Brothers Skipped College, Rode Pandemic Boom to Selkirk's Nine-Figure Future

Rob and Mike Barnes started Selkirk Sport as a young, family-run venture and turned it into a dominant name in pickleball equipment, positioning the company to exceed $100 million in revenue in 2026 after a $30 million growth equity infusion. Selkirk makes premium paddles, shoes, apparel, balls, and nets, and the company says it produces "everything except the court surface," a line attributed to Tom Barnes, the youngest brother and director of R&D.

Selkirk began in 2014 when Rob and Mike were 22 and 19 and working out of their father Jim's house. The brothers had earlier sold airsoft gear as a homeschool project, and the family business grew from a basement operation to a leased building by 2013. For years the company broke even; Rob, Mike, and Tom worked 100-hour weeks and paid themselves little. "I calculated it once," Mike said. "When you factor in the hours we worked versus what we paid ourselves, we probably made less than minimum wage for the first eight years."

The turning point came with the pandemic. After a short shutdown of parks and courts, pickleball re-emerged as a socially distanced outdoor activity. Rob said, "things really started picking up, and by June it fully kicked into gear." Selkirk sold out of nets and paddles as homeowners set up courts in driveways and backyards, and the surge in demand did not subside.

Selkirk has invested millions in an in-house innovation lab in Coeur d'Alene where paddles undergo rigorous stress testing with cannons and CT scanners. The company has committed to an endemic approach to the sport. "We will only ever do pickleball. This was intentional from day one," Tom said. "It's called Selkirk Sport. It's not called Selkirk Sports." That focus has guided product development and branding even as competition in the market has intensified.

Operational scale has expanded rapidly. Selkirk grew from 16 employees in January 2019 to 230 by January 2026. Fulfillment now averages roughly 1,000 orders a day and spikes to 2,500 during the holiday season. The company works with more than 1,400 retail partners and holds an exclusive partnership with Costco. In early 2026 Selkirk accepted a $30 million growth equity investment from Bluestone Equity Partners to accelerate expansion.

For players, coaches, and retreat operators, Selkirk's rise means easier access to high-performance gear and a clearer supply chain for bulk purchases. Retreat organizers can source paddles and nets through a wide retail network, and players benefit from ongoing R&D aimed at durability and consistent performance. Expect new product refinements driven by laboratory data rather than marketing alone.

Selkirk's story is a lesson in staying "in the pickleball lane" and scaling infrastructure to match demand. As the sport continues to grow, Selkirk's investment in R&D and fulfillment points to more consistent equipment availability and potentially deeper partnerships with clubs, events, and retreats that need reliable gear and wholesale options.