Dink Around The Pickleball Court with San Diego's Rally Republic

By Hannah George By Hannah George | April 26, 2024 | People, Style & Beauty, Feature, Travel & Recreation, Best of The Best, Play, Features, Style, Style & Beauty Feature, style and beauty, Featured, Style & Beauty, Women of Influence Latest, Community, People Feature, Creators, City Life, Fitness, sports,

San Diego’s Lauren Stohlman gives us the play-by-play on founding her smash-hit pickleball paddle business, Rally Republic.

Rally Republic founder Lauren Stohlman with her colorful collection of Rally Republic paddles; PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BLACKBURN

Searching for her next adventure, Fort Worth native Lauren Stohlman relocated to Encinitas in 2019 and fell in love with playing pickleball. Shortly after, she launched her own preppy pickleball paddle brand, Rally Republic, creating stylish, state-of-the-art paddles that feature a variety of patterns and collegiate branding. Here, Stohlman shares more about her entrepreneurial journey and what all the racket is about with Rally Republic.

Tell us about Rally Republic. What inspired you to create your own line of pickleball paddles?

After ordering paddles online and finding them lacking in quality, we saw an opportunity to create stylish, high-quality paddles that also reflect the fun spirit of pickleball. Our paddles stand out for their combination of stylish designs and superior quality. Our extensive collegiate licensing agreements allow fans to showcase their school pride with top-notch paddles. We’ve celebrated significant milestones, such as securing partnerships with reputable retailers like Rally House, Gameday Spirit and collegiate bookstores.

Which of your designs is your favorite?

The TCU college paddle holds a special significance for me, being a proud Fort Worth native. Seeing the TCU paddle proudly displayed in the Fort Worth Rally House store was an incredibly gratifying moment. Among our original designs, the Encinitas paddle is a personal favorite. Its vibrant colors evoke the lively spirit of our coastal town, where I’ve found a lot of inspiration. Its design reflects the essence of the Encinitas sunsets and the dynamic energy that defines our brand.

Rally Republic’s collegiate-branded paddles; PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BLACKBURN

What’s your favorite place to play pickleball in San Diego?

While I personally still play weekly at friends’ homes, Bobby Riggs Racket and Paddle and the Carlsbad Poinsettia pickleball courts are popular choices among many of my friends.

What’s next for Rally Republic?

We aim to establish Rally Republic as the leading lifestyle pickleball brand. Our expansion plans include launching new products such as pickleballs, paddle covers and high-quality activewear. We’ll introduce more paddle designs and expand our collegiate lineup, not to mention launching other paddles featuring fraternities, sororities and state-themed paddles.