Let’s take a walk down Vendor Village at Nationals
November 9, 2023
|The Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships has some of the finest vendors in Texas on site along Pickleball Boulevard.
From buzz-worthy beverages to the latest workout gear, the vendors at Nationals have a variety of unique offerings.
Our first stop was the HTeaO truck where visitors can get some of the classics and bestsellers, and creatively mix flavors for an individualized experience as well. HTeaO is a Lone Star State favorite that was founded in 2009. It offers an incredible variety of sweet and unsweet iced teas.
Our personal favorite is the Texas Chai, but HTeaO enthusiast, Caitlyn Scheibal recommends mixing the Blueberry Green Tea with the Ryan Palmer for a delicious treat.
The next stop was the OH SNAP! Pickles booth. It immediately caught our attention because of the creative logo. OH SNAP! sells pickles and pickled veggies in a delicious refrigerated snack.
“Pickles appeal to everybody, young, old, men, women, just like pickleball does, so it’s a natural fit for us,” said Nic Olbrantz, the director of sales and marketing at OH SNAP! Pickles.
With a tea and snack in hand, we headed over to the TravisMathew merch truck that was blasting some great music.
While TravisMathew is known for their polos, brand representatives convinced us that the best new item is their Scenic Vista Active Tee. With an athletic fit, it’s the perfect shirt for pickleball.
For an afternoon pick-me-up when that Texas sun was starting to wear on me, we stopped by the Simply Spiked Lemonade stand.
According to associate, Gabriel Rojas, “the kiwi and peach are the best flavor because it’s smooth and refreshing, and with 5% alcohol it’s got the right amount of kick.”
Visitors can’t make it down Pickleball Boulevard without testing their pickleball skills at the Carvana booth where anyone can attempt the Anna Leigh Waters Challenge.
Participants must attempt to hit each target, and if you can hit them all, you win a paddle signed by Waters.
Rumor has it that pro Jay Devilliers completed the challenge with ease.
Then, we visited Flying Embers where the ambassadors were blasting some tunes and handing out samples of their delicious and gut-healthy hard kombucha. The cherry hibiscus lime was a crowd favorite, but worker Carissa Jardio was eager to inform me about the bigger purpose and goal of the brand.
“Flying Embers was named after the firefighters and first responders who saved the kombucha owner’s home and brewery during a horrific wildfire in Ventura, California, and a portion of their proceeds go towards first responders,” said Jardio.
Lastly, we made an extended stop at the Pickleball Central tent to explore some of the top sellers and hidden gems.
Miniature pickleball paddles caught our attention right away.
“The Selkirk Mini Riley Paddles are souvenir paddles. A lot of little kids are buying them and we’re almost sold out,” said Christina McAdams.
You also can’t go anywhere in Dallas without seeing the upside down Dallas logo created by True Brvnd.
For Nationals, they partnered with the PPA Tour to create special edition caps featuring the PPA logo, which marked the brand’s official entry into the pickleball sphere.
Before we made our exit, we stopped by the Pickleball Boulevard sign.
It’s the perfect place to grab a photo to commemorate our involvement in this historic event.
We barely scratched the surface with the bountiful options available along Pickleball Boulevard, so take a walk for yourself to find products and merchandise aplenty.