Selkirk Sport LLC, a North Idaho manufacturer of pickleball paddles and accessories, has received a $30 million investment from Bluestone Equity Partners, intended to transform Selkirk from a domestic pickleball leader into a global sports brand, says co-founder and co-CEO Mike Barnes.

“Selkirk has built a powerful and focused pickleball platform that is ideally positioned as the sport continues to gain momentum in the U.S. and beyond,” says Barnes in a press release.

Bluestone Equity Partners is a private equity firm headquartered in New York City with a core focus on the global sports, media, and entertainment industry. The investment from Bluestone represents Selkirk’s first-ever capital raise, Barnes says. Bluestone will hold a minority stake in the company, allowing the Barnes family to retain majority control and continue running the business.

As part of the investment, Bluestone partner Walker Brumskine will join Selkirk’s board of directors, and Bluestone vice president Shaaz Khan will join as board observer. The remaining four seats on the board are held by Mike Barnes; his father Jim Barnes, who is president and co-founder; his brother Rob Barnes, co-CEO and co-founder; and his brother Tom Barnes, co-owner and director of research and development.

Selkirk Sport is valued at $200 million and expects to generate $100 million in revenue this year, Mike Barnes says. He declines to disclose revenue for 2025 but notes the company experienced a 1,900% total revenue increase from 2019 through the end of 2025.

The sport of pickleball is described as a blend of table tennis, badminton, and tennis. It's played on a small court with paddles and a plastic ball with holes, similar to a wiffle ball. It's the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., with a 55% year-over-year increase in the number of dedicated facilities and a 23% increase in total courts in 2024, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Bluestone founder and managing partner Bobby Sharma describes Selkirk Sport as one of the premier equipment manufacturers in any sport, and a category leader in the rapidly growing sport of pickleball, in a press release about the investment.

“Since 2019, the number of adults playing pickleball in the U.S. has increased sixfold, now numbering in the tens of millions, achieving true mass participation,” Sharma says in the release. “As growth-focused, value-added investors, we look forward to partnering with Selkirk’s management team to support both organic and inorganic expansion, including targeted international growth in Asia and opportunistic M&A in the fragmented equipment market in the U.S.”

Co-CEO Rob Barnes says the Bluestone partnership positions the company to accelerate innovation, distribution, and global brand reach. Pickleball already has a presence in Asia, and the region is envisioned as the next major frontier for the sport’s mass participation.

“We’re exceptionally well positioned to serve a global player base as markets such as India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines develop,” Rob Barnes says in the release. “As pickleball goes global, we have exciting plans, including next-gen paddles, a new line of quiet pickleballs, and reimagined footwear. Our commitment to innovation and performance remains central to our strategy.”

Selkirk Sport was established in 2014 by Mike Barnes, Jim Barnes, and Rob Barnes. His other brother, Tom Barnes, a U.S. Marine, joined the company two years later after transitioning to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and returning to Coeur d’Alene. The company’s headquarters are located at 745 W. Hanley in Coeur d’Alene, overlooking the Selkirk Mountains from which the company derives its name.

Selkirk Sport opened its first hometown pro shop in Dalton Gardens in 2025. — Selkirk Sport LLC

As previously reported by the Journal, in 2020, Selkirk Sport was a small pickleball products manufacturer and retailer with a niche following in an up-and-coming sport that operated out of a 10,000-square-foot shop near the Coeur d’Alene Airport.

Today, the family-owned company spans 150,000 square feet of commercial space across five buildings in Idaho, including a pro shop in Boise that sells paddles, shoes, accessories, and balls, all branded with the Selkirk Sport brand name. Last May, the company opened its first hometown pro shop, located at 7878 Government Way, in Dalton Gardens, just outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Selkirk now employs more than 200 full-time and part-time employees, up from just 10 employees who worked at the company prior to the pandemic, Mike Barnes says.

With the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and related lockdowns, a pickleball craze took hold and helped the niche sport’s rise in popularity. Tom Barnes previously told the Journal that the window during which the sport might have been considered a fad has passed, and pickleball is here to stay.

The company’s motto, “We Are Pickleball,” emphasizes the Barnes family's dedication to the sport, which they founded out of their love for the game and a desire to improve the equipment available to players. About five years before the Barnes family founded Selkirk Sport, they played pickleball at the Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene when at the time, pickleball players had two choices: a plywood paddle or a composite paddle.

Since then, the Barnes family has created an ecosystem surrounding the game, including the development of a line of pickleball products, gear, and accessories; the creation of software products and cell phone applications; significant growth of dedicated followers; and has immersed themselves as protectors of the integrity of the sport.

Selkirk has introduced several industry standards through its robust research and development capabilities, including the first limited lifetime warranty in the category and pioneering the 16 mm paddle core, which now is a widely adopted performance standard, according to a press release from the company.

Bluestone was founded in 2023 by Sharma, a veteran investor and sports executive. Before founding Bluestone, Sharma’s previous roles included senior vice president and global head of basketball and strategic initiatives at IMG, a global sports and culture company.