Penny Effen Smith Pickleball

08/01/2026

Due to guest illness, I have availability now to host a small group for the Croatian Open (August 26-28) in Split and a week or so exploring from my home base on Brač or alternatively a 2-week pickleball tour of Croatia starting after September 2. 20% discount for the person who puts a group of 5-8 friends together for a beautiful adventure!

Below a few group photos from the last tour. It was awesome! :)
www.effensmithpickleball.com

08/01/2026

Just a few recent pickleball photos and videos, as I prepare to say goodbye to the States until Thanksgiving. It was great to get to play lots of fun pickleball this trip! :) 2 more PB days in DC and York before I fly out on Tuesday! Below: State College, PA; Wisco family farm; video of my 90-year-old dad killing it back in PA; and old buddy on the courts at Walter Reed (after 4.5 hours of play).

06/14/2026

As I head to Zagreb to meet up with a nice small group of pickleball players from around the world to share my love of Croatia with them for the next two week, I appreciate that we are now traveling by van and staying in apartments...but would not give up the adventure I survived as a strong and independent 22-year-old biking across Yugoslavia for anything! :)

There is a lot to be said for the slow travel of biking.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-198532009

05/18/2026

05/10/2026

What a fun day watching so many serendipities play out: got the spend the past two days with a friend I met at a 5-day cancer/pickleball retreat 8 years ago, and her husband), who got inspired to visit Croatia from my posts, and her stay in Split coincided with a chance encounter with a new pickleball player at the Brač courts who I thought looked like he could become a good player, and turns out he is a 4-time Olympic athlete and bronze medalist in crew, who happened to be rowing in a traditional race of the "Legends" of Split vs. Oxford and Cambridge in Split today...so ferried over and met up with Judy and Rob and watched Igor Boraska race, and hit some balls on the Riva with both of them to do a little promo! :) Postcards now also on display at the Split tourist office...and there are indeed plenty of tourists in Split! :)