Above All Else at SXSW

Local filmmaker and Daryl Hannah shine spotlight on Keystone XL Pipeline battle in East Texas

Sometimes the battle in your own backyard represents a struggle on a global scale.

In the documentary Above All Else, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10, a local conflict is in the national spotlight. The film follows the efforts of David Daniel, a landowner in East Texas, who joins up with fellow local residents and visiting activists to fight the installation of the southern stretch of the Keystone XL Pipeline by TransCanada, which would transport crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to terminals near the Gulf of Mexico.

With his legal options drying up, Daniel and several environmental activists create a treetop blockade on his property directly in the path of the proposed pipeline. It’s an emotional battle that hits close to home for many Texans, and one that director John Fiege and executive producer Daryl Hannah are hoping to attract even more attention to with their film.

Speaking to CultureMap, Fiege and Hannah discussed what first attracted them to the forests and pastures of East Texas, and why this location is the frontline in the global fight against climate change.

Fiege first learned of the tension brewing in East Texas while covering the aftermath of the BP oil spill, Fiege . "It really made my ears perk up, because it seemed like a sea-change in the way that the environmental movement was engaging with these issues. People were going back into the streets," he says.

"Here are folks who are looking at a single project that has not been approved even. And they’re deciding to focus on that project and stopping it, and this is a proactive way to deal with climate change."

For Hannah, the East Texas battle is an important measure in halting climate change on a global level. "It is one of most important conduits for the further expansion of the Alberta tar sands," says Hannah. "It’s now the size of the UK and right now they have approvals that would make it the size of Florida. It’s the largest industrial project on the planet, and it’s also considered to be the most destructive industrial project on the planet."

Hannah, who previously rallied opposition along the northern pipeline route in Canada and the U.S., was compelled to cover the South because of relative silence. "I was drawn to [Texas] because I realized this pipeline is a fuse to that expansion in Canada," says Hannah. "I participated in some things along the northern route with the First Nations tribes and ranchers. And when I found out that the southern route was fast-tracked it wasn’t being covered at all. It was almost like it was done under the table."

A company with the resources of TransCanada can afford to fast-track production of a pipeline thanks to robust financial resources, a privilege that families and individuals in rural East Texas are unable to match. In fact, Daniel was eventually forced to reach an agreement with TransCanada over fears that he would not be able to afford a potential lawsuit. Since then, Fiege says, the team hasn't heard from Daniel nor has he been able to provide comments regarding the film.

"I don’t know the extent of it," says Hannah, "but I got a message on Facebook from [Daniel's] sister last night and she was irate in terms of the threats he’s up against if he says anything about the film."

"I think one of the things the film reveals is the immense power that corporations now hold over our political system, our economic system and over people," Fiege says. "I didn’t expect to find that story, but it’s the one that emerged."

Following the premiere of the film at SXSW, Fiege and Hannah are planning an extensive fall tour of universities and community organizations where the film will be screened and the team can educate people on the issue at hand.

"It’s a human, universal story that we think people from all types of backgrounds are going to respond to, so we just to be out there with the film as much as possible and get people engaged and informed and talking about these issues," says Fiege.

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Above All Else will screen again for SXSW Film on Saturday, March 15.

David Daniel, a landowner in East Texas, attempts to halt the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline in the documentary feature Above All Else.

David Daniel of east Texas in a tree from the SXSW documentary Above All Else

Photo courtesy of Above All Else

David Daniel, a landowner in East Texas, attempts to halt the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline in the documentary feature Above All Else.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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