The rise of pickleball, a sport that has recently gained significant traction, is bringing with it an unexpected challenge: a wave of theft targeting valuable equipment. Reports indicate that thieves are pilfering thousands of dollars’ worth of pickleball paddles from local retailers, only to resell them online.
Troy Russell, the owner of “Racquet Guys,” a sporting goods store in Markham, has experienced this alarming trend firsthand, having suffered multiple robberies in just a few months. “We’ve lost around $40,000 worth of paddles,” he stated, revealing the staggering financial impact of these thefts. Surveillance footage provided to local media depicts groups of individuals systematically stealing paddles from the display area, stuffing them into bags with apparent ease.
The value of pickleball paddles can range from less than $100 to nearly $400, with thieves reportedly focusing on the higher-end models. Russell explained that the compact size of the paddles makes them particularly susceptible to theft. “They’re small enough to easily conceal, which makes them an attractive target for thieves,” he noted. Conversations with fellow sporting goods store owners reveal that this issue is widespread, with many reporting similar thefts.
Notably, this crime wave appears to echo incidents occurring in the United States, where numerous cities have reported comparable patterns of theft. As Russell pointed out, the growing popularity of pickleball has not gone unnoticed