This story is sponsored by Surge Padel.
The UK’s largest premium indoor padel tennis centre has ‘surged’ in popularity, with players travelling from across the country for games.
Based at Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park, Surge Padel has grown to 1,400 members, with its six courts often fully booked.
Owner and CEO Stuart Perrin said members often play up to four times a week and he puts the sport’s popularity down to its simplicity.
He said:
“You serve underhand and the ball stays in play a lot longer than tennis. It’s a lot less technical, so people of all ages and abilities can play. It’s also super social as you play in pairs. Once you’ve played a few times you just keep coming back.”
A mashup of tennis and squash that originated in Mexico, padel has been described as one of the world’s fastest growing sports.
It is played between four players on reduced-size tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.
Since November 2020, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has been the national governing body for the sport when it was officially recognised as a discipline of tennis. This has opened the door for greater recognition, support and funding.
Mr Perrin said:
“Because it is so fresh in the UK, we get people travelling to play. We get people from Middlesbrough and the far side of Leeds regularly.
“There aren’t facilities like this anywhere else, especially fully indoors.
“We have people coming from far and wide. I would say around 900 of our members are from the Harrogate district and the rest are from further afield.”
Surge Padel, which is located above Coach gym, is now a centre of excellence for the UK is fully affiliated with the LTA. It has hosted European Championships and events are held at the club most weekends.
Mr Perrin said:
“We are the largest padel tennis club in the UK and are member based. We’ve only been open since January 2022 and it is now getting really difficult to book a court on an evening, as it’s so popular. If we could have built a bigger site, we would have done!
“We have got a further four centres opening in 2023. One of those will hopefully be in Leeds.
“We offer state-of-the-art facilities at an affordable price.”
Book your court space or join as a member for the best benefits. Find out more and join the fastest growing sport in the UK.
Why Harrogate’s Stuart Perrin set up the UK’s first affordable boutique gym
This story is sponsored by Coach.
Join the Fitness Revolution with Coach Gyms Harrogate
After operating a health and fitness setting in Harrogate years ago, Stuart Perrin spotted a gap in the market for a luxury gym that doesn’t cost the earth.
The former resident of the town is now the owner and CEO of Coach, the UK’s first affordable boutique gym.
Launching in Leeds in 2020, he went on to open a £1.5m site at Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park in January this year with more in the pipeline.
He said:
“There’s a real gap for a quality product at affordable rates in the town. There was an option to pay a small fortune or next to nothing.
“But there was a huge gap in the middle for people wanting quality but without the high prices.
“Coach itself is a boutique health and fitness concept, which basically means in a nutshell everything is really high-end; fixtures, fittings, experience.
“However, we offer it an affordable price. If you were going to a club like this in London, you would be paying £200 a month. Here you can join for as little as £29.
“It’s something very different and is the biggest gym in Harrogate as well. Since we opened in January, we’ve overtaken every other club from a membership size and perspective quite significantly.”
Coach boasts more than 200 pieces of state-of-the art equipment, as well as over 200 instructor-led fitness classes across four studios.
Surge Padel, where members can play one of the world’s fastest growing sports, can also be found on the first floor.
Mr Perrin added that there was a large focus on providing a female-friendly experience – a segment he feels is under-represented in the current market.
He said:
“Although we’re not a ladies only gym, we are definitely geared towards females when it comes to communication and experience – even down to the lighting.
“The lighting levels in Coach are quite low, a bit like a nightclub. Research went into the exact lighting level we need to achieve to make women feel less self-conscious.”
Since launching in Harrogate on January 21, Mr Perrin said the reception in the town had been “exceptional”.
He said:
“Within that time we have grown the business really fast and it has been really exciting. People come and see the product and unless they want a swimming pool, they wouldn’t join anywhere else. That’s not us being arrogant, I believe the value for money we offer is unrivalled.”