>> THIS IS "CHRONICLE" ON WCVB CHANNEL 5.
>> WHAT WOMEN WANT.
>> WE ASPIRE TO BE FULLY PROFESSIONAL.
>> WHAT AUSTRALIA EXPORTS.
>> NO PADS, NO HELMETS, NO PROBLEM.
>> WHAT SUBURBANITES LONG FOR.
>> IF I GET UP IN THE MORNING AND I DON’T HAVE PICKLEBALL, SOMETHING IS MISSING IN MY DAY.
>> OF THE EXPORTS FIND A HOME IN BOSTON -- OFFBEAT SPORTS FIND A HOME IN BOSTON.
>> IF YOU ARE IN YOUR OWN, DON’T EXPECT TO STAY THAT WAY.
>> I HAVE BEEN TO FOUR S3 WE DDINGS.
I HAVE KEPT TRACK OF SO MANY SUCCESSES.
ANTHONY: GOOD EVENING.
THE RED SOX ARE HOT, THE BRUINS AND CELTICS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS, BUT SPORTS OF A VERY DIFFERENT KIND ARE ATTRACTING PLAYERS ALL OVER BOSTON.
SHAYNA: ONE OF THEM, SAYS ERIKA TARANTAL, IS IN DEMAND DAILY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUBURBS.
ERIKA: IT SORT OF LOOKS LIKE TENNIS, SORT OF SOUNDS LIKE PING-PONG, AND IT IS AS FUN TO SAY AS IT IS TO PLAY.
>> PICKLEBALL!
>> PICKLEBALL.
ERIKA: WHAT IS PICKLEBALL?
A MASHUP OF TENNIS, BADMINTON, RACQUETBALL, AND PING-PONG, PICKLEBALL CAN BE PLAYED INDOORS OR OUT, AND AND HAS BEEN SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE IN THE WEST, KUDZU IN THE SOUTH.
>> WE ARE ONE OF THE LAST IN THE STATE TO GET AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT.
ERIKA: NOW THE BAY STATE IS CATCHING PICKLEBALL FEVER.
>> IT IS ALMOST A CULT THING.
>> LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
ERIKA: IF PICKLEBALL HAS A LOCAL JOHNNY APPLESEED, IT IS PETER SULLIVAN, A RETIRED SOCIAL WORKER WHO LIVES IN STONE OF.
HE HAS PLANTED PICKLEBALL OPERATIONS ALL ACROSS EASTERN MASS.
FIVE YEARS AGO, THIS SPORT WITH THE ODD NAME WASN’T SUCH AN EASY SELL.
>> ONE PERSON AT A RECREATION SITE GAVE ME LESS THAN 30 SECONDS.
PICKLEBALL? I DON’T THINK SO.
LESS THAN A YEAR LATER HE SAID, CAN YOU COME BACK?
ERIKA: LOCAL TOWNS ARE SCRAMBLING TO COME UP WITH THE SOUTHERN COMMAND.
>> WE HAD WAITLISTS OF 10 OR 20 PEOPLE.
ERIKA: ZACH OF THE CONCORDE REC DEPARTMENT WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THE IDEA WAS FLOATED OF STARTING A PICKLEBALL GROUP TWO YEARS AGO.
NOW THE GROUP HAS GROWN FROM A HANDFUL TO MORE THAN 100 PLAYERS, WITH EVEN MORE ON A WAITING LIST.
THAT IS WHY THEY ARE OUT TAPING NEW PICKLEBALL LINES ONTO TENNIS COURTS IN PREPARATION FOR A BUSY SUMMER.
>> OUTDOOR COURTS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SIX GAMES AT A TIME.
WE ARE DOUBLING OUR OPPORTUNITY.
ERIKA: THE GAME IS PLAYED ON A BADMINTON SIZED COURT USING A HARD PLASTIC BALL, MUCH LIKE A WIFFLEBALL.
PICKLEBALL IS AN EASY GAME TO PICK UP, BUT THE HAND SPEED AND SKILLS ATTRACT HIGHLY SKILLED RECORD PLAYERS AS WELL.
>> OUCH.
EVERYBODY OK?
ERIKA: AND YES, ITS DEVOTEES SKEW MORE TOWARD THE MATURE END OF THE SPECTRUM.
THEN THERE IS THE SOCIAL COMPONENT.
>> THIS HAS CREATED A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF FRIENDS.
IT HAS KIND OF CHANGED MY LIFE.
ERIKA: AT THE REGULAR FRIDAY MORNING GAME IN CONCORD, A COUPLE TRAVELING FROM NORTH CAROLINA STOPS IN, LOOKING TO FEED THEIR PICKLE FIX.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
WE TAKE OUR RACKETS AS WE TRAVEL.
ERIKA: THEREFORE, FOR THE HARD COURT, LIFE -- FOR THE HARDCORE, LIFE CAN BE A LITTLE SOUR WITHOUT THE REGULAR DOSE OF PICKLEBALL.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT PICKLEBALL THAT IS SO ADDICTIVE?
>> ONE, IT CAN BE AS COMPETITIVE AS YOU WANT, IT CAN BE AS SOCIAL AS YOU WANT, AND IT IS EXERCISE.
ERIKA: TIME FOR MY FIRST TASTE OF PICKLE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE BAD.
THINGS MAY START OFF A BIT SHAKY, BUT UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF PETER SULLIVAN, THE RALLIES GROW LONGER, THE CONFIDENCE STRONGER, AND THE APPEAL OF THIS NEW SPORT EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
SULLIVAN ALWAYS GRATIFIED WHEN THE LITTLE-KNOWN GAME HE FELL IN LOVE WITH FIVE YEARS AGO GAINS A NEW FAN.
>> I WAS HOPING PEOPLE WOULD LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO, AND IT HAS.
THAT HAS EXACTLY HAPPENED.
SHAYNA: ALL RIGHT, I AMSOLD.
-- AM SOLD.
PETER SULLIVAN SAID HE WAS AT A RETIREMENT HOME OF 55 PLUS IN FLORIDA, AND THERE WERE -- WAIT FOR IT -- 190 PICKLEBALL COURTS.
ANTHONY: IT HAS NOT QUITE REACHED THE LEVEL OF FEVER AROUND HERE.
WHEN TOWN REC DEPARTMENTS OPENED REGISTRATION, THEY HAVE LINES OUT THE DOOR, WEBSITES JAMMED.
IT IS KIND OF LIKE WHEN U2 TICKETS GO ON SALE, PEOPLE ARE LINED UP.
SHAYNA: THOSE WHO DECIDE TO JOIN THIS NEXT SPORTS LEAGUE GET A TWO-FER.
>> SPORTS ARE REALLY FUN, BUT GOING OUT AND HANGING OUT AFTERWARDS AND MAKING A