A Journey for Freedom

At just 5 years old, Scott Van and his family embarked on a journey to seek refuge from the strict communist control of Vietnam. While Scott and his father managed to flee, his mother, who was pregnant at the time, and his two younger siblings, were captured. 

His mother endured a year of imprisonment, giving birth to her fourth child while in prison. Six months after being released, her unwavering determination led to a miraculous escape from the country, reuniting the fractured family. The challenges of their journey continued as they navigated treacherous waters and were raided by pirates, leaving them with virtually nothing.

They eventually made it to the United States, where Scott's parents hoped to provide their children with freedom and the American dream. To achieve this, they worked tirelessly throughout their lives, owning multiple businesses, such as Dental Tech Labs and Nail Salons, throughout Pennsylvania and Florida. For Scott, they have been an incredible source of inspiration in his own entrepreneurial journey. 

From the Salon to the Ring

From a young age, Scott exhibited an entrepreneurial spirit and seized opportunities to earn extra income, performing services such as plowing snow from neighbors' driveways. He pursued a marketing degree at Temple University but decided to leave the program when presented with the opportunity to purchase a salon. 

Eventually Scott sold the salon business to team up with his brother, who had gone on to become a professional MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter, and co-found FightFirm MMA Gym. Scott and his brother ran their MMA gym for nearly fifteen years, training some of the sport's top fighters during that time.

Working in MMA presented additional opportunities to Scott, such as being becoming a stuntman and fight choreographer in the film industry and landing roles in movies such as Safe, a 2012 action thriller starring Jason Stathan. Scott was also a ringside color commentator for the martial arts organization Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

In 2017, Scott decided to leave behind the MMA gym and the opportunities that came along with it in order to start a family in Key Largo, FL. It was there when he discovered an up-and-coming sport that would inspire his next entrepreneurial move. 

The Origin of diNGK Sports

Scott was instantly enamored with pickleball after being introduced to the sport in 2017, but he struggled to find a paddle that was perfect for him. He saw this as an opportunity to build his own paddle, one that combined power, precision, and performance. 

He began by tearing apart his three favorite paddles and studying how they were constructed. He took the best elements from each of those paddles and combined them into one, the 8K Pro Series, in 2019. Since then, Scott has continued to iterate on this original design and introduce new innovative models. diNGK products are now being sold across the United States and the globe. 

The name diNGK Sports was inspired by the "dink" shot in pickleball, a shot that Scott believes is the most crucial to master in order to be great at pickleball. The word "dink," however, didn't look appealing enough to Scott as a brand name, so he looked up "dink" in a dictionary and found the phonetic pronunciation: dingk.

Our Mission

Our mission is to unlock every player's full potential on the court by providing paddles and equipment that deliver power, precision, and performance. 

For Scott, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone on the court using a diNGK paddle, and loving it. 

Additionally, we are motivated by our responsibility to give back to our community and contribute to charitable causes. 

Along with growing diNGK Sports, Scott operates Florida Sun Transport, a luxury transporation service in Miami, and is a father to his two beloved daughters, Rania and Ines. 

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