Eric "Eruption" Tai is now the face of Friday's new signature pickleball paddle. The Friday Aura Pro "Eruption" launched on 30 August 2026 at Tela Park Pickleball Center. This marks the first Philippine collaboration on a Friday paddle and the first time any celebrity anywhere has had a signature paddle with an international pickleball brand. But what's amazing about this collaboration is that Tai picked up his first paddle just six months ago as a beginner.
Tai, a longtime Filipino TV personality, didn't downplay how quickly things moved.
Tai said:
"I'm incredibly honoured for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".
He was just as direct about who the collaboration is for. Rather than positioning pickleball as a sport for natural athletes, Tai used the launch to make the opposite point, telling fans they don't need to be young, fast, or experienced to belong on the court. He framed the deal as bigger than himself, saying it represents the Philippines and the community that has grown up around the sport in the past few years.
Six Months From Practicing on a Wall to a Paddle Deal
The origin story behind the collaboration is almost entirely local. Tai has credited Toby's Sports and its co-owner Toby Claudio with spotting him just six weeks into playing, after a video surfaced of him drilling shots against a wall. That clip, according to Tai, is what set the entire deal in motion. Less than half a year later, that same relationship produced a paddle with his name on it.
The design leans into Tai's on-court nickname rather than his TV persona. The paddle carries a dark, burnt finish cut through with red and orange accents meant to look like lava breaking through rock, with the phrases "The court is lava" and "Always play with fire" printed across the face.
Tai told ALL-STAR magazine:
"The court is lava. It's because that's where you erupt."
Tai closed his own remarks on the launch by dedicating it to his family, his training partners, and everyone who has shared a court with him since he started playing. For a paddle built entirely around one player's six-month rise, that's about as fitting a note to end on as any. It's a genuinely local story that's now sitting on Friday's international shelf.
The Aura Pro "Eruption" Specs
The Aura Pro Eruption is built on Friday's existing Aura platform, which is the brand's Generation 4 (Gen 4) full-foam core paddle architecture. This platform shifts away from traditional polypropylene honeycomb cores and instead integrates injected multi-foam construction and internal weighting technologies. Overall, Friday Aura paddles are designed to maximize sweet spot size, stability, dwell time, and shock aborption.
In terms of specs, here's what the Aura Pro "Eruption" looks like:
Spec | Friday Aura Pro "Eruption" |
Paddle category | Power paddle |
Weight | Roughly 7.9 oz (typical range 7.7 to 8.1 oz) |
Face material | T700 raw carbon fiber |
Core | 16mm quad-foam core with ElasTECH rubber perimeter |
Construction | Gen 4, double thermoformed |
Handle | 5.5-inch grip length, 4.25-inch circumference |
Certification | USAP approved for tournament play |
Based on the specs, this paddle is meant for players who already swing hard and want that pace amplified rather than softened. It's a better match for someone who likes to drive through the ball and close out points at the net than for a control player who wants a slower, more forgiving dinking game. If you're not sure which camp you fall into, our guide on how to choose a pickleball paddle breaks down power versus control paddles in more detail.
The numbers on that spec sheet, like swing weight and core thickness, mean more once you know what each one actually changes about a shot. Our breakdown of what pickleball paddle specs are actually telling you walks through that.
We also have another article that talks about how paddle materials and generations have evolved. It explains where that leaves older honeycomb and single-foam designs by comparison to quad-foam and double thermoformed cores.
Part of a Bigger Play in the Philippines
Friday only set up shop in the Philippines a few months before this launch, choosing Toby's Sports as its local retail partner. That same partnership is what put Tai in front of the brand in the first place, so the Eruption paddle isn't really a separate story from Friday's Philippine entry.
It's the next chapter of it, and a sign that the brand is willing to move quickly on local talent rather than only leaning on its US-based pro roster.
The Friday Aura Pro "Eruption" is available for pre-order through Toby's Sports. If Tai's rise has you wanting to see what all the noise is about, our directory of pickleball courts across the Philippines is a good place to find one near you.