Pickleball may be all the rage in your neighborhood, but if you want a change of scenery, float on over to Fort Lauderdale\u2019s Pier 66. That\u2019s where Alex Miranda is LIVE and on a pickleball court, Alex?<\/p>\n
Hey girls! The one way to make anything better, as you know, is to put it on the water. That\u2019s exactly what the iconic Pier 66 is doing with pickleball.<\/p>\n
Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale hasn\u2019t just raised the bar; it\u2019s floating it.<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cFor those of us who had not been to Pier 66 since this incredible redevelopment, tell me what kind of an oasis we\u2019re standing in the center of right now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Ives, Hotel Manager: \u201cYeah, well, first off, if you haven\u2019t been here, this is 32 acres of a giant playground. There\u2019s 12 restaurants and bars on this property. Luxury spa just kind of goes on and on. And that\u2019s not even including the marina.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where you can now play pickleball on a giant floating court right over the Intracoastal Waterway.<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cThere are many places to play pickleball in South Florida at this point, but that\u2019s, I\u2019d say, one of the most unique.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Ives, Hotel Manager: \u201cWe knew that we were going to be attracting a lot of families and local guests, so we wanted to give them something else to do on property.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cYou\u2019re literally on the water playing. Like, what? That\u2019s so fun, but I will say that I really just want to bounce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cWhat does that feel like when you\u2019re out on that court?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Ives, Hotel Manager: \u201cA little bouncy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cThat is so much fun. It\u2019s almost like an adult bounce house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt: \u201cYou kind of got to catch your balance a little bit, and you feel the water beneath you. It\u2019s really cool. The part that I really love is I like to run around and try to make plays. So if I know I got to dive for something, I got a wall catching me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hour-long rentals are $60 for up to four players, with paddles, balls, chilled towels, and bottled water included.<\/p>\n
Matt: \u201cBeauty of pickleball is the barrier to entry is very low. You could have someone like me who\u2019s 27 or someone in elementary school play with someone who\u2019s 80 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cI mean, I\u2019m not, but are you guys good at pickleball?\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cHorrible. Horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cSo this is actually perfect for me because I\u2019ll be having a good time doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Ives, Hotel Manager: \u201cIt\u2019s about having fun. It\u2019s kind of the love child of tennis, badminton, and ping pong all on a court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cThere\u2019s another competition. Who has the better sort of winning dance, and who do you think takes that cake?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt: \u201cI might have to give that one to Alec.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cWe\u2019re showing alpha-dog energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alec: \u201cExactly. I got that dog in me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt: \u201cI like when he celebrates because that\u2019s added, you know, fuel to the fire for me, but ends up being to his detriment at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alec: \u201cThat\u2019s a winner right there. He usually beats me, I\u2019ll be honest. But we have good games, you know, it\u2019s competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
It can be.<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cWe\u2019re gonna lock in, and she\u2019s not gonna know what hit her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Miranda: \u201cAre you planning on hitting her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cOkay, with the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh, and the views ain\u2019t bad either.<\/p>\n
Matt: \u201cIt might get a little distracting at times, you know, looking at a boat going by or one of these beautiful buildings. But, you know, this is why you live in Florida, to be able to do things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Ives, Hotel Manager: \u201cYou\u2019ve got this almost little cabana lounge set up out front. People are drinking, you know, champagne and Aperol spritzes and watching their friends play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guest: \u201cWe\u2019re definitely going to be coming back and bringing all of our friends. This is so much fun. Or a double date.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can make a reservation by clicking here<\/a>. <\/p>\n