Pickleball Meets Reality TV Show: Lonny “Hurricane” Anger, a Parkland, Florida resident and owner of Custom Pickleball Courts, has turned the construction of pickleball courts into a reality TV-style show. His new series, Court Kings, debuted earlier this month on YouTube, showcasing the behind-the-scenes process of building courts while featuring his dynamic construction team.
Anger, a fan of reality television, was inspired to bring the excitement of his industry to a broader audience. His company builds courts for private homes, HOAs, country clubs, schools, and parks across Florida.
“Our goal is to spread pickleball to the world – creating your dream court right where you live and play.” – (company’s official website)
The Inspiration Behind Court Kings
The idea for the show came after Anger watched Tanked, a series about aquarium construction. He reached out to Brett Raymer, a star of the show, for guidance.
“I reached out to Brett Raymer, and he responded to me! I told him that I had this pickleball idea, and that I was hoping to gain some guidance from someone who had been there and done it before in reality television.” – (Anger said in an interview with TAPinto Parkland)
Encouraged by the conversation, Anger pitched a show focused on celebrities’ pickleball courts to an actress’s team in Los Angeles. Despite initial interest, he never received a response. Determined to move forward, he turned his focus to his own team, believing they had strong enough personalities to carry a show.
“He really provided me with some great guidance, and we spoke for about an hour. Also, I had been contacted by the office of an actress in LA that wanted me to build a pickleball court. I told them I was unable to because I am only licensed in Florida, but I would be happy to guide them through the process. Once I realized her interest, I just threw out the idea of doing a show around celebrities’ pickleball courts. They asked me to put something together with some ideas, and I sent that off the following day. After that, crickets.” – (Anger)
Launching Court Kings
Anger and his crew—Alex “Mufasa” Lanzetta, Paul “Gucci” Roschfska, and Jerry “Cruise” Duncan—filmed a sizzle reel and created a pitch deck, sending it to major studios. Most responses stated that they “do not accept unsolicited pitches.” Facing this challenge, they decided to self-fund the project and release it on social media.
“We filmed a sizzle reel and wrote a pitch deck. We sent it to every major studio. We got the same response from those who chose to respond with ‘We do not accept unsolicited pitches,’ so we pivoted and decided to try to make this advertiser funded.” – (Anger)
The premiere episode description reads.
“Construction chaos meets pickleball perfection! Get ready for Court Kings, the show where we build dreams, smash challenges, and maybe, just maybe, spill some paint along the way.”
Spreading the Word
Anger remains committed to growing the show’s audience. He explained that while advertisers wanted viewership data, Court Kings had not yet launched, making it difficult to secure funding.
“Despite some very positive conversations, most wanted to see (viewership) numbers. But the problem was we hadn’t aired a show yet, so it was something we could not provide. Ultimately, we decided to fund it ourselves and launch it across all social media platforms.” – (Anger)
Instead, the team took the independent route, producing the show on their own and leveraging social media for exposure. In the first episode, Anger concludes with enthusiasm.
“I’m proud to be here. I love building pickleball courts, and hope to build yours soon. We’re excited to have you guys take the journey with us on building courts.” – (Anger)
The Future of Court Kings
With pickleball’s rapid growth, Court Kings has the potential to attract a dedicated following. If the show gains traction, it could lead to sponsorship deals and future episodes featuring high-profile projects.
For now, Anger and his team continue building courts and sharing their work online, hoping to inspire players and viewers.
News in Brief: Pickleball Meets Reality TV Show
Lonny “Hurricane” Anger, owner of Custom Pickleball Courts, launched Court Kings, a YouTube reality show about building pickleball courts. Inspired by Tanked, he sought TV deals but ultimately self-funded the project. The show features his construction team tackling court builds, aiming to grow through social media exposure.