Snowboarding Flashback: Growth Similarities

Something special is brewing here.

I've had the privilege of attending three PPA Tour events over the past year. My initial experience was at the Desert Ridge Open in Phoenix a year ago, then again in 2024 I attended the Daytona Beach Open, and now, I'm back watching the Round of 16 at the Carvana Mesa Cup, wrapping up my latest Pickleball in the Desert travel adventure.

Mesa Cup excitement featuring young stars like Anna Leigh Waters (18) & Ben Johns (25)

Additionally, the part of my sports business work that I am most proud of is embracing new trends I discover — whether learning new opportunities using the internet for the first time during those early days at Molson Indy or when collaborating with the incredible original team behind TeamSnap. My recent experiences witnessing professional pickleball feel very similar. My new passion for pickleball also often sparks comparisons to when I experienced the rise of snowboarding back in 1998, especially when attending pro pickleball events like the one I'm at this week in Phoenix.

The pickleball comparison to snowboarding is a natural one to highlight. Snowboarding came onto the scene up against the traditions of skiing; the same is true for pickleball with the natural resistance from the tennis world. 

Meet Jonny Pickleball

For me though, I'm comparing pro pickleball to snowboarding for different reasons. It has a lot more to do with the authentic excitement or pure passion everyone participating shares when welcoming in fans to their sport.

One of the most distinct features of attending a premier event like a PPA Tour tournament is not only the excitement of being at a major event but the opportunity for direct connections with these pro athletes who are fully aware that they are trailblazers for this sport's growth. You see all of this firsthand when watching up close practice sessions or direct interactions made by participating in event extensions like PPA Camps hosted during the qualifying rounds at each stop. (Thank you again, Jonny Pickleball!)

PPA Tour organizers are keenly aware of creating special fan experiences for pickleball enthusiasts, amplifying these amazing young athletes who are growing this game. The next step is to maintain this momentum and eventually draw in that everyday sports fan who will discover on their own what all this excitement is about. It's still early, but I'm confident that professional pickleball will reach that point.