PICKLE GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

The fastest growing sport in the world might be enroute to the 2028 Olympics. In the meantime, it’s bringing maximum fun

BY ERICA COMMISSO

IT’S A WEIRD SIGHT TO SEE—A SMALL field, roughly the size of a doubles badminton court—populated with people of all ages, sizes and expert levels. A 47-year-old woman, wielding a fibreglass paddle with pickle graphics, facing off against a young man in expensive, brightly coloured sneakers—and remaining fiercely competitive. Katy Luxem turned to the sport she had fond high school memories of when she injured both of her ankles in roller derby in 2019, forcing her to hang up her skates. She’s from Seattle, the mecca of pickleball and the birthplace of the world’s fastest growing sport, and her hometown offered her the solution she needed. “I was looking for a way to do something competitive and athletic, get a workout in, but wanted it to be fun, so I picked up pickleball and started training again. I found it to be fun and inclusive,” she says. “Right during the pandemic, I feel like it started to take off, because people wanted to do something social but distant, but also be outside.”

Pickleball has taken the world by storm, sweeping grandmothers, high schoolers, celebrities, stoners and every one in between in its midst. There’s already rumours suggesting that the sport, which was originally invented just outside of Seattle in 1965 by an American politician and a wealthy businessman (seriously) will become an official Olympic sport in 2028. In short, it’s blowing up. There’s epic shots of Bill Gates playing, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kim Kardashian. Apparently LeBron James is a fan, and so is Jamie Foxx. And George Clooney. There’s even a CBD sponsor of the Association of Pickleball Professionals, SUNMED. “This partnership allows us to highlight the wellness benefits of CBD. We’re excited to showcase our science-based, award-winning, third partytested, and globally recognized products and our soon to be launched Pain Relief Roll-on and Topical Spray products can help players perform at their best and experience quick, natural, and effective muscle pain relief so players can get back on the court,” said the SUNMED CEO in a press release, touting the partnership.

Pickleball has come a long way since its origin story. Back then, the politician, Joel Pritchard, and the businessman, Bill Bell, sought to offer their bored children the only thing they could think of that would satisfy: a friendly badminton match. When they realised they did not have the necessary equipment to execute the solution, they improvised—reaching for some ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. The result was a game that garnered unanimous support from the nolonger-bored children, which would go on to be named pickleball. Now, some of the Toronto Maple Leafs own a pickleball team and the Toronto Blue Jays are giving out pickleball paddles at games.

Canadian retailer Tyrol operates in both Canada and the United States, and developed the sport’s first dedicated shoe in December of 2018. Kevin Huckle, the company’s CEO, says the idea came after his wife told him he was flunking retirement. “My wife took up the sport in 2017 while we were in Naples, Florida and we went out to purchase her a pair of shoes. She was complaining that every shoe she tried was giving her foot pain and in particular sore toes,” he says. “I was disappointed in what was being offered and suggested to her that I thought we could build a better product than some large national athletic footwear brands.”

Tyrol’s pickleball shoe, imagined by Huckle, officially hit the market the next year. “We developed our own last—the foot form that is used to build shoe around—to ensure we could build proper toe height and allow for correct lateral support,” Huckle says. “We tested several upper designs until we found the proper density that would give both comfort and support on the court. We worked with a number of instructors who were on their feet for six to eight hours a day before we launched our first shoe in 2018.”

Luxem also found a way to market pickleball, founding the Big Dill Pickleball Co. as the pandemic raged on. She began selling her products online in March of 2021. “I specifically designed the products for a beginner or intermediate player who’s maybe played with their friend on the weekend and wants to grab their own gear,” she said. “Pickleball, it’s got a funny name and there’s lots of funny words, so I wanted to capture the pickle element and put it on the paddle. I thought it would be kind of a nod to the fact that this is a fun, unique sport that everyone can play.”

Like the celebrities and the CBD companies, both Huckle’s shoe and Luxem’s gear appeal to the increasing group of people who were drawn to the sport. “I think the main reason is that everyone can play,” Huckle says. “It’s a game that reawakens your competitive spirit for retirees who are getting off the couch and enjoying a fun way to get their workouts and daily steps in and families started to play and the kids are also seeing that it is a lot of fun. The game can get super competitive and tournaments then started and people found they could compete at events. The sport now pro players are playing in tournaments for sizable cash purses.”

Pickleball is probably the only sport in the world that sees professional accountants and retirees sign up for its Canadian national league. “The diversity of the athletes trying out for the CNPL is reflecting both the diversity of Canada’s population and the diversity of pickleball itself,” says Mike McAnnich of the Canadian National Pickleball League. “Pickleball players often come from other sports backgrounds and all racquet sports are currently seeing a surge in diversity both in terms of age and ethnicity.”

Of course, the pandemic helped the rapid growth of the sport, as the naturally socially distant dynamic and sense of community perfectly aligned with the selected antidote of the masses. It’s an inexpensive hobby to pick up, requires little to expertise, and requires nothing more than a summer day. It’s an easy thing to equate to summer and, in warmer climates like Luxem’s adopted home of Utah, can be played year round, though peak season for other climates is obviously the summer. “Golf is probably the only other sport that you can play with both your 7-year-old and your grandma,” Luxem says. “As more courts are being built in recreation centres and in free spaces where people can play, the summer is going to be the peak season for the sport for sure.”

Established in November of 2022, Mike McAnnich says he hopes the rapid growth of the Canadian National Pickleball League will continue, expanding beyond the few hundred registrants the inaugural year attracted. “We hope to expand the pickleball audience and pickleball participation in Canada. If all goes according to plan we will start to see team based pickleball events at the highschool and college level,” he says. “Our hope is, over the next few years, to make pickleball the official sport of Canadian summer.”