{
  "id": "proton-project-flamingo",
  "url": "https://pointcast.xyz/paddles/proton-project-flamingo",
  "brand": "Proton",
  "model": "Series Three – Project Flamingo",
  "year": 2025,
  "launch": {
    "date": "2025-01-15",
    "precision": "month",
    "label": "January · exact date unverified"
  },
  "lifecycle": "current",
  "listPriceUsd": 280,
  "listPriceLabel": "",
  "build": "hybrid",
  "buildLabel": "Honeycomb + foam (Gen 3)",
  "thickness": "15mm",
  "shapes": "Elongated",
  "pro": "Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, Kaitlyn Christian, Quang Duong",
  "summary": "An aggressive elongated power paddle sold exclusively through Pickleball Central that PPA pros adopted quickly. The Kitchen singled out its spin on third-shot drives; pickleball.com praised control relative to other power paddles and criticised the stock grip. It was the first widely used dual-certified paddle of the UPA-A era.",
  "construction": "Thermoformed Series Three build with a 15mm 'Velocity Core' of small-cell polypropylene honeycomb plus a foam layer around the upper portion, under a roughness-enhanced carbon fiber face.",
  "core": {
    "layers": [
      "polypropylene honeycomb 'Velocity Core' (small cells)",
      "foam layer around the upper portion"
    ],
    "face": "roughness-enhanced aerospace-grade carbon fiber",
    "edge": "edge guard, 1/4in overlap",
    "source": "https://pickleball.com/gear/paddle-review-proton-series-three-project-flamingo"
  },
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Project Flamingo 15mm",
      "shape": "elongated",
      "lengthIn": 16.5,
      "widthIn": 7.5,
      "handleIn": 5.375,
      "thicknessMm": 15,
      "weightOz": "8.0",
      "sw": 119,
      "tw": 6.6,
      "specSource": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/proton-series-three-project-flamingo-review/"
    }
  ],
  "status": {
    "usap": "yes",
    "usapSource": null,
    "upaa": "yes",
    "upaaSource": null,
    "quiet": false,
    "patent": "named-joola-settled",
    "investigation": null,
    "lifecycle": "current"
  },
  "certNote": "The Kitchen (Feb 6 2025) describes it as the first paddle approved by both USA Pickleball and UPA-A.",
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "2025-01-15",
      "precision": "month",
      "kind": "launch",
      "text": "Launch: January · exact date unverified.",
      "source": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/proton-series-three-project-flamingo-review/"
    }
  ],
  "labs": [
    {
      "lab": "The Kitchen",
      "kind": "review",
      "url": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/proton-series-three-project-flamingo-review/"
    },
    {
      "lab": "other",
      "kind": "review",
      "url": "https://pickleball.com/gear/paddle-review-proton-series-three-project-flamingo"
    },
    {
      "lab": "Matt's Pickleball",
      "kind": "database-entry",
      "url": "https://www.mattspickleball.com/paddle-database/series-three-project-flamingo-15mm"
    }
  ],
  "colorways": [],
  "madeIn": "China",
  "warranty": null,
  "notes": null,
  "productUrl": "https://pickleballcentral.com/proton-series-three-pickleball-paddle-project-flamingo/",
  "sources": [
    "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/proton-series-three-project-flamingo-review/",
    "https://pickleball.com/gear/paddle-review-proton-series-three-project-flamingo",
    "https://pickleballcentral.com/proton-series-three-pickleball-paddle-project-flamingo/",
    "https://www.pickletip.com/proton-project-flamingo-review/"
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "image": "https://pointcast.xyz/images/og/paddles/proton-project-flamingo.png"
}