A fast-growing pickleball brand founded in a Sunshine Coast garage three years ago is set to open a headquarters and retail showroom.
Six Zero Pickleball – which provides high-performance paddles, apparel and accessories to casual and elite players in more than 20 countries – will formally open a new premises in Bokarina later this month.
Local husband-and-wife team Dale and Tanya Young are behind the company.
Mr Young said the brand had rapidly become a major name in the increasingly popular sport, via its sales and presence online, and it was time to open a physical store.
“We’ve experienced vertical growth over the last two-and-a-half years,” he said.
“We had early success with some innovative engineering and have quickly grown to a team of 30 and one of the leading pickleball brands globally.”
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Six Zero Pickleball was founded in late 2022, when Mr Young started playing to stay fit and connect with others. Frustrated by how often his paddles broke and how basic the designs were, he saw an opportunity to build something better.
What started as a backyard hobby quickly escalated.
Working from his Sunshine Coast garage, he and his father Bruce built and tested more than 500 prototypes, while his wife stepped in to lead operations and systems.
With backgrounds in international public health – Mr Young led sanitation projects in
Tanzania and Ms Young worked on mosquito-borne disease control across multiple
countries – the shift to sports manufacturing might seem surprising.
But their motivation was familiar: to build something that connects communities and promotes wellbeing.
The Sunshine Coast HQ is expected to allow the company to expand its reach and strengthen its position as a leader in the sport.
“From the beginning we’ve designed and tested everything right here on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Young said.
“Opening our headquarters here is our way of saying we’re not just from this region, we’re investing in it for the long term.”
Ms Young said pickleball was for almost everyone.
“What we love most about pickleball is how inclusive it is,” she said. “Grandparents play with grandkids and players in wheelchairs compete alongside non-disabled partners.
“It’s a sport that brings people together and we’re passionate about building products that support that.”
The HQ and storefront will officially be opened at 11/2 Main Drive on August 23 from 9am to 2pm.
It will include free barista coffee from a local coffee van, pickleball demos and mini games, in-store giveaways and exclusive opening day specials and early access to new equipment and innovations.
Ms Young said the event would provide people with a chance to meet them and to learn about paddle innovation.
“We wanted the opening to reflect what pickleball is all about: fun, connection,
and community,” she said.
“Whether you’re an experienced player or completely new to the sport, we’d love you to come down, grab a coffee, have a hit in the demo area and (get) a first look at what’s next in pickleball.”
