Viral influencers Dude Perfect began 2023 playing pickleball in a partnership with Selkirk on board the first-ever "Cruise Perfect", a family friendly and activity-packed cruise trip to the Bahamas.
On the latest episode of "Sporticast", Sporitco's podcast for discussion around the business of sports,
Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn revealed that
Dude Perfect, the viral stars best known for their amazing sports trick shots, have invested in
Frisco Clean Clause, a professional pickleball franchise under the MLP banner.
Back in January, the Dudes teamed up with
Selkirk Sport to
offer pickleball programming onboard “Cruise Perfect”, an activity-packed roundtrip voyage from Miami to the Bahamas. The trip was packed with pickleball fun which included clinics, open play games, and a tournament featuring the Dudes themselves! The five viral entertainers participated with an array of
Selkirk pickleball paddles, and several of them opted for the popular
Vanguard Power Air Invikta paddle whilst on court.
The Dudes, Tyler, Cody, Garret, Cory, and Coby, gained their fame with mind-boggling trick shot videos on YouTube. They continue to bring their humor, sports concepts, and athletic ability to massive audiences. They have since developed a Dude Perfect HQ facility in Frisco, Texas, where they shoot much of their content. After picking up paddles for the first time, the Dudes were bit by the pickleball bug and became passionate about the game. Thus, they built a court within their HQ and like so many others, enjoy playing the game recreationally.
"Congratulations our friends at Dude Perfect for their investment in the Frisco Clean Cause", said Mike Barnes, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Selkirk Sport. "We had a blast taking the court with the Dudes on the Cruise Perfect voyage to the Bahamas. Their passion for pickleball is second to none, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for them as important advocates and catalysts for our great sport."
The Frisco Clean Clause franchise was valued at $5 million in the landmark deal, as Dude Perfect continues to take action on their passion for the fastest growing sport in the US. The Frisco Clean Cause roster currently consists of Yana Grechkina, Lina Padegimaite, Zane Navritil, and Matt Wright.
About Selkirk Sport:
Selkirk Sport, 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 was 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. 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. Selkirk Sport has become one of the industry’s fastest growing companies with paddles used by many of the game’s premier players, such as Tyson McGuffin, Parris Todd, Dylan Frazier, Mary Brascia, Maggie Brascia, Wesley Gabrielsen, Cammy MacGregor, and a host of others who are premier players and national/regional champions.
