Pickleball is all over the news now. In February, he was named the fastest growing sport of the year for the second consecutive year. Described as a mix of tennis, badminton and table tennis, the game is played with rackets, nets and a small ball. But that’s nothing new for billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who explained in a video posted Tuesday that he’s been a pickler for 50 years.
“Despite its silly terms and fun name, pickleball is actually quite a sophisticated game,” Gates said. “It’s easy to learn. People say that about a lot of sports, but in the case of pickleball, it’s true.”
Gates doesn’t mess with “dumb terms.” Pickleball phrases include “dink” (a soft jab hit on a rebound),”cuisine” (part of the courtyard) and “skinny singles” (an exercise for two).
In the video, he shares faded vintage photos of younger versions of himself playing the game.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, not far from Gates’ hometown of Seattle. His father, Bill Sr., was friends with the game’s three inventors: Bill Bell, Barney McCallum and Joel Pritchard, Gates said. Pritchard later became Lieutenant Governor of Washington. Selon USA Pickleball, the game was invented on a day when families could only find part of a badminton set, so improvised with ping pong rackets and a perforated ball.
“It was completely located in Seattle,” Gates said. “So it’s pretty amazing that 50 years after it was invented, it’s starting to take off and now has incredible momentum.”
