Padel Is Starting to Pop Up All Over the Pacific Northwest
Boise, Portland, and Seattle will all soon be on the padel map...
Granted, most all eyes in the U.S. padel world have been fixed squarely on South Florida these past several weeks, thanks to game-changing developments like this at RacquetX and show-stopping points like this at the just-wrapped Miami Premier Padel P1 tournament.
But, while everyone has been focused on the Sunshine State, something exciting has also quietly been taking shape in the opposite corner of the country. Namely that the Pacific Northwest’s padel scene is finally starting to wake up in a big way.
This is thanks to (at least) four clubs across three states, including:
Boise Padel Club (Boise, Idaho):
While details are a bit scant at this point, we do know that a trio of padel-loving entrepreneurs (Neel, Umber, and Shaan Kohli) are working to bring the sport to the Idaho capital later this year via their project, The Boise Padel Club.
Although these won’t be the first padel courts in the state (as there are currently two outdoor courts at the stunning Gozzer Ranch & Lake Club just outside Coeur d'Alene) they will be the first publicly accessible courts at a dedicated padel facility in Idaho.
Of course, for those who live and play in a padel hotbed like South Florida, Boise might not exactly seem like the kind of place you’d expect padel to take off — but you might be surprised…
Because in addition to being the home of one of my favorite musicians and bands of all-time (specifically Doug Martsch and Built to Spill), Boise is also the home of Micron — a leading U.S. semiconductor company that is helping to power the AI revolution and has pledged to invest up to $50 billion into expanding its footprint there.
Between this and the fact that thousands of young people continue to flock to Boise each year for its hot job market, relatively cheap cost of living, and outdoorsy lifestyle, the Gem State’s capital city might just turn out to be a hidden gem when it comes to the U.S. padel market.
Foundry Padel (Portland, Oregon):
Meanwhile, about 425 miles northwest of Boise, the husband and wife team of Jacob and Monica Killion (who discovered padel several years ago on a trip through Spain) are set to bring four indoor courts to the Cathedral Park neighborhood of Portland —very near the University of Portland — via their project Foundry Padel.
In addition its four courts, Foundry Padel’s nearly 14,000-square-foot warehouse space will feature 40-foot-high ceilings (great for lobs!) and a bar area serving wine and beer — which, given the fact that it’s in PDX, you can count on being über-artisanal.
Portland’s distinct attitude also shows up in its co-founder’s plans to make the sport as accessible as possible for Portlanders by reportedly charging as little as $60 per hour for court time (which would make it one of the more affordable padel facilities around the U.S. at this point)…
Not to mention, his choice comments about pickleball, with him hilariously telling WHATNOW Portland in a recent interview:
“Pickleball is what your mom plays. [Padel] is much more fast-paced. You’re not using a whiffle ball and a cutting board.”
In theory, Foundry Padel could be open as early June, but if their Instagram feed is any indication, they may be one of the few clubs around the country that is actually running ahead of schedule.
(Oh, and speaking of Instagram, it appears as though Foundry Padel may not be the only padel club in PDX for long).
Pacific Padel (Seattle, Washington):
As I reported back in February, Pacific Padel — which is co-founded by Pablo Arcuschin, who penned a fantastic and very well received guest article for us earlier this month — is looking to be among the first padel clubs to open in the entire region.
Since publishing that piece, it has been reported this will come in the form of a 25,000-square-foot indoor facility in the hip, heavily Scandinavian-influenced Ballard neighborhood of Seattle later this summer (which, for what it’s worth, is also home to one of my favorite oyster establishments of all-time, The Walrus and The Carpenter).
Cascadia Padel Club (Kirkland, Washington):
On the other side of Lake Washington from Pacific Padel, you’ll soon be able to find Cascadia Padel — a 20,000-square-foot five court indoor facility in Kirkland (very near the Google campus) which reportedly already has a 1,000+ person waitlist.
While no official opening date has been announced yet, given the area’s young, prosperous, internationally diverse, and highly educated population, it seems like an area where padel should thrive right off the bat.
Know of other padel projects that are underway in the Pacific Northwest (or anywhere around the U.S.) that should be on our radar? Please be sure to let us know here in the comments below.
Also please be sure to subscribe to Padel Nation to get exciting updates and important insights on the rapidly emerging U.S. padel scene delivered directly to your inbox — or share it with a padel-playing friend.
Finally, as always, a big thank you to the friends and preferred partners of Padel Nation who help make posts like this possible, including:
Interested in becoming a friend or preferred partner of Padel Nation? Drop us a line here and let’s talk!
Oh, and one other thing… I’ve actually got a full-blown padel book coming out in July. So, if you enjoy the work I’m doing in the U.S. padel space, you can support me by pre-ordering a copy (or two!) online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Many thanks in advance!