American Traditional Tattoos Are Sick - So Why Not Tattoo A Pickleball Paddle?

Single Double has quickly become one of our favorite aesthetically-driven paddle brands on the market. Back in the summer, we had the opportunity to test drive their Montford paddle – and it ticked all the boxes for us in terms of form and function.

Now, they’ve teamed up with a local tattoo artist from Asheville, North Carolina, the hometown of Single Double’s founder, Jennifer Cronjé. Danny Reed founded Hot Stuff Tattoo in 2009, which has since become renowned for being one of the best tattoo shops in North Carolina. Just one look at Reed’s portfolio is all it takes to recognize that his artwork would make for some badass pickleball paddles, and that’s wholly come to fruition in the Single Double Wyld Paddle.

Reed’s art is often inspired by the natural world and wildlife, with much of the imagery in his work deriving from fish, birds, frogs, bats, wolves, insects, and a wide variety of other flora and fauna. The vibrant colors and bold stylization of Reed’s take on American traditional tattooing masterfully capture the likeness of these animals in the popular and surrealistic manner that the style often evokes.

As a tattoo collector herself, Cronjé thought the opportunity could perfectly encapsulate her love for tattoos and pickleball while also supporting a local artist.

“I decided to collaborate with a local artist in my hometown of Asheville, NC because – What’s better than a local community collaboration? I’ve collected a bunch of tattoos over the years, and I thought it would be interesting to design something special with Danny Reed, joining my affinity for both pickleball and tattoos.”

Danny Reed demonstrates his design process for the Wyld Paddle. (Photo credit: Jaze Uries)

The Wyld paddles themselves turned out perfectly! They offer the detailed design curation that Single Double is known to offer, with bright and beautiful colorways that perfectly highlight Reed’s bold artwork. An eclectic group of critters drawn by Reed adorn one paddle face, and the silhouette of a snake envelops a Single Double x Danny Reed logo on the other side of the paddle.

While Single Double is known best for the extraordinary visual designs they come up with for their paddles, the paddles themselves are also an absolute joy to play with! Through our time testing their Montford, we appreciated its classic feel and sweet spot with its 16” x 8” fiberglass surface – perfect for ripping deep drives down the line. The custom-molded edgeguard and sweatproof leather grip sealed the deal for us in terms of quality and comfort while on the court.

The Wyld appears to mirror these specs, so we’re confident you’ll love this paddle right out of the box; plus, every paddle comes with an embroidered canvas cover, which is a nice touch. Two colorways of the Wyld are currently available, pink and blue, and can be purchased right now at Single Double’s online store. 

“When people purchase an item from this collection, they are supporting a female-owned pickleball company and an artist.  A portion of every sale goes directly to Danny because I’m passionate about compensating artists fairly for their work.  I have another artist collaboration in the works for Single Double and hope to continue making these special prints with other artists for the future of this brand.”