In the heart of Kakaʻako, Hawaiʻi, you’ll find Tama Shimabukuro practicing at his local courts. No formal training. No coach. Just the guidance of his family—and a determination to excel beyond his years.
Tama was an avid skateboarder before turning to pickleball. He had sponsorships and competed across the country. In 2023, while at a skateboarding event in California, he and his family discovered pickleball. Soon after, they were all playing and learning the intricacies of the game.
Tama’s skills proved innate, and his quiet maturity lent itself to rapid growth in pickleball. After excelling in local tournaments, he put his skills to the test in national events, competing in APP Next Gen and PPA 5.0s. His goal? To earn a spot on the PPA Tour by the time he turned fifteen.
By late August 2025, Tama was gearing up for the PPA Asia Fukuoka event. He battled through the qualifier rounds and earned main-draw appearances in singles and mixed doubles. As a qualifier, he found himself clashing with some of the highest seeds: PPA North America veteran Tyler Loong in singles, and Loong alongside rising Asia pro Pei Chuan Kao in mixed. Tama pulled off upsets in both divisions and garnered attention across the pickleball world.
After his performance in Japan and at just 14 years old, Tama secured a three-year PPA Tour contract—an entire year ahead of his goal. He is one of the youngest players ever to enter the pro circuit. In his first event as a signed player, Tama grinded through qualifiers, advancing in men’s singles and doubles alongside fellow Selkirk athlete AJ Marrero. Although Tama fell just short in both divisions, he narrowly missed taking a game off No. 1 Hunter Johnson after leading 7-1, and he and AJ pushed former pro tennis stars Donald Young and Jack Sock to a tight 10-12 first game.
Now, Tama has the ambition to become a top-20 PPA player within the next year. With a pro contract allowing him to compete both in the States and abroad, he’s only just getting started.
