'This issue has evolved into an existential threat to both the game and the legitimate business of paddle manufacturing' – Jason Aspes, President, UPA-A
The United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A), the governing body of U.S. professional pickleball, is taking the fight against counterfeit paddles directly to the source.
UPA-A President Jason Aspes sent an email to all sanctioned paddle manufacturers on November 27, punctuating the severity of the issue and laying out some steps the industry can take to start regaining control.
"Counterfeit and knockoff paddles have become an increasing concern within our sport, threatening player safety, brand integrity, and the long-term health of the pickleball industry," it said.
This issue has evolved into an existential threat to both the game and the legitimate business of paddle manufacturing. By consolidating best practices into a shared, public document, the UPA-A hopes to bring not just awareness to the issue, but an informed plan to address it before it spirals out of control.
Regulatory Whac-A-Mole As we reported just last month , the counterfeit pickleball paddle market is thriving.
Clones or fakes of popular paddles from respected brands like Selkirk, JOOLA, CRBN, Six Zero and more are littered across sites like Alibaba, Temu, and Facebook.
Sometimes they look like a cheap knockoff. Other times they appear to be identical.
But without fail, they're offered for prices that seem too good to be true because they... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/the-upa-a-is-open-sourcing-a-counter-attack-on-counterfeit-paddle-brands/
