When Alex Evans and Tom Kowalke reminisce about their childhood in Appleton, Wis., they think fondly about Evans’ table tennis table. These days, they’re immersed in the game once again. Looking to add some artistic flare to their beloved pastime, Evans and Kowalke co-founded Coconut Paddles in 2014.
After completing his undergraduate degree in business at Marquette University and his graduate degree in writing at UCLA, Evans returned to Wisconsin and co-founded Karben4Brewing, which he runs full time. Kowalske is a graduate of the Aveda Institute and moved to Madison more than 10 years ago. He works as a hairdresser and is a commissioned painter and brand developer.
The name Coconut Paddles stuck after a week-long brainstorming session. The founders wanted the company name to also be the product name, and they felt the word “coconut” is understood globally. Ultimately, they loved how it sounded when asked, “Oh, hey, you have a coconut? Those rule.”
The paddle was one of 10 different widgets the two were considering pursuing. They quickly decided to pursue the paddle after noticing table tennis has been largely without change over the past century, and that the market was ripe in terms of offerings and products.
“The actual idea stems from the traditional club style handle grip on a ping pong paddle not being all that comfortable,” Evans said. “We wanted to take the hands completely off the playing surface and the best way to achieve that was by way of a precision-style handle grip.”
After building the first prototype in 2013, they approached a couple of different manufacturers in 2014 to find out how to scale up production. They decided on Swift Manufacturing in Madison.
The next year and a half was dedicated to redesigning the prototype. The product, which is made from bamboo, was launched in February 2016. Its “one-size-fits-all” design acts as a direct extension of the player’s arm to their hand. The build of the handle allows the paddle to be held without any fingers on the playing surface.
At launch, Coconut Paddles produced 1,000 paddles and has since shipped paddles to more than 15 countries. The paddles cost $108 and are currently sold directly to consumers via the company’s website. They have received a lot of positive feedback from consumers and have been featured in numerous online blogs.
Evans and Kowalke envision seeking wholesale and retail opportunities someday. They also would like to expand the company in the future.
“We’ve always talked about the possibility of Coconut turning into a lifestyle brand,” Evans said. “I think that is the end goal, but for now the goal is to make the best possible paddle.”
