The Bandeja summer 2024 issue

the last word
The Last Word
with Christoffer Granfelt,
co-founder of Instantpadel
Swedish entrepreneur Christoffer Granfelt and
business partner Magnus Berglund are the brains
behind Instantpadel, arguably one of the most
important developments in padel.
70
In under six hours you can have a
Instantpadel court up and ready
to play, no planning permission or
groundwork required. They’ve been
installed on ships, in shopping centres,
posh members clubs (think Babington
House) and now come with pickleball,
footy and basketball marked out.
Where did the idea for Instantpadel
come from?
Magnus got the idea during Sweden’s
padel boom in 2020. He felt the sport
wasn’t as accessible as it should be.
The question was ‘does it have to be
so complicated to build a padel court?’
What are Instantpadel’s USPs?
Instantpadel is unique, a portable court
that doesn’t require major groundwork
and has less need for permits (ie
planning in the UK). Courts are easy to
install - the team from Game4Padel
holds the unofficial world record for
building an Instantpadel court in two
hours and 15 minutes. Normal time is
approximately 4-6 hours.
What challenges have you faced?
We’ve needed to put time in to
explaining our concept and guiding
clients on when and why they should
use us. We are not suitable for all
projects but perfect for others. We have
a court that delivers great access to
many unique city centres to increase
the sport’s accessibility.
Your success in numbers?
Since launch in 2021 we have installed
160 Instantpadel courts in 18 countries.
What’s the difference between
InstantPadel and a normal court?
We use polycarbonate panels instead
of glass because they are lighter (100kg
v 250kg), therefore easier to transport
and install. You don’t need to bolt our
courts to the ground.
Player feedback?
The response has been overwhelming.
In the UK our partners Game4Padel and
Hexa Padel have completed several
installations with very good response.
Hexa had a client in Torquay who
installed our court on an existing tennis
court and within three months got 120
new club members.
How important has Instantpadel
been in introducing padel to
communities?
I believe we are, for sure, part of the
global growth of padel since our
installations at iconic locations have
created attention for the sport. We
are truly humble and happy about
the role we are playing in the padel
industry worldwide.
One goal is to get councils, public
sector, parks etc to explore us more.
We are the perfect solution for turning
unused community areas into active,
fun social spaces. Our courts are very
easy to move around if needed.
Your favourite Instantpadel
installation?
Westfield Padel Festival (November 2022)
at Westfield shopping centre in West
London in conjunction with Game4Padel
(see Issue 2 of The Bandeja for the full
story). Andy Murray and Tia Norton,
together with other high profile people,
played on our court. It was such a great
success, and we are still getting global
articles about our presence there.
The most unusual installation?
On a ship outside Kuwait City. It really
proves that we can install a padel court
anywhere and everywhere.
An installation you are especially
proud of?
We are installing at the iconic West
Side Tennis Club in New York. It has
hosted 60 US Opens and several Davis
Cup and will be our first installation
in the States.
You’ve developed a dual surface
court for padel and pickleball. Why?
To reduce barriers into sport and focus
on accessibility. This concept is perfect
and cost effective for tennis clubs
pivoting into a rackets club. We are also
launching a multi-sports court soon;
by changing the flooring and lines
you can use our cage for soccer and
basketball. It will be very exciting to see
where this leads us. •
The Padel & Pickleball Club Builder is a
new-launch B2B supplier directory for
organisations and companies supporting
the development of padel and pickleball
clubs and venues.
It is brought to you by the team behind
The Bandeja.
If you are a court manufacturer, court
builder, canopy supplier, manufacturer of
portable buildings, acoustic curtains, or
provide F&B services, planning assistance,
legal support, security solutions, turf, nets,
equipment, rackets and apparel for pro
shops etc get in touch for more information.
emma@thebandeja.com
To order print copies
of The Bandeja head over
to our web shop
www.thebandeja.com
/buy-gear/
Buy The Bandeja print copies at www.thebandeja.com thebandeja.com | SUMMER 2024
71
ISSUE 3 / Summer 2024 £6
From tennis
to padel
soft, patient, lob!
Manchester
a padel oasis
padel at the
Olympics
when & where?
WIN! A £295
Wilson Racket
Heads up
it’s a BOA!