As the fastest-growing sport in America, pickleball has swiftly woven itself into the fabric of leisure and luxury. What started as an unexpected phenomenon now fills courts nationwide, blending athleticism with a distinctive cultural allure. I’ll admit — I haven’t yet stepped on a pickleball court… and I kind of feel like I’m missing out. It’s not just a game anymore, it’s a place for networking and dealmaking; it’s started a conversation around intergenerational sport; it’s even cultivating its own ‘core’ aesthetic.

Intrigued by its meteoric rise and cross-generational appeal, I embarked on a journey into its origins. Turns out, Joel and Joan Pritchard brought the sport to life in 1965 — not that long ago in the grand scheme. And now, their legacy extends beyond invention, with their initials imprinted on an exclusive apparel brand crafted by former professional athletes and industry veterans, Darren and Steve Gable. Known simply as ‘J. Pritchard,’ this first-of-its-kind brand exudes an iconic heritage vibe, reminiscent of Ralph Lauren and Polo. Curious to explore this blend of high-end sport and style, I sat down with Darren to see what all the hype is about…

Tell us about all things pickleball. I’m guessing you must play. How’d you discover it? What made you fall in love with it so much to start a brand around it? 

Steve and I are ex-professional athletes turned apparel industry veterans with over 25 years of experience in building brands. We were introduced to the game of pickleball back in 2020, and it didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the game and the culture.  

Because of our background in branding and apparel, we immediately identified that there wasn’t yet a meaningful lifestyle brand that matched the passion of the burgeoning pickleball community. So we decided to create our own collection. 

We started to research the origins of the game and learned that it was invented by The Pritchard Family in 1965. We felt that in order to have the most authentic pickleball brand in the market, it only made sense to connect the Founding Family with the collection.

For others, pickleball is the hot new sport, but for the Pritchard family — and by extension, us — this is a legacy spanning multiple decades. We don’t view it as joining a trend. 

How’d those initial conversations with the Pritchard family go? 

The conversations started with a message left on one of the family members, Frank Pritchard’s, home answering machine. We followed that up with a handwritten letter. Both the voicemail and the note expressed how we wanted to pay homage to what Frank’s parents had started by building a premium heritage collection. 

Frank wanted to meet in person, so we flew out to Seattle to meet him. We immediately connected with him. Steve and I spent the whole day with Frank, listening to stories about his family and visiting iconic landmarks like the Original Pickleball Court and Bainbridge, Pritchard Park, and the Pickleball Walk of Fame. After hitting it off, he agreed to allow us to use the name in exchange for two promises: 1) It had to be a premium collection, and 2) His mom had to get credit for naming the sport. 

And that’s how your brand was named. I love it. How are you balancing preserving the legacy of the Pritchard family while also infusing your own vision into the brand?

The Pritchard family has given exclusive rights to their name, likeness, and archival footage to the founders of J. Pritchard. As a family business ourselves, we treat the brand with the utmost respect for the inventors’ legacy at every touchpoint. Frank Pritchard is the voice for the family, and he continues to stay involved with our creative and design choices. He shares stories, photos, and memories with us, and makes appearances when needed. 

The similarities and instant connectivity between our family, the Gables, and the Pritchards are fascinating. Both of our families are inventors and pioneers. For instance, our father Derek Gable, similar to Joel Pritchard, is recognized as one of the most influential toy inventors and innovators of his time. His role in creating iconic toys like He-Man, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and others has helped shape American culture. That core value of both families — of wanting to leave a cultural legacy — makes this partnership even more powerful.

Is that what you want people to feel when they put on your apparel? That they’re part of a premier cultural legacy?

When you try on the apparel, we want you to feel stylish, comfortable, and ready to play. With elevated separates and accessories, we want the apparel to inspire people everywhere to ‘play proper,’ emphasizing the importance of both performance and style in the sport. Whether you’re a seasoned pickleball pro or just discovering the game, we designed J. Pritchard to enhance your experience and make a statement.

Can you share insights into the design process? Was it important for you to prioritize sustainability, or to appeal to players beyond traditional settings like country clubs?

Absolutely. We take great pride in working with ethical suppliers and factories for sourcing and manufacturing. We are careful to choose fabrics that feel good, perform well, and have properties that are good for the consumer.

Not unlike the polo player on a horse from Ralph Lauren, J. Pritchard has a logomark that captures the modern pickleball paddle imbued with the legacy of the inventors’ initials, featured on separates and accessories that are sure to become future country club staples. We see the J. Pritchard customer as someone who appreciates the heritage behind the sport and celebrates all different kinds of play both on and off the court. But we are definitely interested in bringing the brand and sport to life across all ages and settings, from urban indoor courts to lush country clubs across upscale suburban enclaves.

How do you engage with the community beyond selling apparel — to really drive that mission of bringing the brand and sport beyond the court? 

We have a variety of community initiatives, from private events to public events to philanthropic events. Many tie back to Washington State, where the Pritchard family first invented the sport in 1965 while summering on Bainbridge Island. 

We also have a traveling “Club House” that brings the J. Pritchard ‘country club’ vision to life in a mobile retail format. The mobile nature of the Club House allows us to take the brand to pickleball events, new markets, and all the places our customers travel to and frequent. We’re letting them decide where we go and where they want to find us. 

I hope to find you myself someday! Or at least to start seeing more and more of your iconic logo. To wrap us up, can you tell people the story behind the icon?

We’re happy to call it out, as it’s incredibly intentional and highlights how the sport was invented. By breaking down the logo, you can see how each aspect tells a part of the origin story:

• The golf ball and tee are a reminder of when the Pritchard family returned home from playing golf and invented the game of pickleball.
• The initials JP are a tribute to Joel and Joan Pritchard.
• The oar symbolizes the oar of a pickle boat, which inspired the name pickleball. 
• The Paddle is a silhouette of the original pickleball paddle created by the Pritchards.
• The full combined logo showcases all the elements together that inspire the J. Pritchard brand.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Follow J. Pritchard | https://www.instagram.com/jpritchardbrand/ 

Credits:

Written by Carly Long |  @bycarlylong

Photography courtesy of J. Pritchard.