Paddles and Precision: Inside the Pickleball Lab Powering Selkirk’s Meteoric Rise

Tucked under the Selkirk Mountains, a humble family business is quietly revolutionizing the way pickleball gear is designed, tested, and imagined. Selkirk Sport—founded in 2014 by the Barnes family—has grown nearly 2,000% in revenue since 2019, all without a dime of outside investment. While other brands chase trends, Selkirk doubled down on one sport and one sport only. The result? A million-dollar, in-house R&D lab outfitted with 3-D printers, a robot arm, a CT scanner, and even a cannon that fires balls at paddles until they break. And yes, it’s every bit as fun as it sounds.

But behind the high-tech flash is a commitment to fundamentals—durability, compliance, and real feedback from real players. Their lab isn't just for flexing on the competition; it’s a nerve center for rapid product development, testing innovations like Infinigrit (which took 1,000 iterations to perfect) before they make it into your local pro shop. Selkirk’s Selkirk Labs community lets gearheads and beginners alike test prototypes and submit feedback, turning customers into collaborators. No gimmicks—just nerdy, precise, hands-on product design with actual athletes at the heart of it.

While the rest of the gear industry often feels like a spin-fest of buzzwords, Selkirk’s all-in approach has set a new bar. They’ve built the most advanced pickleball lab on earth and are still driven by the same DIY fire that began in a basement with airsoft parts and a homeschool project. This isn't just a paddle company; it’s a blueprint for how tech, transparency, and a little bit of Idaho grit can reshape an entire sport.