The Paddles That Changed Pickleball How Boeing scraps launched a pickleball revolution
Introduction: Pickleball has exploded in popularity over the past decade, becoming one of the fastest growing sports in America. But 50 years ago it was just a fledgling game played with makeshift wooden paddles. That all changed when an aerospace engineer had the innovative idea to craft paddles out of composite materials leftover from Boeing airplane production. This documentary looks back at how that first composite paddle revolutionized pickleball and paved the way for the high-tech paddles used by players today.
Q: What was pickleball like in the 1970s when Steve Paranto started playing? A: In the 1970s, pickleball was played with heavy wooden paddles. Steve Paranto and his friends started playing as a fun hobby using the wooden paddles.
Q: What issue did Steve have with the wooden paddles? A: Steve found the wooden paddles too heavy compared to tennis racquets. He felt the weight ratio was wrong and made it hard to play well.
Q: How did Steve's dad Arlen get involved with pickleball? A: Arlen learned pickleball from his son Steve. Though skeptical at first, Arlen came to enjoy the game and built a pickleball court at his house.
Q: What was Arlen's engineering background? A: Arlen worked as an industrial engineer and manager at Boeing. He had experience inventing things and coming up with new ideas.
Q: How did Arlen develop the first composite pickleball paddles? A: Hearing Steve complain about the wooden paddles, Arlen decided to fashion paddles out of lightweight composite floor panel scrap materials from Boeing planes. He used his engineering skills to create the paddles.
Q: How did Steve react when Arlen first showed him the composite paddles? A: Steve was shocked and excited to try out the paddles, which were a complete surprise to him. He immediately noticed the better feel, sound, and playability.
Q: How did the composite paddles improve Steve's tournament play? A: Using the new paddles, Steve and his partner quickly began winning tournaments against players using wooden paddles. The composite paddles gave them a clear competitive advantage.
Q: How were the early composite paddles produced? A: Arlen made the paddles by hand in his home workshop, using leftover Boeing materials. He went through many labor-intensive steps to create each paddle.
Q: What company did Arlen later form to sell the paddles? A: Arlen formed the company Pro-Lite to manufacture and sell the composite paddles. The name signified the lightweight advantage of the paddles.
Q: How did the new paddles spread through the pickleball community? A: As more tournament players tried and won with the paddles, demand grew rapidly. Within a few years, most serious players had switched from wood paddles to composite ones.
Q: What was the impact of the composite paddle on pickleball?
A: The paddles opened up pickleball to more players through their lighter weight. They also allowed greater paddle speed and athleticism, revolutionizing and transforming the sport of pickleball.
Q: What is Randy Bither's perspective on the new paddles? A: Randy had known the Paranto family for 30 years. He said the new paddles greatly improved the pace and action of the game compared to wooden paddles.
Q: What does Randy say about the Paranto's impact? A: Randy says it's remarkable to see someone truly change the game of pickleball. He notes that every paddle company since has copied the innovation of composite materials that Arlen originally introduced.
Q: How does Daniel Gabanek describe the paddle transition? A: Daniel says when he started playing, all paddles were heavy and wooden. He was reluctant to switch at first when composites emerged. But Steve Paranto convinced him to try the new paddles, and Daniel was instantly hooked.
Q: How did the paddle usage shift at tournaments? A: Steve Paranto describes how they eagerly tracked the number of composite paddles at each tournament. Soon the majority had shifted from wood to composite, with just stragglers like Earl still using wooden paddles.
Q: Who helped Arlen distribute the first paddles? A: Arlen had one friend who would sell small batches of the paddles just to spread them in the pickleball community, not to make money. Arlen also gave away paddles.
Q: What attracted competitive players to the new paddles? A: Steve says competitive players realized the paddles gave them an advantage over wooden ones. The edge was the lighter weight and greater responsiveness.
Q: In what two ways did the paddle change pickleball? A: Steve says the lighter paddle allowed seniors and kids to play more easily. But it also enabled greater speed and athleticism in high-level competitive play.
Q: What does Arlen say about his inventive nature? A: Arlen says he's always been an inventive person who likes trying out new ideas and making new things. He has several patents and a tendency toward innovation.
Q: How does Steve summarize the impact of the paddle invention? A: Steve says he was just complaining to his dad about paddle weight, but his dad created something that totally changed pickleball. The first composite paddle revolutionized the sport.
Summary: When Steve Paranto complained to his dad Arlen about the heavy wooden pickleball paddles leading to losses in tournaments in the 1970s, Arlen sprang into action. As an engineer for Boeing, Arlen knew about the lightweight composite materials used in airplanes.
He fashioned the first composite pickleball paddles from Boeing scrap panels and surprised Steve with them. The new paddles were a game-changer, allowing much faster play. Steve and his partner quickly started winning tournaments with the composite paddles, which caught on widely. Arlen founded the company Pro-Lite to produce the paddles, starting in his garage workshop.
Though homemade, the paddles spread through pickleball circles as players realized the competitive edge of composite materials. Within a few years, almost all serious pickleball players had switched from wood to composite paddles.
The Parantos' innovation made pickleball more accessible and opened the door to today's high-tech paddles. Their creation of the first composite pickleball paddle revolutionized the sport.
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