VAPTR’s story began in the fall of 2019, when Justin Stewart, inventor of VAPTR, found his local pickleball courts too wet to play on. As a lifelong baseball player, Justin was new to the world of court sports and couldn’t believe a little rain stopped him from playing pickleball! Even worse, the standard court-drying solutions: the court drying squeegee, towels, and blowers, took so much time and effort to be effective. ​Justin resolved to find a better way and thus began his inventor’s journey. He knew there must be a way to make something much better than a court drying squeegee! ​The rest of 2019 and 2020 was a whirlwind of designing, building, and testing prototypes in his garage and at his local pickleball and tennis courts. As VAPTR came into focus, and Justin partnered with local manufacturers, his dream to keep people playing the games they loved, regardless of weather, came to fruition. ​The first official VAPTR prototype debuted in Naples FL at a major pickleball tournament in early 2021, and by December of the same year the Australian Open ordered 4 VAPTR ROLLRs. ​The rest, as they say, is history, with hundreds of machines distributed around the globe in 2022 and 2023, and with most major organizations and tournaments trusting their court drying to VAPTR! Be on the lookout for a VAPTR near you after the rain stops. ​Justin and his wife Tiphanie operate VAPTR together, with the hope of keeping fellow athletes playing the games they love!