CRBN Co-Founders ‘Fired Up’ Over Buzzing Asian Pickleball Scene After Vital Trip to China, Malaysia

Even with all the uncertainty being caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the uneasy relations between China and the US, one thing is for certain: CRBN co-founders Garrett Gosselin and Kyle Goguen will not stop looking for ways to manufacture only the best pickleball products in the market.

Gosselin and Goguen underscored this commitment with their recent trip to China, where they made sure everything’s good in their factories and worked more closely with their engineers—all as part of their efforts to churn out world-class products every time, all the time.

“Our trip to China was all about strengthening our manufacturing partnerships and continuing to dial in mass production,” the CRBN co-founders told Pickleball News Asia (PNA) in an exclusive interview. “We visited our paddle factories and worked directly with our engineers to improve tooling and construction techniques—especially around our proprietary TruFoam core technology. We also explored process improvements to boost production capacity without compromising quality. For CRBN customers, this means better product availability and even greater consistency.”

In other words, Gosselin and Goguen went to China so CRBN can give the best to their customers—uncertainties and all. TruFoam, evidently, will play a huge role in CRBN fulfilling its commitment of producing top-quality products to picklers around the world. According to Gosselin and Goguen, the company’s next big launch will be anchored on TruFoam technology, and it appears picklers are already looking forward to it.

“Our biggest launch is our TruFoam Genesis series—our newest paddle line for 2025,” Gosselin and Goguen revealed to PNA. “These paddles are the first Generation 4 paddles to hit the market, featuring our proprietary 100% foam core technology. They’ve been generating a lot of buzz globally, and demand has been so strong that we’ve had trouble keeping them in stock—especially in Asia.”

CRBN Co-Founders Take Inspiring Detour to Malaysia

Since they were already in Asia, the two decided to take a detour to what is arguably the hotbed of pickleball in the continent: Malaysia.  

“We’ve been hearing about the explosive growth of pickleball in Malaysia and wanted to see it in person. Our goal was to better understand the local culture, learn how business is done, connect with key players in the space, and explore how CRBN can support the sport’s evolution in the region,” Gosselin and Goguen explained to PNA. “We met with retailers, club owners, coaches, and everyday players—and came away inspired by their energy and passion, and in complete awe of how quickly the sport is growing in the country.”

The two CRBN executives didn’t just see that energy and passion. They also got a taste of it as they played pickleball pretty much their entire stay in Malaysia. In the end, Gosselin and Goguen weren’t just inspired by Malaysian picklers’ zeal and love for the sport; the were also impressed by the skill and raw talent of the country’s players.

“We played a lot! Over four days, we hit the courts at eight different facilities across Kuala Lumpur—from premium indoor clubs to lively outdoor courts,” the two admitted. “The players were incredibly welcoming and highly competitive, especially considering that most had only started playing within the last year. Stylistically, you could definitely see the influence of badminton—lightning-fast hands, quick reflexes, and some seriously impressive overheads.” 

Of course, all that energy and passion and talent for pickleball deserve only first-rate courts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Malaysia is having more and more of those, with world-class pickleball facilities mushrooming left and right in every region and every city. And these same facilities have also impressed the CRBN co-founders, who admitted to PNA to being “genuinely impressed by the variety and quality of the facilities.” They also noted how each of these pickleball facilities had its own unique character, with some catering to “tournament-level players looking to train seriously” and “others designed for casual players who just wanted a place to enjoy the game.”

A Passion for Pickleball: From Asia and Beyond

Gosselin and Goguen ultimately circled back to people’s passion for pickleball, which they say is their inspiration for establishing CRBN.

“Whether it was luxury lounges or simple open-air courts, the passion for pickleball was unmistakable. That same passion—the drive to play, compete, and connect through this sport—is exactly why we created CRBN in the first place. It was inspiring to see that spirit alive and growing in so many different forms across Malaysia,” the two pointed out.

Having seen the pickleball craze first-hand in Asia, first in China and then in Malaysia, Gosselin and Goguen have no doubt that the sport is making massive in-roads in the world’s largest continent. Unsurprisingly, they’re quite bullish of the pickleball outlook of Asia, and they’re more than ready to be part of this growing pickleball landscape.

“Asia’s pickleball scene is buzzing, and we couldn’t be more fired up about the opportunity. From passionate players to rapidly growing clubs and local brand partnerships, the energy is real,” they said. “We’re excited to invest, build relationships, and become a long-term partner in the growth of the sport across the region.”

To this end, Gosselin and Goguen told PNA that they will soon be prioritising CRBN’s Asian retail partners to “make sure players across the region can finally get their hands on these paddles” consistently. According to them, this is part of their commitment to ensure than the company’s “most advanced gear is readily available to meet the growing demand in this part of the world.”

Indeed, that demand is growing here in Asia—and it will only grow more and more.

Garrett Gosselin and Kyle Goguen know that all too well now, and they’re beyond excited for it.