Whether you play, know a dinking buddy, or have just heard the distinctive pop-swoosh of a pickleball paddle connecting with a ball, you know: Pickleball is the hottest sport of the moment. While pickleball has been around Traverse City since 1985, it has exploded in popularity in the last five years as more and more folks pick up a paddle for the first time.

In this week's Northern Express, sister publication of The Ticker, writer Ellen Miller looks at the history of pickleball in this area and its meteoric rise in popularity in recent years. The numbers - including the players, courts, businesses, and gear surrounding the sport - don't lie: Pickleball might just be the nation's (and northern Michigan's) new favorite pasttime.

The Northern Express is available to read online, or pick up a free copy on newsstands at nearly 700 spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.