WIND GAP, Pa. — It was a cold, dreary, rainy morning in Wind Gap on Friday.
In other words, not the ideal situation for pickleball.
But over at the new Horizon Sports Pickleball on West 2nd Street, customers already were on the courts — inside the building, of course — just half an hour after it opened.
And while the idea may seem a bit odd at first, if you happen to ask anyone at the venue, they’ll tell you it’s a pickler’s dream, owner Dominic Sumpolec said.
“There's a lot of picklers out there that want places to play indoors and outdoors. But it's got to be perfect conditions to play outdoors ,and this place, we have 13 indoor courts, three professional courts, 50,000 square feet, and a controlled environment.”Horizon Sports Pickleball owner Dominic Sumpolec
“I mean, the pickleball craze is crazy," Sumpolec said. "You know, there's a lot of picklers out there that want places to play indoors and outdoors.
"But it's got to be perfect conditions to play outdoors, and this place, we have 13 indoor courts, three professional courts, 50,000 square feet, and a controlled environment.”
To celebrate the launch of the business, Sumpolec has let anyone reserve a spot for free from Thursday through Saturday.
“Last night, we were sold out," he said Friday. "There were 80-some people here, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tonight is sold out as well.”
Don’t worry, there are some slots open for today and Saturday, but you’ll have to act fast.
Sumpolec’s other company, Horizon Sports Group, has been in the pickleball and tennis game for a while.
Many of the courts throughout the Lehigh Valley were installed by Horizon, and while Sumpolec said he loves the work he’s done with outdoor setups, he feels the Wind Gap location is a perfect spot for picklers year-round.
“The problem with the outdoor courts is, it’s not controlled, so it’s first-come, first-served,” Sumpolec said.
“If you only have four courts, and you have 25 people there, people are battling for their time.
"You might only have a two-hour window, and might only get to play for 20 minutes. Well, if you have a two-hour window, you can come here and play for two hours.”
Not just a trend
Sumpolec said the courts are made from the same rubber used on the U.S. Open Pickleball tournaments, which is “cushiony, and way better on the body.”
While some may consider pickleball a passing trend, Sumpolec said it’s a sport that’s here to stay — after all, it’s been around for about 60 years now, and it only appears to be growing.
“I think it's going to be a college sport, and I think it's going to be an Olympic sport," Sumpolec said. "I truly do."Horizon Sports Pickleball owner Dominic Sumpolec
“I think it's going to be a college sport, and I think it's going to be an Olympic sport," Sumpolec said. "I truly do."
"So I think pickleball is here to stay, and I think the pickleball craze is only going to boom. Forbes came out with this article two months ago saying that the pickleball world needs 25,000 new courts this year to fulfill all the pickleball players."
Sumpolec said he plans to be along for the ride: he intends to launch 10 new indoor pickleball locations across the country over the next five years.
He already has his eyes on a potential spot in Scranton, he said.
Horizon offers a variety of membership packages — don’t worry, you can play even if you aren’t a member — that offer discounts and perks.
Individual memberships cost $160 per year, which secures the owner a $15-per-hour court rental for open play, which pits five people on a court for two hours.
There also are senior memberships, which are only $120 per year, with the same benefits, as well as a family plan for $300 per year.
Those just starting out also can reserve sessions with one of nine instructors who can handle all different levels of experience.
Members can reserve a court up to 10 days in advance, with a 12-hour cancellation window.
Non-members can book up to five days in advance, though there is no cancellation policy.
Everything is booked and paid for online, so picklers can just come on in and get to the game.
Customers can bring their own equipment, or they can rent paddles and balls from Diadem, which sponsors Horizon. Members can even get free product demos.
‘The vibe, the courts, are excellent’
Heading out from a game on Friday morning, Jeff Hull said the experience at Horizon was great.
“You’ve got an open layout, which is tremendous," Hull said. "The vibe, the courts, are excellent with the way they’re laid out. You’ve got plenty of room behind the end lines, plenty of room to play the game.”
"That's the vibe we're going for, a very good vibe here. Everybody's here playing pickleball, and they love it.”Horizon Sports Pickleball owner Dominic Sumpolec
Hull said her has been playing pickleball for three years, and intends to hit the courts at Horizon three times a week.
Taking a break from his game, Gerry Chiusano said he got into pickleball for fitness, and has been playing for about a year.
“Oh, we love it, we love it," Chiusano said of Horizon Sports Pickleball. "It's really nice, they did a good job here.
“It'll be a great resource when it's raining out or too hot, or when the public courts are too crowded.”
Sumpolec said Horizon’s premier location is a place for people of all ability levels to come together, engage in some physical fitness and, at the end of the day, have a good time with family and friends.
Based on the enthusiasm he’s seen thus far, Sumpolec and his team said they have served up an ace on their latest venture.
“We have a guy right over on court 10 right now, never played," Sumpolec said. "He’s there, right around the corner.
“He walked over there, within five minutes, they were teaching them how to play the game of pickleball. And now that guy’s sold — he just made 15 new friends.
"That's the vibe we're going for, a very good vibe here. Everybody's here playing pickleball, and they love it.”
