,” said Ken Herrmann, founder of the APP tour. Herrmann went on to characterize Avalon as “deeply committed to the culture and popularity of pickleball.”
Using APP economic impact studies from similar-sized tour stops, Pagliughi said the event in Avalon should produce “over $1 million in direct and indirect economic benefits to the region and well in excess of 1,000 overnight stays in the community.”
Avalon Chamber of Commerce President John O’Dea welcomed the tour and promised that the business community would work “to make the Avalon experience the very best it can be for the Tour and its fans.”
The APP New Jersey Classic will allow visitors and residents of the borough to see top tour professionals while also having an opportunity to participate in amateur division games. Avalon officials emphasized that “the event will be live-streamed to a worldwide audience.” Pagliughi said the tour stop will “show Avalon on the world stage.”
Jeffrey Vassar, Director for the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, also praised the investment that Avalon has made and will continue to make in its pickleball courts. He said it is important to showcase the many and diverse aspects of what the New Jersey shore has to offer to visitors. Vasser also commented on the importance of events that extend the traditional summer season.
Echoing Herrmann and Vassar’s comments on the Avalon pickleball facilities, a press release from the borough states that “Avalon, New Jersey was chosen due to its commitment to the sport of pickleball.” As proof, dozens of players gathered for the announcements at the 8th Street facility before returning to their favorite pastime.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
