First pickleball tournament

The first documented pickleball tournament took place at the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington, USA, in the spring of 1976. David Lester won in the Men’s Singles category, with Steve Paranto coming in as the runner-up.

The majority of the competitors were college-age tennis players. In terms of equipment, they were using wooden paddles and a softball-sized plastic ball.

Pickleball as a sport first emerged in the summer of 1965, conceived by US Congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell playing on a badminton court at Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island in Washington, USA. They used table-tennis bats and a perforated plastic ball.