Selkirk Sport Announces Participation at the Inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference in Conjunction with 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, January 23-25 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
Leading Pickleball Equipment Brand Supports Growth of the Sport; Selkirk (Booth# 5R-RP9) to Showcase Innovative Line-up of Paddles Used by Top Professionals and #1 Ranked Singles Player in the World
As country clubs and golf resorts across the country continue adding pickleball to their line-up of activities, Selkirk Sport (Booth# 5R-RP9), the leading Pickleball paddle and accessories brand today announced the Company will be participating in the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference in conjunction with the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show, January 23-25 at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida.
Attendees of the PGA Merchandise Show are encouraged to visit the racquet & paddle exhibit area on the floor at the OCCC as the multi-faceted conference, organized by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and Reed Exhibitions, will bring together racquet and paddle sports brands, professionals and industry leaders for a of series of events. Highlighted activities include a hands-on product demo experience at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona; and an exhibit pavilion with demo courts on the floor at the Orange County Convention Center, joining the PGA Merchandise Show – the international golf industry’s “MAJOR of Golf Business” for more than 60 years.
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, Badminton and Ping Pong, and is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA with more than 3 million players today. Selkirk Sport, based in Hayden, Idaho offers a full line-up of paddles for players of all skill levels, highlighted by the innovative AMPED™ Series, currently used by many top professional players, including 29-year old Tyson McGuffin, the #1 ranked singles player in the world.
The AMPED Series is a high performance, Made-in-the-USA line of paddles that combine revolutionary FiberFlex Fiberglass face technology, a patent-pending thicker X5 polypropylene core and a unibody design. The AMPED Series, Selkirk’s premium line, delivers increased power, precise ball control, and a larger sweetspot – the most critical benefits to maximize performance for professionals and players of all levels.
“The synergies between golf and Pickleball are evident, as we are seeing many PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR stars, as well as premier golf instructors compete on the Pickleball court more often,” said Rob Barnes, Product Manager, Selkirk Sport. “As a leader in the Pickleball equipment category, it’s important for us to support industry growth through the participation in special events that help raise the profile of Pickleball, and with many premier resorts and clubs across the country installing
Pickleball courts to complement their racquet sports programming, it makes perfect sense to showcase the sport and the Selkirk brand at the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Show in conjunction with the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show.”
In addition to Tyson McGuffin, many Team Selkirk brand ambassadors have strong ties to tennis, including: Kaitlyn Christian, a 26-year old Professional Tennis Player ranked 54th in the world in Doubles; JoAnne Russell, 1977 Wimbledon Doubles Champion; Cammy MacGregor, former Top 75 Professional Tennis Player, 2018 US Open Senior Pickleball Singles Champion and winner of the 2018 USA Pickleball National Championships in Senior Singles & Doubles; and longtime tennis instructor Morgan Evans, now a Professional Pickleball Coach to the sports elite players, among many others.
Added Barnes, “It’s fascinating to see the influx of professional tennis players and coaches, both playing Pickleball at the professional level and teaching the sport. Through our ambassador program, sponsorships of local tournaments and Major championships and cutting edge product innovation, Selkirk is committed to investing in the growth of Pickleball both domestically and around the globe.”
For more information on Selkirk Sport, Team Selkirk’s stable of Professional Pickleball Ambassadors and the innovative AMPED™ Series paddle line-up visit www.selkirk.com. To follow the Company at the Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference through social media please visit Selkirk on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SelkirkSport/ or Twitter @SelkirkSport.
About Selkirk Sport
Selkirk Sport, a Made-in-the-USA Manufacturer of Pickleball paddles and accessories, is a family-owned and operated company based in Hayden, Idaho, located in the shadows of its namesake, the Selkirk mountain range. Founded in 2014, Selkirk Sport is born off a passion for sport, as well as the great western outdoor leisure lifestyle that was afforded to the Company’s founders, Rob and Mike Barnes, along with their father Jim, who is Selkirk’s production manager, and Rob’s father-in-law, Russell Heistuman, a professional designer. Backed by the philosophy of always pushing the limits, Selkirk Sport is committed to manufacturing products that deliver the highest performance with unmatched quality and service. As part of their early success, Selkirk Sport was the very first Pickleball manufacturer to offer an unprecedented lifetime warranty on its high-performance products. And, to meet the demands of the game’s premier professionals, the Company developed low-profile edgeguards that are lightweight and extremely durable. In just three years, Selkirk Sport has become one of the industry’s fastest growing companies, and their paddles are used by many of the game’s premier players, such as Tyson McGuffin, Morgan Evans, Cammy MacGregor, Tonja Major and a host of others who are premier players and national/regional champions.
About Pickleball
Pickleball was invented by three dads in 1965 as a way to entertain their children during summer. The families resided on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Congressman Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum fashioned handmade equipment and based the simple rules on the existing sports of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Unlike Tennis, Racquetball and many other sports, Pickleball has a short learning curve; you don’t need months of lessons to participate in a fun game. It also is less running compared to Tennis. However, at the same time, it can be very competitive and addicting for all ages, as well as an excellent, fun family activity. Pickleball can be played as both a singles and doubles game, and can be played inside or outdoors, on a court that uses the dimension of a doubles badminton court, along with a modified tennis net. A Pickleball court is 20’ x 44’ for both singles and doubles. The net is hung at 36” at the ends and hangs 34” in the middle. A non-volley zone – called the Kitchen – extends 7’ back from the net on each side.
About the Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference
The 2019 Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference is a three-day, future-focused B2B event, Jan. 23-25, in Orlando, Fla., bringing together racquet sport professionals, industry leaders, established suppliers and emerging brands. The multi-faceted event includes a hands-on product demo experience and opening welcome party at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona; and a curated ONE2ONE buying summit,
Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference and a pavilion of racquet, paddle and tennis vendors and organizations at the Orange County Convention Center. The inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Conference is organized by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and Reed Exhibitions and co-located with the PGA Merchandise Show. For more information, visit RacquetPaddleSportsShow.com.
Media Contact:
Jared Minski (jared@mastrocomm.com)
Mastro Communications @ 732-469-5700
