Game Changer On The Court and in the Community: Mark Beach

How One Entrepreneur Is Blending Business Smarts with Pickleball Passion to Build the “Friendliest Place to Play” on Maui

Kihei, Maui—For Mark Beach, pickleball isn’t just a pastime— it’s a purpose. A seasoned entrepreneur with roots stretching from Seattle to Bend to Maui, he and his wife Nancy have transformed their love for the game into a mission: building Aloha Pickleball, a world-class facility in Kihei that embodies the spirit of aloha and community.

With 18 dedicated courts—including a grandstand and championship court—Aloha Pickleball is shaping up to be way more than just a place to play.

The vision? To create the friendliest place to play pickleball, where players of all levels feel right at home.

The complex will feature a full fitness center, recovery amenities like a cold plunge and infrared sauna, and a pickleball academy with top-tier instructors and video playback. Add in a fully stocked pro shop, places to relax and connect, and food and drinks by Maui Brewing Co., and you’ve got a space designed to bring people together—whether you’re training for competition or just dropping in for some fun.

In this edition of Game Changers, we explore Mark’s journey from discovering pickleball in 2013 to spearheading a project that intertwines his business acumen with his passion for the sport.

Let’s dive in.

From Bend to the Islands: A Pickleball Journey

Where are you originally from, and what brought you to Maui?

I was born & raised in the Seattle area, though throughout my life I have been able to call New York, Denver, Las Vegas, Bend, Oregon and now Maui home. My wife Nancy and I first visited Maui in 1990 and purchased our first Maui home 20 years ago.

When and how did you discover pickleball?

I was first introduced to the sport in 2013 while living in Bend, Oregon, though Nancy went to High School in Seattle with the children of pickleball’s founders, the Pritchards and McCallums, and Nancy first played in the 1970s.

The Dream Takes Shape: Building Aloha Pickleball

What inspired you to start working on building a dedicated pickleball facility here on Maui?

We had never experienced anything quite like pickleball, and its ability to bring people together of all ages and backgrounds. We wanted to be a part of building community, friendships, creating opportunities, healthy lifestyles, and helping develop future generations of players.

Can you tell us about the vision behind Aloha Pickleball — what makes it special or different?

Our goal is to build a world-class facility that infuses Pickleball with Aloha, thus creating the friendliest place to play. We will have 18 tournament courts, including a stadium and a championship court with a private box.

All courts will be lit and fenced, and nine of the courts will be covered. We will offer a fully equipped pro shop, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a recovery and wellness component that will feature EWOT, cold plunge, infrared sauna, PEMF, red light and massage. We will also have a pickleball academy with classroom and court video recording options.

We are building the facility to be able to host professional and amateur events and provide a venue for local Hawaii-based pros to train. We are also thrilled to be partnering with the Maui Brewing Restaurant Group that will provide all the food & beverage offerings onsite.

What stage is the project in now, and what’s the latest update?

It has been a long slow process, having purchased the land in 2021 and working with our architects, consultants and the County. We are currently awaiting one last sign-off from the Water Department and then we can plan the groundbreaking for later this year. Construction will take approximately 12 months.

What’s been the most rewarding — and most challenging — part of launching a facility like this?

The most rewarding is always the people and relationships—we all know how wonderful the pickleball Ohana is. This has and will continue to be a team effort. Renee Zaima has played a huge role on the pickleball side and Brock Lutes has and will continue to contribute to the fitness center and personal training aspects of the facility. The challenges have been many; the time requirements and the cost to build in Hawaii are two of the largest, though we have been focused on finding the silver lining to the challenges. Some of these have come in the form of a small group of investor partners that share our vision and will contribute both financially and with their expertise.

Why did you feel Maui needed a private facility like this, and how do you see it serving the local community?

First, let me say that we support the building of new public courts and the improvement and repair of existing public courts, as this is much needed and a role for local government. The scope and role of our facility goes beyond the traditional role of government, yet we believe the public and private sectors can complement one another, especially as it relates to pickleball. Our facility will be a hybrid model that offers membership options and will be open to the public and visitors every day. We will sponsor and host community events, offer senior and youth programs such as after school programs, camps and open play opportunities. We want all of Hawaii to be proud of this facility and we look forward to welcoming the global pickleball Ohana to Hawaii to showcase our beautiful islands, the wonderful pickleball talent and Aloha Spirit.

Note: We hopped on video with Mark and Renee Zaima about the Aloha

Pickleball project in March of 2024. Check out the video interview HERE.

Purpose-Driven Leadership

You’ve had a successful business career — how have your past experiences helped shape this project?

Yes, for me it’s all about the purpose or the ‘Why’, creating a great team and opportunities for others, including team members, customers and vendors. There is no better vehicle than pickleball for healing what ails us.

What advice would you give to others who want to turn their passion into a lasting contribution?

Focus on the outcome you want, act and persevere. Look for the lessons in the roadblocks—the journey rarely goes as planned.

Are you officially retired, or is Aloha Pickleball your full-time adventure?

I still do some business consulting, though most of my time is dedicated to Aloha Pickleball.

How often are you playing these days — and what do you love most about the game?

Ideally, I like to play every other day. I love the people and that the game will never be mastered.

What paddle are you using, and what do you like about it?

I play with the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 14mm paddle. I like the blend of power and control, the elongated reach and the paddle is amazingly quiet.

When you’re not working on the facility or playing pickleball, how do you spend your time?

I love spending time with family and our grandchildren! And of course, there are always projects around the house which I enjoy…most of the time!

Looking Ahead

What are you most excited about in the months ahead?

A groundbreaking party and putting shovels in the ground!

What do you hope people feel or experience when they step onto the courts at Aloha Pickleball?

I hope they enjoy the beauty, the design and the offerings of the facility. And of course we want them to feel, embrace and add to the spirit of Aloha while playing pickleball in paradise.