DRYWORLD Partners with EPIC as Official Apparel Supplier for the World's Premier Amateur Pickleball Championship
Strategic Alliance to Outfit Global Athletes and Fans, Fueling the Explosive Growth of Pickleball with Premium Performance Gear
SINGAPORE and SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DRYWORLD Brands Inc. (IBGR), a leading performance apparel and athletic footwear brand, today announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with EPIC (Elite Pickleball International Championship PTE LTD), appointing DRYWORLD as the Official Fashion, Technical, and Apparel Partner. This exclusive collaboration will provide co-branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and fanwear to EPIC's World Championship players, staff, and global community, while launching a dedicated e-commerce line to capitalize on pickleball's meteoric rise as the world's fastest-growing sport.
EPIC, the pinnacle of amateur pickleball, is set to host its inaugural World Championship in April 2026 in the vibrant city-state of Singapore, featuring one of the largest amateur prize purse in history - starting at a guaranteed $50,000 and escalating to an estimated $100,000 based on participant growth. EPIC combines elite amateur competition with a premium sports vacation experience, drawing athletes, families, and fans to the beautiful island nation. This mass-participation event not only fosters community engagement but also drives tourism and international partnerships, underscoring pickleball's explosive global expansion. Participation in the sport has surged by 311% over the past three years in the U.S. alone, reaching 19.8 million players in 2024 and projected to climb to above 22.7 million by the end of 2025. Globally, tournament registrations have increased by 30% year-over-year, highlighting the sport's broadening appeal across all skill levels and demographics.
At the helm of EPIC is Co-Founder Yui See Lau, a serial entrepreneur and global leader in the pickleball ecosystem. Also leading the organization is Founding Partner Victor Cui, a visionary entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in global business and sports entertainment. As Co-Founder of ONE Championship - the world's largest martial arts organization, which has revolutionized combat sports with events broadcast to billions - Cui brings unparalleled expertise in scaling international events, building fanbases, and forging high-impact partnerships. Under his leadership, EPIC is supported and sponsored by the Singapore government with a three-year partnership. This substantial commitment elevates EPIC to the elite echelon of sports hosted in Singapore, alongside marquee events like the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix and the Singapore Open, signaling the city's ambition to become a global hub for emerging sports and solidifying pickleball's status as a top-tier athletic discipline.
As part of the partnership, DRYWORLD will supply exclusive player premium clothing annually to World Championship qualifiers and staff, along with kit for influencer promotions and early access pre-sale tiers for players. EPIC players and teams will wear co-branded DRYWORLD compression garments, training apparel, and lifestyle gear during official events, with fan merchandise available at events and online including monthly limited-edition merchandise drops, fan-voting activations on social media, and integrated digital promotions across EPIC's platforms. DRYWORLD will also manage full e-commerce operations, including international customer service and logistics hubs to support worldwide distribution.
“DRYWORLD is proud to be the performance brand trusted by icons across the world’s most dynamic sports. From Ronaldinho’s dazzling flair on the soccer pitch to the relentless intensity of New Zealand Super Rugby’s top teams, and now powering EPIC World Championship immediately puts us at the epicenter of pickleballs global rise,” said Brian McKenzie, Co-CEO of DRYWORLD. “Yui’s reputation and Victor’s mastery in scaling sports into worldwide participation events has us all excited and honored to work together as we expand across Asia, Europe, and the Americas over the next five years and beyond."
Victor Cui, Founding Partner of EPIC, added, "Pickleball is exploding globally, and EPIC is the gateway for amateurs everywhere to chase their dreams on the world stage. Partnering with DRYWORLD, a leader in technical sportswear, aligns perfectly with our vision of blending elite competition with premium style and accessibility. With the Singapore Tourism Board’s support, we're not just hosting a tournament - we're establishing pickleball as a cornerstone of Singapore's world-class sports calendar. This alliance will empower our players, engage our fans, and propel the sport to new heights."
The partnership kicks off with design collaboration releases in November 2025, followed by the launch of select exclusive merchandise drops in December, building excitement ahead of the April 2026 World Championship in Singapore (EPIC Pickleball Sizzle Reel). For more information on EPIC, visit EPICWorldChampionship.com. DRYWORLD products will be available through dedicated online channels and select retail partners (Shop Pickleball x D).
About DRYWORLD Brands Inc.
DRYWORLD is a premium performance sports brand offering innovative, superior quality apparel and footwear for the athlete in all of us. We build purpose-driven products that give all athletes the edge. Engineered by athletes, proven by science. Visit dryworldshop.com.
About EPIC
EPIC is the premier amateur pickleball championship, attracting players through a global network of qualifiers leading to a prestigious World Championship in Singapore. With the largest amateur prize purse and support from the Singapore Tourism Board, EPIC drives the growth of the global pickleball community while combining sports, tourism, and community engagement.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements and is subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give our current reasonable expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "may," "should," "can have," "likely" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events.
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on reasonable assumptions we have made in light of our industry experience, perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect or change, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual operating and financial performance to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
For media inquires, please contact: info@thedryworld.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
