OREM, Utah — Inside The Padel Den in Orem, the sound of rallies and bouncing balls fills the courts even early in the morning. The five-court indoor facility is Utah’s second dedicated padel club, bringing a sport popular around the world to a growing number of players in Utah.
Padel, sometimes pronounced pa-del, is played on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls and combines elements of tennis, pickleball, and racquetball.
“I think it combines sort of the energy and power in tennis, and then being able to play it off the walls like in racquetball is really fun, so you can be really creative in your shots, and the rally is really fun,” said player Doug Wadley.
For Wadley, the sort has quickly become part of his routine. He’s been playing for just about a month and already has his own racquet. “I started seeing it pop up on social media, and I was wishing a place would open up,” he said.
The idea of The Padel Den started during a vacation to Puerto Rico for brothers Kyle and Parker Quinlan. “We saw two courts and were so intrigued,” said Kyle. “We asked the people playing if we could hop in and learn the rules, and fell in love with it.”
The brothers say Utah felt like the perfect place to help grow the sport. “I think Utah they love racquet sports, they love community, and I think that’s what this sport does best at,” Parker said.
The sport’s popularity has rapidly expanded worldwide in recent years. According to the International Padel Federation, padel has grown from being played in about 50 countries to more than 150 in just five years.
“I think it’s going to blow up here in the United States, I think everywhere, every state, everywhere could use this sport,” Parker said.
Even though Utahns are known for loving pickleball, players at The Padel Den say this is only the beginning of Utah’s padel era. “Everybody in Utah is new, nobody here is really pro, nobody has been playing it for a long time, so just come learn with everyone have fun with everyone and it’s just a good fun time,” Wadley said.
If you would like to book a time on the court or learn more about The Padel Den, you can go to padeldenusa.com.
