Carson, California — America’s fastest growing sport, but this week pickleball game The iconic Goodyear Airship reached even higher heights: 1,500 feet.
On Wednesday, a match was held between professionals Anna Lee Waters, Katherine Parenteau and Jay DeVilliers on a blimp flying over Carson, California.
And, marking a new pinnacle for the aircraft itself, the blimp will broadcast from the air Sunday’s Professional Pickleball Association Tour Finals in San Clemente, California, marking the first time the sport has received the Goodyear blimp treatment. It’s my first time.
“We basically invented air sports broadcasting,” said Taylor Dean, a Goodyear blimp pilot for 12 years.
Over the years, Goodyear blimps served as part of the U.S. Navy’s defense teams in World War II and were named by aviation icons such as Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride. It has also broadcast emergency signals during natural disasters, such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
However, 1955 ushered in a new era for the fleet. With the rise of television, Goodyear flew over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, becoming the first aviation platform to broadcast live television events.
The airship was there when the first Super Bowl opened on CBS in 1967.
“We fly over all the big events,” Dean said. “…Super Bowl, NASCAR, World Cup, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals. So if we’re going to be there, it’s usually a pretty big event.”
A new game has been added to the roster.
Anna Lee Waters, 16, the world’s No. 1 pickleball player, said, “I’ve been on a blimp before. I’ve seen it at sporting events, too.” She said, “…I always thought that when the Goodyear blimp comes, your sport will be successful. That’s why I think pickleball is successful right now.”
The sport has been a huge hit since the pandemic, with 8.9 million people playing in the U.S. in 2022, according to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
“It just kind of exploded,” Waters said. “So, I was really happy to be in this sport, because when I started playing, I was 10 years old, and now I’m 16. So, I’ve grown up with this sport. ”
Pioneers from the court and the air are elevating the game to “airship-worthy” status.