Gordon Kaye on JOOLA Celebration 2026 | FACE TO FACE
Gordon Kaye, JOOLA and a Conversation That Started With a Text Message
FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority begins at the JOOLA Celebration in Kissimmee, with a conversation that captured the energy, accessibility and community behind the event.
Sometimes the best conversations don’t begin with a formal appointment or a carefully planned production schedule.
Sometimes, they begin with a text message.
During the 2026 JOOLA Celebration at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida, the DINK Authority team sent Gordon Kaye a quick message letting him know we were ready whenever he was.
His response came almost immediately.
He had just finished a round of matches with his team and was taking a quick shower before meeting us.
Yes — Gordon Kaye, JOOLA’s Chief Experience Officer, wasn’t simply attending the Celebration as an executive. He was playing, competing and experiencing the event alongside everyone else.
That small moment said quite a bit about the atmosphere we experienced throughout the weekend.
An Event That Felt Accessible
From the moment our team arrived, there was a noticeable energy around the JOOLA staff.
People were busy — very busy — but there was also a genuine willingness to help, answer questions and make things happen.
That same accessibility carried into our conversation with Gordon.
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Minutes after that text exchange, he joined Cinnamon, who traveled from Miami to Kissimmee to cover the event for DINK Authority, for what became the first episode of our new interview series, FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority.
There was no need to overproduce the moment.
Two people, a pickleball event happening around them, and a conversation about where the sport is going.
792 Players. 45 Courts. One Community.
During the interview, Gordon shared some of the scale behind the Celebration: 792 players and 45 courts.
But the numbers were only part of the story.
The conversation repeatedly returned to something much more important: the player experience and the community surrounding the game.
For Gordon, the people playing pickleball aren’t simply customers or participants in an event.
They are the community driving the sport forward.
And at Gaylord Palms, that philosophy could be seen everywhere — from recreational competitors to families, industry figures and players simply enjoying another match.
Meet Cinnamon
The conversation also introduces a new face to the DINK Authority audience.
Cinnamon traveled from Miami to lead our interviews from the JOOLA Celebration, bringing a natural curiosity, personality and ease in front of the camera that immediately caught our attention.
You’ll be seeing more of her.
Much more.
DINK Authority readers will get to know Cinnamon better in our October edition.
For now, she had one job: sit down with Gordon and have a conversation.
And that’s exactly what happened.
No podium. No press conference.
Just FACE TO FACE.
🎥 Watch the full conversation with Gordon Kaye below.
FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority
The people. The stories. The conversations shaping pickleball.
DINK Authority — The Voice of Pickleball™
Gordon Kaye, JOOLA and a Conversation That Started With a Text Message
FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority begins at the JOOLA Celebration in Kissimmee, with a conversation that captured the energy, accessibility and community behind the event.
Sometimes the best conversations don’t begin with a formal appointment or a carefully planned production schedule.
Sometimes, they begin with a text message.
During the 2026 JOOLA Celebration at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida, the DINK Authority team sent Gordon Kaye a quick message letting him know we were ready whenever he was.
His response came almost immediately.
He had just finished a round of matches with his team and was taking a quick shower before meeting us.
Yes — Gordon Kaye, JOOLA’s Chief Experience Officer, wasn’t simply attending the Celebration as an executive. He was playing, competing and experiencing the event alongside everyone else.
That small moment said quite a bit about the atmosphere we experienced throughout the weekend.
An Event That Felt Accessible
From the moment our team arrived, there was a noticeable energy around the JOOLA staff.
People were busy — very busy — but there was also a genuine willingness to help, answer questions and make things happen.
That same accessibility carried into our conversation with Gordon.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minutes after that text exchange, he joined Cinnamon, who traveled from Miami to Kissimmee to cover the event for DINK Authority, for what became the first episode of our new interview series, FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority.
There was no need to overproduce the moment.
Two people, a pickleball event happening around them, and a conversation about where the sport is going.
792 Players. 45 Courts. One Community.
During the interview, Gordon shared some of the scale behind the Celebration: 792 players and 45 courts.
But the numbers were only part of the story.
The conversation repeatedly returned to something much more important: the player experience and the community surrounding the game.
For Gordon, the people playing pickleball aren’t simply customers or participants in an event.
They are the community driving the sport forward.
And at Gaylord Palms, that philosophy could be seen everywhere — from recreational competitors to families, industry figures and players simply enjoying another match.
Meet Cinnamon
The conversation also introduces a new face to the DINK Authority audience.
Cinnamon traveled from Miami to lead our interviews from the JOOLA Celebration, bringing a natural curiosity, personality and ease in front of the camera that immediately caught our attention.
You’ll be seeing more of her.
Much more.
DINK Authority readers will get to know Cinnamon better in our October edition.
For now, she had one job: sit down with Gordon and have a conversation.
And that’s exactly what happened.
No podium. No press conference.
Just FACE TO FACE.
🎥 Watch the full conversation with Gordon Kaye below.
FACE TO FACE by DINK Authority
The people. The stories. The conversations shaping pickleball.
DINK Authority — The Voice of Pickleball™
