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Kelly Kirk played competitive racquetball for over 25 years and enjoyed a great deal of success. She won state and regional championships and a U. S. Open title. Later, she was elected to the Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame. As an open player, she took her equipment very serious.
She said,“ Throughout my racquetball career, I had access to the best, leading-edge equipment on the market. So when I started playing pickleball two years ago, I bought the best paddle I could find and took it apart. Literally. Piece-by-piece. Was I disappointed. Epoxy and cardboard. Really?”
Kirk called up a friend to express her disappointment with the paddles she tried. When asked what her dream paddle would look like, her imagination lit up and 30 days later Riverstyks was incorporated.
“ I began my pilgrimage to make the best paddle on the market,” Kirk recalled. She explained,“ Light. Durable. U. S. Open-worthy. Professional craftsmanship. Made in the U. S. A.” Because of the longevity and consistency of materials, she prefers not to call her equipment“ paddles,” but rather“ blades.”
Light. Kirk recalls,“ Like all aspiring players, as I got better, I bought lighter equipment and found that my hands were faster and thus my reflexes were quicker. I could return tougher shots with less effort since lighter equipment provides quicker reactions.” She added,“ Our blades range from 6 ounces to 9.5 ounces. Most players adjust to the lighter weights, especially when they discover all the advantages.”
Durable. Often times, lighter paddles are less durable than heavier ones. Kirk states that it’ s not true with her Riverstyks Blades. She says,“ Our blade has more strength than a 10-ounce epoxy and cardboard paddle. She proudly explained,“ Our carbon-fiber weave
material, same as that used on the space shuttles, is a single sheet that covers the blade tip-to-tip and side-toside. We’ ve eliminated the soft spot at the throat( where the blade meets the handle) where other paddles tend to break. Ounce for ounce it’ s the strongest paddle made.”
U. S. Open Worthy. How do the blades hold up during competition? Kirk answers,“ Dink shots, touch shots, spin shots, overheads, deep or fast baseline shots, the blades adjust with your game from the moment you start using them, helping you compete at the highest levels.” On a side note, the blades do meet or exceed all USAPA specifications.
Professional Craftsmanship. Most conventional paddles start breaking down after 90 days. Riverstyks’ claim is that their hand-crafted blades have a zero-trampoline effect( even after a year of play) which means they keep their original integrity and strength. Kirk says,“ Dollar for dollar, our blades will outlast and outplay our competitors.”
Made in the U. S. A. Riverstyks is located in Winona, Minnesota, parked along the Mississippi River( which is why all our blades are named after rivers) in the hub of the composite industry.“ We insisted on staying local in order to control and improve our materials, products, and manufacturing processes on a daily basis,” Kirk explained. She added,“ We like to take full advantage of the research and development taking place in our own backyard. We’ d like to honor the U. S. roots and heritage of pickleball in our own small way. We are very proud of our products and innovative spirit.”
If you are interested in having your own Riverstyks blade for an upcoming tournament or social match play call 507.453.5723 to order or buy securely online at www. riverstyks. com.
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