Pickleball has been played on cruise ships, oil rigs, and Himalayan rooftops. But Antarctica may be its most improbable stop yet.
In late 2024, Lt. Colonel Jared Wood, an Air Force Reserve pilot, briefly rallied a pickleball on the ice near McMurdo Station during a routine C-17 mission supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program.
The flight crew typically has only a few hours on the ground, spent unloading cargo, refueling, and preparing for departure. On this day, Wood and a fellow crewmember squeezed in something unexpected.
→ This Week: Think your outdoor courts are cold right now? | Slo-mo point perfection | Spanish pickleball isn’t run by a pickleball org
The Coldest Game of Pickleball?
Image: Colonel Jared Wood
PICKLEBALL ON THE SEVENTH CONTINENT
Imagine: pickleball with no wait times and no confusing sign up process.
The catch? Temperatures frequently dipping below zero and no court lines or net.
Playing a true outdoor game on Antarctica, Colonel Jared Wood notes, would be difficult. Traction would require mini spikes, making it more spectacle than sport, and environmental protections rule out anything invasive like spray-painting court lines.
Still, the continent isn’t entirely pickleball-free.
“We thought it would be a novelty to hit the ball around,” Wood said.
“We’d been playing every day while not working in Christchurch.”
Wood says he’s been told that pickleball is played indoors at McMurdo’s recreation center, where controlled conditions make the game feasible year-round.
If an outdoor version were ever attempted, timing would be critical.
“January and February would be ideal,” Wood explained. Outside of the Antarctic summer, extreme cold, high winds, and limited daylight make play impossible.
McMurdo Station, Antarctica (Source: USAP.gov)
The moment Jared and company spent hitting the ball around outside wasn’t about proving pickleball belongs on the ice.
What we found interesting about Jared’s story is that it demonstrates where people already play regularly, they’ll find a way to keep playing anywhere…a quality we see in pickleball communities all over the world.
Even at the bottom of the planet, between cargo pallets and flight schedules, pickleball found a way to show up, if only for a few swings.
📺 Catch the clip of them playing here.
The “BEST” Point?
Look at the title of this video — did they mean the best point played in Brazil, or the best point…that just happened to be played there?
Regardless of the subjectivity of a “best point,” we can admit that we rarely get the chance to see such a clearly captured, higher-level point completely in slow motion.
Watch the clip here.
JOOLA Pro IV: Pro-Level Design, Real-World Results
JOOLA’s new Pro IV line is what happens when you let elite players and engineers tinker until everything feels right. Perseus, Magnus, Scorpeus, Hyperion – plus the Agassi and Graf shapes – all share a refined core with added high-density foam in the throat to expand the sweet spot, calm vibration, and keep the paddle stable through heavy hands battles.
Number You Should Know
1
Unlike other countries where multiple organizations compete for control over pickleball, Spain has placed pickleball under one single organization’s oversight, and it doesn’t even have “pickleball” in its name: the Real Federación Española de Tenis.
Source: Global Pickleball Report research.
SPAIN DOESN’T NEED ANOTHER RACQUET SPORT…
…It already has a strong tennis tradition and one of the world’s most mature padel ecosystems. Yet, pickleball is taking hold anyway, not as a disruptor, but as a complement.
Spain’s national tennis federation estimates roughly 20,000 active pickleball players, a figure echoed by national media, with growth increasingly channeled through established clubs rather than informal play.
Governance now sits within the Real Federación Española de Tenis, signaling a shift from curiosity to structure.
National-scale tournaments, hundreds of participants, and federation-backed circuits point to what makes Spain a uniquely fertile home for pickleball: strong club culture, efficient facilities, and a sport that fits cleanly between generations.
The Bulletin Board
Interesting tidbits from within the pickleball community:
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Letter from the Editor
PICKLEBALL ALWAYS BREAKS THE ICE
Pickleball has a funny way of revealing what actually matters.
In Spain, it’s not novelty driving the sport forward, it’s structure. Clubs, federations, and competitive pathways are quietly doing the work that turns interest into permanence.
At the other extreme of the map, structure gives way to something more elemental. While much of the Northern Hemisphere bemoans foul winter weather and the lack of outdoor pickleball opportunities, consider the lengths some players go to for even a quick back-and-forth in subzero temperatures and high winds.
This week’s stories sit at opposite ends of the world, but together they tell the same truth: pickleball isn’t spreading because it’s easy, it’s spreading because people keep finding ways to play.
Do not hesitate to email Adam or connect with him on LinkedIn with questions, concerns, or story ideas!
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