Sand box ( san(d)-bäks ): A place to be creative or experimental — a metaphorical area in which you can freely test ideas and innovate.
A sandbox is a place to play and dream, to create and destroy, to test some new ideas. Innovation starts with open minds and creativity and a spirit of fearlessness. Just like when we were young playing in the sandboxes with all the possibilities, we are striving to look inside and outside of the box and lead the industry in paddle innovation. If you are one of those people with an open mind, creativity, and fearless pursuit of excellence then we you want to partner with us in this quest for innovation and the future of the pickleball paddles.
These paddles are part of our creative journey, offering innovative features and exciting potential. So, we are introducing the FLIK Sandbox, where our Little FLIKers can play while they wait to “grow up” and “graduate” to USAP approved paddles or as a place where they can live out their lives as a FLIK approved innovative and fun paddle.
Like children who outgrow the sandbox, most of our Little FLIKers aspire to leave the FLIK Sandbox and “graduate” to their place in our USAP approved paddle line. Some will live their lives in the Sandbox because we are experimenting with concepts or materials. But, for the most part, we want our Little FLIKers to leave the FLIK Sandbox with their USAP stamp.
The FLIK+ was our first paddle. We made it oversized for beginners who are learning the game and with lots of extra grit so they can learn how to spin. It’s a great paddle for any level to have some fun with, but it’s especially helpful for beginners while they learn the game. This is one of the paddles that will live out its life in the FLIK Sandbox, since it does not meet the size or grit requirements as they currently stand.
We followed that paddle up with the FLIK Gen3 paddle as an A/B experiment - do people care about the USAP stamp if they can pay less to have the exact same paddle but with a FLIK stamp instead of the USAP stamp, Jury is still out on that one, but we do know that people want the USAP stamp. So, the FLIK Gen3 paddle has “graduated” and taken it’s place in our USAP approved line of paddles. It’s FLIK approved version will live in the Sandbox until it is gone. So, if you have the USAP version of that paddle and want a practice paddle that is exactly the same but less money, you should scoop up the FLIK approved paddle while you can!
The F1s are a paddle that we were pretty sure would pass the testing. But, it turns out they missed the new marks. They will live their lives in the Sandbox as awesome paddles that just missed the mark. We will have an F1 paddle in our USAP lineup eventually, but it will not be this iteration. This is an awesome new technology, and if you have hit this paddle, you will understand why we know this new core technology will change the industry. These are the kinds of innovations that thrive in the FLIK Sandbox.
While the paddles in the Sandbox are waiting for their USAP stamp of approval, you can snag them at a seriously discounted price. We want early adopters and paddle junkies to have as much fun with these paddles as we had dreaming them up. Perfect for trying something new or testing the next evolution of paddle design, The SANDBOX is where performance meets experimentation, without breaking the bank. Get in on the ground floor and grab your future favorite paddle today!
Keep your eyes on the Sandbox for our newest concepts and for what’s coming next to the USAP line-up. Use the Sandbox to grab the paddles at a great price and have some fun with them. Most importantly, use the FLIK Sandbox to have some fun with us and join the conversation about what you would like to see in new technology!
Thanks for joining us on the journey. We appreciate all that you do to help us grow.
-Fred Robinson, Founder
