Christopher Hardy used to compete regularly in PPA tournaments with his son, Christopher, now 12. However, that all changed when Christopher Jr. went from apprentice to master.
“He’s playing 4.0 doubles now. He dumped me for another partner,” Christopher lightheartedly tells Andrew Gilman for Carvana PPA Tour. “It was hard getting coached on every point, and it wasn’t me coaching him. It was the other way around.”
Softening The Blow
The blow of seeing your child outstrip you physically has been softened a little by the success of Christopher Sr.’s day job.
Hardy is a developer of health, cosmetic, and anti-aging products derived primarily from natural aloe vera.
His company, AloeMD, uses medical doctors and 20 years of clinical research to formulate their products. They are made of natural ingredients without the use of harsh or harmful chemicals and, importantly, are endorsed by around 90 percent of the PPA Tour professionals.
He, his wife, Alla, and his son, Christopher, are the brains behind this successful product. They frequently attend PPA Tour events, driving to nearby tournaments from their Dallas base or going by air if the venue is farther away.
Rick Barry
The journey began on the back of former NBA star turned pickleballer Rick Barry inquiring about a pain cream in 2021.
Christopher takes up the story: “In 2021, Rick called me and asked about the pain cream we had and asked me if I knew anything about pickleball.
“He knew some folks with the tour and said I should meet them. At the Texas Open in 2021, he introduced me to several pros, and we decided to make a ‘pilot’ and bring it to a tour event. Every pro came over and told me that they wanted to be involved.
“We went around to tour spots in 2022, and the results were great.”
Early Adopters
Notable figures like Tyson McGuffin, Callie Jo Smith, and Jay Devilliers were early adopters, using the cream before formally endorsing it.
“Callie and her family have stayed with us,” says Hardy. “We have done Airbnb with several other pros.
“We built this community, and we built a relationship with the tour and the players, but we’re just trying to help people, and if you play pickleball for a living and if you have a product that speeds up your recovery, that’s pretty great.”
Skyrocketing
AloeMD’s growth skyrocketed by 1,000 percent in 2023 and is projected to replicate this surge in 2024.
Their ethos revolves around providing initial treatment free of charge. A bold strategy indeed, but Hardy’s conviction that his product’s efficacy is enough for the user to make a purchase after using it has proved successful.
Christopher Hardy first witnessed the remarkable healing power of aloe vera while running global operations for a multi-billion company and distributing aloe vera products around the world.
However, after a decade of industry leadership, he believed the industry needed to be more inauthentic and less misleading. Determined to find a better way, Chris created the entire family of AloeMD wellness products -all of which utilize the remarkable benefits of natural aloe vera.
Chris is an avid fan and player of pickleball, and AloeMD is a proud sponsor of the elite Pro Pickleball Association Tour.
