Presidents & Pickleball: Biden's pickleball campaign to win over older folks

Good day, picklers.

Some call it the rainiest and gloomiest state of them all, but on this fine Wednesday afternoon, Seattle’s Green Lake Pickleball Courts East has the sun shining down on us like we are the stars of this court.

And lucky for you, with all 6 courts full right now and a 10-paddle stack down, there’s just enough time to update you on another week full of pickleball talk.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Here’s what’s on the docket today:

• Pickle Talk: Biden’s pickleball campaign + JOOLA lawsuit details

• Bite-sized: The “Top Golf of Pickleball”. Pickleball thriving in Japan. Walmart says “free pickleball for all.”

• Golden Pickle: A man is hired to play in a pickleball commercial, but the catch is... he doesn’t know anything about pickleball.

(And a whole lot more…)

Let’s get into some PICKLE TALK

1/ ACTIVATED: BIDEN’S PICKLEBALL CAMPAIGN

If there’s one thing Mr. President Biden knows, or his campaign team rather, then it is using trendy things to his advantage in gaining voters.

In the past, he’s played songs like “Despacito” to make a gain on Latino voters during his first term presidential campaign, and this time around in 2024, he and his team have conjured up another plan to win over older adults.

CAN YOU GUESS THE PLAN?

If you guessed pickleball, then you sir, get a gold star.

Heading the outreach, First Lady Biden will be traveling and targeting 4 swing states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nevada, and Arizona) to hold traditional-looking rallies with a twist of pickleball and bingo night.

THE WHY: It’s smart. Older folks are the likeliest of the average American age demographic to vote. And with the rise of pickleball popularity, it’s only fitting to find some sort of tie-in with the age group.

BUT…will it be enough?

That is the age-old question in the game of presidential campaigns. Donald Trump, despite his legal problems, is the presumed Republican nominee going into this next presidential year.

But with Biden’s stance on lowering prescription drug and health care costs, a well-thought-out campaign could be the magic token to get him back into the Oval Office for a second term.

2/ THE JOOLA LAWSUIT DETAILS

Filed on June 5, 2024, a class action lawsuit “alleges a major pickleball paddle manufacturer falsely advertises and sells the pricey products as approved by USA Pickleball.

• The Timeline:

  • November 2023: JOOLA got USA Pickleball’s thumbs-up for their “Gen3” paddles.

  • May 14-15, 2024: JOOLA told USA Pickleball they submitted the wrong paddles for approval.

  • May 16, 2024: USA Pickleball yanked JOOLA’s approval.

• Why It Matters: The paddles are now banned from both official and unofficial USA Pickleball tournaments, making them pretty useless for competitive play.

• The Big Claims:

  • JOOLA pulled a “bait and switch” by submitting different paddles for approval.

  • They kept selling the paddles with the "USA Pickleball Approved" label even after losing the approval.

  • Misled buyers about the paddles’ status and usability.

• Affected Paddles: The lawsuit is looking to refund everyone who bought these specific JOOLA paddles:

  • Tyson McGuffin Magnus 3 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Collin Johns Scorpeus 3 (16mm)

  • Anna Bright Scorpeus 3 (14mm)

  • Simone Jardim Hyperion 3 (16mm)

  • Ben Johns Hyperion 3 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Ben Johns Perseus 3 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Perseus Alpha 2024 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Magnus Alpha 2024 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Hyperion Alpha 2024 (14mm and 16mm)

  • Scorpeus Alpha 2024 (14mm and 16mm)

• Why Now?: Pickleball is booming, with a 52% jump in players from 2022 to 2023. Approved gear is a big deal for fair play.

• The Standards: USA Pickleball and NTS Technical Systems set high standards for gear to ensure everyone plays fair.

• Who’s Affected?: The lawsuit covers anyone in the U.S. who bought these JOOLA paddles from November 2023 to now.

• Current Situation: Despite the ban, JOOLA is still selling these paddles with the approval label, leaving buyers confused and frustrated.

3/ ANOTHER PADDLE BANNED: VATIC PRO ONI

This week, another paddle shocker hits the pickleball community: the Vatic Pro Oni paddles are being delisted by USAP.

So what’s this mean for Vatic? Unlike JOOLA, Vatic is a small company in comparison. Such a problem at such an early stage of a business could potentially put this company out of business.

With reports of the paddles becoming “crunchy” on the inside after just a few plays, the best thing Vatic can do has already been done:

REFUND. DELIST. AND WAIT.

This whole paddle approval process might seem like a clown show right now, but silver lining??…

It may be just what we need to be taken seriously (even if it seems quite the opposite right now).

BITE-SIZED PICKLES

1/ GAMIFIED PICKLEBALL: Rally Pickleball is taking pickleball to the next level by mixing in tech and a super fun vibe. Think of it like the Topgolf of pickleball. Their place in Charlotte, NC, has everything: high-tech courts, yummy food, a coffee shop, co-working spaces, and spots for events. They’ve got cameras and cool software to keep score and add fun game modes with avatars. Rally’s also expanding to Denver, Nashville, and D.C., and they want to make their tech easy for other clubs to use. With a focus on fun and community, Rally’s a hit for both casual players and serious competitors.

2/ WALMART LOVES PICKLEBALL: Walmart’s got your back if you’re itching to play pickleball! They’ve linked up with Break the Love to offer up to 250,000 free pickleball court bookings nationwide. Whether you’re a Walmart+ member or not, just snap a screenshot of your Walmart+ hub page or recent receipt and upload it to book your court. You can also reserve spots for teams and competitions to stay active all year. Plus, Walmart+ hooks you up with free day-of shipping, exclusive deals during Walmart+ Week, free Paramount+, and even grocery delivery. Newbies can try it all with a seven-day free trial, no strings attached.

3/ PICKLEBALL IN JAPAN: Daniel Moore, a former tennis pro, has spearheaded pickleball's journey in Japan for a decade, starting from scratch to now boasting 5,000 active enthusiasts and an official governing body, the Japan Pickleball Association. His efforts, supported by events at tennis star Ai Sugiyama's club, are bolstered by media coverage and celebrity endorsements. Pickleball's appeal lies in its simplicity and inclusivity, drawing a wide age range to the sport. With dedicated courts popping up across Japan, including at commercial complexes and in Tochigi Prefecture, the sport's future looks promising as it taps into Japan's love for accessible and social racket sports.

4/ TIME TO MOVE: The Seattle Pioneers are making a permanent move to Carolina, rebranding themselves as the Carolina Pickleball Club. Ben Johns, Collin Johns, Jessie Irvine, and Andrea Koop will kick off their stint with the club at the upcoming MLP event in Washington, D.C.

GOLDEN PICKLE, ANYONE?

🏆 QUANG DUONG WILL takes Christian Alshon’s place at MLP D.C. due to an injury.

🏆 MAN GETS HIRED to play in a pickleball commercial, but the catch is…he doesn’t know anything about pickleball.

🏆 LOTTO SPORTS IS now a co-owner of the pro pickleball team Brooklyn Aces, joining the likes of Kevin Durant, Drake, & Michael B Jordan

🏆ONE TO WATCH… Quang Duong vs. Dylan Frazier at the Veolia Sacramento Open Men’s Singles Bronze Medal match

ICYMI…A Pickle Talk Rewind