With this summer marking the 60th anniversary of pickleball, it’s high time to pay some more attention to one of the fastest growing sports this century. Seemingly only getting more popular with time and showing no signs of stopping, the pickleball craze has swept the nation in recent years.

Controversial Origins

The origin of the name “pickleball” is embroiled in controversy. Some people swear it’s named after one of the creators’ dogs, Pickles, who would chase after the ball during the game Others say its name harkens back to the “leftover rowers who would race for fun in local ‘pickle boat’ crew race competitions.” While the story about the infamous dog, Pickles, is more clear-cut, the “pickle boat” origin story has the advantage of having its roots in the state of Washington, where pickleball was founded. It’s difficult to decide which one is closer to the truth, and it would be foolish to try to settle this debate here. Whatever the case may be, the name stuck, and the newly christened game took off in the following decades.

The first pickleball tournament was held in 1976, and by 1990, the sport had swept all 50 states.

USA Pickleball (USAP), the official national association for the sport, has grown dramatically in the past decade, with membership increasing from 10,000 members in 2015 to more than 70,000 members in 2023. This organization was established to promote the growth of pickleball and has become the go-to source for official rules, tournaments, and approval for the best equipment in the game.

Suit Up: What You’ll Need

Selkirk, Joola, and CRBN are widely considered the gold standards of pickleball paddle manufacturing. The industry has become a hub of constant innovation, with manufacturers experimenting across styles, materials, and technologies. Paddles typically come in three different styles—Epic, Invicta, and Tour—and offer versatility with several handle sizes. Material experimentation has also advanced rapidly. The best is a Selkirk Project 008 in the Epic style, featuring a cutting-edge PureFoam core that promises enhanced durability and performance for years to come.

From Niche to Phenomenon

  Adobe

According to SFIA’s 2025 Annual Report, pickleball participation has seen a massive increase in popularity. Their study revealed a 43.9% average annual gain in total participation over the last five years, a 311.0% average annual gain over the last three years, and a 45.8% increase between 2023 and 2024. This goes to show that pickleball’s popularity has not only steadily grown in the past decade, but that the post-pandemic period in particular has drawn newcomers to the sport in droves. These numbers speak for themselves in isolation, but, interestingly enough, many other racquet sports haven’t experienced the same boost in popularity. In fact, other stringed sports saw a decline in participation year over year. The second most popular racquet sport, tennis, was far behind pickleball at a meager 8.0% year-to-year increase over the last five years. This goes to show that Americans aren’t quitting sports overall—they’re just playing more pickleball! l

Fun facts:

Did you know that there are now 30 members in the Pickleball Hall of Fame since its founding in 2017?

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