One of the first things I remember about moving away to college is all the other freshmen being absolutely baffled that I’d never been to Buc-ee's.

Worse yet, I didn’t even know what Bucc-ee's was.

That needed to change, so it was one of my first stops during orientation week.  

Buc-ee's is an American treasure. It's one of the largest gas stations with a Costco-sized convenience store featuring world-class barbecue and utterly delightful merchandise and souvenirs aplenty.

And I'm proud to say that Buc-ee's has officially entered the picklesphere. Their smiling beaver mascot and America's fastest-growing sport are a genuine match made in heaven - just as good as the Home Depot Christmas pickle. 

Buc-ee's collaborated with Diadem Sports to release a quality beginner paddle set and other paddles and pickleballs, all beautifully displayed in their different stores. Even the beaver has dinked around with the paddle.

The beginner paddle set features two carbon fiber paddles with a honeycomb core that’s embossed with the iconic beaver logo. The set also comes with two pickleballs.  

They’re also selling individual Diadem paddles and a three-pack of pickleballs for purchase at Buc-ee's. And because the partnership involves a trusted paddle company, it's safe to assume these paddles are pretty good. 

With how much space Buc-ee's locations take up, often occupying interstate exits with plenty of land, I think the next step is building Buc-ee's pickleball courts. Why not build a few next to their massive parking lots? Customers can snack on their beaver nuggets and jerky, then dink around before getting back on the road. 

I think the Texas Ranchers would endorse this as well. After all, the team shared when they took Tina Pisnik to Buc-ee's for the first time as she was on a quest for a vegan snack.

I’d love to see Pisnik, Christian Alshon, and Etta Wright go play a few points with the beaver before heading to their next MLP tourney.  

I didn’t know I needed a Buc-ee's pickleball paddle, but now I can’t get them off my mind.