It all started with a love for pickleball.
When the only trusted shop closed its doors, we decided to design a paddle ourselves. That's how Ikigai Pickleball began.
First post
It all started with a love for pickleball
"Our goal was to develop and manufacture pickleball paddles that would give beginners a great, inspiring playing experience — and advanced players a top-tier paddle that doesn't give an inch in competitive games."
We think we succeeded.
Let's go back in time a bit. Just over a year ago, "pickleballkauppa.fi" — a trusted online store based in Kuopio — shut down. We had been customers for a long time. It was where we got good paddles and where we could send new players to buy gear whenever they asked to try this addictive new sport.
But when the shop was gone and our pickleball-obsessed friends started asking where to buy paddles after their first sessions, we were at a loss.
The idea began to form: could we design our own paddle and find a manufacturer willing to build it to our own specs?
Turns out, yes. In China we found a factory that produces paddles and balls for some of the biggest pickleball brands in the world — Onix, Diadem, Paddletek, CRBN, Pickleball Apes — and now for Ikigai Pickleball too.
That kicked off an entire autumn of learning everything there is to know about paddles and how they're made.
I'll tell you more in the next blog post. Stay tuned!
— Ikigai Pickleball
How it all began
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2022—2023
The shop closes — a gap in the market
A trusted online store used by pickleball players in Kuopio shuts down. New players ask where to buy paddles, but there is no good answer. Out of this uncertainty comes an idea: what if we built the paddle ourselves?
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2024
Factory and partner found
A factory in China is discovered — one that manufactures paddles and balls for leading global brands such as Onix, Diadem, Paddletek, CRBN and Pickleball Apes. The same factory becomes our partner. An intensive autumn of learning about paddle materials, structures and manufacturing techniques begins.
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2025
Ikigai Pickleball is born
After years of learning and testing, we launch our own collection. The goal is simple: to offer both beginners and competitive players a paddle that feels right and holds up to serious play.
Join the journey.
Explore the collection or get in touch.