Pickle Boat, Not Pickles: The True Origin Story Revealed

On September 27 in pickleball history, one of the most interesting stories revolves around the naming of the sport itself. Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. It began as a family activity to entertain bored children, with improvised equipment including ping-pong paddles and a lowered badminton net. Just days after the game’s invention, Joan Pritchard, Joel’s wife, came up with the name "pickleball"—not after the family dog as often thought, but after the “pickle boat” from crew racing. The pickle boat is a term referring to the last boat in a race crewed by leftover rowers who didn’t make other boats, symbolizing the mix-and-match nature of this new game combining tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements. This name stuck and has become one of the sport’s most charming origin stories.

The dog Pickles, often credited in popular myth as the eponym, was actually born three years later in 1968. This has been confirmed through family interviews and historical records. Joan’s naming of pickleball as an homage to the quirky pickle boat perfectly reflects the game’s improvisational roots and accessible, inclusive spirit. The confusion around the dog story was eventually revealed to be part of playful storytelling by the inventors, but the official, well-supported origin credits Joan Pritchard’s creative analogy.

The summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island was quiet but pivotal. Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell wanted to find a way to keep their families active and entertained. They found badminton equipment unavailable, so they started with ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball on a lowered net. Barney McCallum joined soon after, helping establish rules and refinements that shaped what pickleball would become. The net height was lowered from standard badminton 60 inches to 36 inches, creating a fast and fun court dynamic. What began as a backyard pastime grew over the decades to become one of the fastest growing sports in America today, widely played indoors and outdoors by millions.

In 1967, just two years after the invention, the very first permanent pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of Joel Pritchard’s friend and neighbor. This was a crucial step in moving from casual play to organized sport. Since then, pickleball has evolved dramatically, with professional tours, leagues, and multi-million dollar investments by major sports figures.

September 27 connects us to the charm and ingenuity of those who created pickleball purely for family fun, highlighting how a simple idea can flourish into a worldwide phenomenon. The story of the game’s name is a delightful window into the culture and history of pickleball, embodying both its playful origins and enduring appeal.

Thank you for tuning in to this snapshot from pickleball history. Remember to subscribe for more fascinating stories and updates on the sport you love. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
On September twenty seventh. In pickleball history, one of the
most interesting stories revolves around the naming of the sport itself.
Pickleball was invented in nineteen sixty five by Joe Pritchard,
Bill Bell, and Bonnie McCallum on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.
It began as a family activity to entertain boored children

(00:20):
with improvised equipment including ping pong paddles and a lowered
badminton net. Just days after the game's invention, Joan Pritchard,
Joel's wife, came up with the name pickleball, not after
the family dog is often thought, but after the pickle boat.
From crew racing. The pickle boat is a term referring
to the last boat in a race crewed by leftover

(00:42):
rowers who didn't make other boats, symbolizing the mix and
match nature of this new game combining tennis, badminton, and
table tennis elements. This name stuck and has become one
of the sport's most charming origin stories. The dog Pickles,
often credited in popular myth as the eponym, was actually
born three years later in nineteen sixty eight. This has

(01:05):
been confirmed through family interviews and historical records. Joan's naming
of pickleball as an homage to the quirky pickle boat
perfectly reflects the game's improvisational roots an accessible, inclusive spirit.
The confusion around the dog story was eventually revealed to
be part of playful story telling by the inventors, but
the official, well supported origin credits Joan Pritchard's creative analogy.

(01:28):
The summer of nineteen sixty five on Bainbridge Island was
quiet but pivotal. Joel Pritchard and Bill Bill wanted to
find the way to keep their families active and entertained.
They found badminton equipment unavailable, so they started with ping pong,
paddles and a whiffle ball on a lowered net. Barney
McCallum joined soon after, helping establish rules and refinements that

(01:49):
shaped what pickleball would become. The net height was lowered
from standard badminton sixty inches to thirty six inches, creating
a fast and fun court dynamic. What began as a
backyard pastime grew over the decades to become one of
the fastest growing sports in America. Today, widely played indoors
and outdoors, by millions. In nineteen sixty seven, just two

(02:12):
years after the invention, the very first permanent pickleball court
was constructed in the backyard of Joel Pritchard's friend and neighbor.
This was a crucial step in moving from casual play
to arganize sport. Since then, pickleball has evolved genatically, with
professional tours, leagues, and multimillion dollar investments by major sports figures.

(02:34):
September twenty seventh connects us to the charm and ingenuity
of those who created pickleball purely for family fun, highlighting
how a simple idea can flourish into a worldwide phenomenon.
The story of the game's name is a delightful window
into the culture and history of pickleball, embodying both its
playful origins and enduring appeal. Thank you for tuning into

(02:56):
this snapshot from pickleball history. Remember to subscribe for more
fact fascinating stories and updates on the sport you love.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet Please dot Ai