In this Love Pickle interview, the Bros catch up with the Sydney-based pickleball company Love Pickle. We first discovered their paddles at the Victorian Open 2025 in Frankston. Their slick, tech-driven paddles immediately stood out and we learned that there was a great story behind their paddles.
Love Pickle is more than just a paddle company – they’re building vibrant pickleball venues and communities across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. We sat down with Shaun, the founder of Love Pickle, to talk paddles, passion, and their mission to grow the game.
Q: Before we jump into Love Pickle, tell me about yourself and when did you start playing pickleball?
SHAUN: I sold my accounting practice back in 2020 and as a result, I wanted to spend more time with my daughter and my wife, I was trying to find a sport that we could play together.
In 2023, we’d seen pickleball on TV. I thought it was a strange, but exciting sport. So I found Sutherland Shire Pickleball Club, a local club in my area. But at the time it was only running two sessions a week, and we couldn’t get in.
But eventually we got in and we started playing. And we fell in love with the game instantly.
Q: Starting an Aussie Pickleball brand is a pretty big deal, What was the catalyst to start Love Pickle?
SHAUN: When we started to play, while we loved the game, I saw that the equipment was either really expensive or bad quality. I thought surely there is a way to have quality products without the high price point.
That was the initial drive and then the inspiration evolved from there.
We wanted to come to the market with high end quality gear that is unique, but not at a high price.
Also I have a seven year old daughter and we noticed there was no one making products for kids, so then we were motivated to produce pickleball gear for kids.
Then there wasn’t a manufacturer that I could see that was holistic, either they were just doing paddles, or other products. So we thought, well, why not have a complete range of pickleball products, t shirts, pickleball bags, nets, kids pickleball books and paddles? And you know, have an all-round solution.
And then we found that there were not enough dedicated venues to support the sports growth. In our local area people were joining the club but available playing time were limited because we are sharing the space with other sports in multi sports venues. So we saw that not having dedicated venues was going to be a huge problem for pickleball’s future growth. So we thought we have to fix this problem too.
So it was just a rabbit hole.
But it is an exciting journey in trying to help evolve the game.
Q: So when did Love Pickle launch in Australia?
SHAUN: We launched Love Pickle in October 2024 at the Australian Pickleball Championships , which was the largest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere with approximately 1,000 participants.
Then one month later, in November, we launched our first venue. This was Love Pickle Club Orange in Orange, New South Wales, where we had Australia’s largest Launch of any venue, with 267 participants at the opening, which was a great start to our adventure.
Q: You have some unique paddles. How do you even get started making paddles?
SHAUN: We started off with 20 different designs, and it took us around a year to test and measure. We were testing and getting our club to complete surveys as to what they liked and didn’t like in a paddle. It was all about getting feedback, and that’s how our designs evolved.
We found different people like different things and have different skill levels and play at different types of venues, indoor & outdoors, so we decided on six models that were totally unique from each other.
And after we established our range, we saw that for the testing people appreciated the opportunity to try before they buy, so that is how our Ambassador program developed. We now have Ambassadors around Australia, New Zealand , the United Kingdom, Singapore & Malaysia who give players the opportunity to play and test our six paddles to find the right paddle for them, as they are all different.
Q: I love the sleek, stealth look of the paddles. What is your approach to designing paddles?
SHAUN: So we always wanted to come to the market with high end quality gear that is unique. We have paddles of all different materials T700 Japanese Carbon, 3K Carbon, Kevlar, we use cutting edge materials, but not for the high price point.
We want to give pickleballers different paddle options, let them try our paddles and work out which is best for them.
Now we have just launched our Titanium Supreme paddle, , which is really exciting . We are one of the first manufacturer in the world who are offering this type of paddle.
We just want to offer products that are different to what already exists, we come up with different designs, then just try to design different versions and test and retest, get feedback and then go to market.
In relation to the aesthetic of our paddles and gear, that is my wife Victoria’s passion.
Q: How have the Aussie Pickleballers responded to Love Pickle? I have seen some great feedback about your paddles on your facebook site?
SHAUN: Look, I think it’s been great. Everyone has been so supportive, especially at Sutherland Shire Pickleball Club.
It has been a fantastic journey so far and really exciting to see someone I don’t know using our gear.
And I think once anyone that hears about the pickleball ecosystem that we are trying to develop, they want to be involved or provide support in some way, which is great.
Q: Love Pickle is focused on building the pickleball community, tell me about that.
SHAUN: Yes, we are developing a community pickleball ecosystem with our focus at the moment being the venue component of the ecosystem. In 2025, we are working on establishing 10 Love Pickle Club venues in Australia and New Zealand.
Then next year we hope to expand with more venues, and even expand to the UK and Southeast Asia as well.
After the venues, we are building the rest of the ecosystem including Love Pickle Travel, Love Pickle Schools & Love Pickle Coaching.
It is step by step. We keep on building every day. In the last six months, we found ambassadors all around Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. They are like minded, passionate people who love our brand, who want to be part of this journey. And they are introducing pickleball into their communities and letting people try our paddles.
But the critical part of the ecosystem is the venues, because the community can’t grow to its full potential without those venues. So there’s lots of work to do but we are having fun doing it.
Q: For Players who wanted to get started with a Love Pickle paddle, where should they start? Any particular gear you recommend for first timers and beyond?
SHAUN: We’ve designed the Love Pickle range for beginners through to performance players. So our Love Pickle Ignite paddle, it’s Japanese carbon, thermo formed, T700 carbon for $99. It is lighter and perfect for beginners. And it uses the same material that people are selling for $300 to $400 that aren’t Japanese carbon.
We also have the Love Pickle Flame for $139. That is similar to the ignite, but has a more gritty surface to get more spin. As I have mentioned before we have a wide range of now seven paddles with the release of our new Titanium Supreme paddle, which has a Titanium 3K carbon fibre weave and has a bigger sweet spot.
So it depends on which material you feel suits your game the best. Having seven different paddles gives people options to find the best paddle for their game.
Q: You are still a relatively new brand, and you have a few paddles out, what is next for you guys?
SHAUN: At the moment, we’re focused on venues in Australia and New Zealand, the launch of our new Titanium Supreme and Love Pickle Travel. That’s the primary focus. With the equipment side of things, we’re just trying to bring out new products that are different, like our Love Pickle Ball Machine or our 2 in 1 Pickleball Nets, which are are great for tournaments or playing on a half court with the kids.
We’re always sharing ideas and working with pickleball communities to get feedback. And because we’re a family business, we can move quickly together to solve pickleball problems. So it’s a lot of problem solving, but we love solving problems and growing pickleball.
Contact Love Pickle
The Bros want to thank Shaun from Love pickle for the fantastic chat. It is always so amazing to speak with Aussie paddle makers that get out there and take on the World. And the Love Pickle story is just getting started! They do it all, and we hope we get some Love Pickle venues in Melbourne in 2025. And keep an eye on their paddles, as they keep pushing the limits of tech in paddle design.
Check out the Love Pickle webpage or send them an email at support@lovepickle.com.au. Tell them the Bros sent you!
if you have tried a Love Pickle Paddle or you have played at one of their venues, let us know in the comments below.
Pickle On
The Aussie Pickleball Bros.