Idaho-based pickleball company grows alongside rising popularity

The 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report revealed that pickleball has maintained its status as America’s fastest-growing sport for the third consecutive year out of 124 tracked sports. According to Rob Barnes, Co-chief executive officer of Selkirk Sport, the family-owned business based in Coeur d’Alene, is one of the key players contributing to the pickleball sensation.

“Our mission statement is to fuel the pickleball obsession found inside every player and so we do that by creating premier products as well as creating a premier ecosystem. We try to make products that help people play better,” Barnes said.

Selkirk Sport operates nationally, sponsoring leagues and communities across the country. While emphasizing its involvement in states like Utah, Arizona and Florida, Barnes said there are challenges that come from managing a rapidly growing market.

Barnes founded Selkirk Sport in Hayden in 2014 with his brother Mike Barnes. Since then, the company has experienced substantial growth, shipping more products in 2023 than in the previous eight years combined. Additionally, their team has grown from a few employees to over 110, while still maintaining a family-oriented structure. 

The company’s journey from a small family business to a major player in the sporting goods industry serves as inspiration for entrepreneurs in niche markets, Barnes said.

“We recently just outlined our 2024 business strategy, and there are four pillars in it that I think are crucial for any growing company,” he said. “Those four pillars are product, people, process and promotion. For any company, product is critical. You have to always be innovating, you have to always be coming out with something new.”

In their local community, they connect individuals to the game by offering resources on getting started. They launched playpickleball.com to provide information and support for people looking to begin their pickleball journey and to help them find a community centered around the sport.

“We absolutely love the state we live in, and we never want to move,” Barnes said. “We have a very family-focused culture, employee outings and growth opportunities for individuals without a college degree requirement. We also love experimenting with new ideas, innovating and are always trying to do better — we’re very driven.”