Arsonist Sets Fire to Controversial Santa Monica Pickleball Club

America's fastest-growing sport is fast becoming its most controversial.

A fire that caused serious damage to a pickleball club in Los Angeles is being treated as suspected arson, according to KTLA.

The Santa Monica Pickleball Center in Santa Monica's Memorial Park has confirmed that the fire ended up destroying thousands of dollars worth of equipment — including nets, balls, and paddles — being kept in a storage shed.

The blaze happened early Monday morning at around 1 a.m. It also ended up damaging a fence adjacent to the scorched shed.

KTLA reports the Santa Monica Pickleball Club has more than 1,800 active members. The club is a nonprofit, established to expose the public to the sport free of charge.

For the unfamiliar, pickleball is a scaled-down version of tennis, except instead of rackets, paddles are used — and rather than a fuzzy green ball, players smack a perforated, hollow plastic ball back and forth.

Due to its incredible growth in popularity — and because pickleball players often take over courts that are already hard to come by in many cities and towns — the sport has developed a reputation as a nuisance, particularly among tennis players.

It's also loud, as many people who live near pickleball courts attest.

KTLA spoke to some of the Santa Monica club's members, and at least one suspects pickleball haters are behind the blaze after the park converted tennis courts into pickleball courts.

"Some people don't like the pickleball community for several reasons," offered Lynn Soodik. "Tennis instructors now don't give as many lessons at Memorial [Park] as they used to. Tennis players have less access. Also, there are some private pickleball players who don't like the club because we provide public play for everybody."

The club has vowed to rebuild, and has already started receiving donations of equipment from area merchants.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the fire continues. Those with any information about the suspected arson are asked to contact the Santa Monica Police or the Santa Monica Fire Department.