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Pickleball's popularity leads to new business endeavor, growth for existing enterprise
The surge in picklebafr popularity in the Inland Northwest has sparked growth in business ventures from entrepreneurs making sports gear and clothing for the sport's aficionados.
Hayden-based Selkirk Sports, a pickleball focused company founded in 2014, has been doubling in growth every year, with a projected annual revenue now expected to total in the "tens of millions," says the co-owner Jim Barnes.
Now, 56-year-old journalist Stephanie Vigil plans to sign off for KHQ-TV one last time in June and embark on her new venture, a line of pickleball clothing through PKL LLC, which does business as VGĻ Gear, a play on her last name and an acronym for "very good life," she says.
"I always dreamt of being a journalist and loved every minute of it," says Vigil. "But I also love every minute of this and feel like it's a perfect transition into the next phase of my life."
Pickleball is described as a blend of pingpong, badminton, and tennis. It's played on a small court with paddles and a whiffle-like hall. It was created in Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965. In 2023, for the third consecutive year, pickleball was named the fastest growing sport by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
According to a report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals, more than 36.5 million people played pickleball during the 12-month period ending August 2022. Also, last year, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law making pickleball the official sport of Washington state.
Ashley Blake, CEO of Spokane Sports Commission, says pickleballers are among the most enthusiastic groups she has come across.
The flooring at Spokane's newest indoor sports facility, The Podium Powered by STCU, isn't compatible with pickleball courts, Blake says. However, there is talk of creating a whiffle-like ball that would be compatible with the Podium's snap-sport flooring, she adds.