- The SLC Padel Club launched Utah’s first padel facility with an aim to foster community and belonging.
- Padel, combining tennis and squash, is played on enclosed courts with walls.
- Cofounder Pedro Bautista encourages participation in the group’s social events to build friendships through padel.
SALT LAKE CITY — Even as a newcomer, the SLC Padel Club is seeking to build community and belonging as it introduces Utah to padel.
If you’ve never heard of padel before, you’re not alone. The SLC Padel Club, which opened in September, is the only padel club in Utah. The sport, invented in 1969, originated in Mexico and gained popularity throughout much of Latin America and Spain.
Enrique Corcuera created the first recognizable court at his holiday home in Acapulco, Mexico. He didn’t have enough space for a full regulation tennis court, so he made a court that had cement walls close to the boundary lines…