Grips

What Grips does

GRIPS, Etc., Inc. (operating as GRIPS, Etc., Bailie, Pegasus, and Allen Elite) is a privately held manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of gymnastics grips and supporting accessories, headquartered and manufacturing at 3214 Bart Conner Drive in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1996 as a subsidiary of Paul Ziert & Associates, Inc., the company claims to offer the "largest variety of grips in the world," spanning women's standard and narrow widths, men's rings and high bar, beginner dowel grips, and a premium Allen Elite tier in soft or hard grain leather, across multiple strap systems (Velcro, single buckle, double buckle, super soft) and a size range from XXS to XL. The product stack extends beyond grips to FDA-compliant HandeBalm conditioning ointment, wrist supports (Pegasus, neoprene, Wrist Saver), heel cups, athletic tape and pre-wrap, training aids such as the Kip Swing, and storage accessories, all manufactured in-house at the Norman facility.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce (24/7 ordering at gripsetc.com) supplemented by phone-based ordering and a B2B Dealer Discount Program requiring a $200+ order threshold; pricing is unit-based at $4.95-$65 with standard grips concentrated at $49.95 and the Allen Elite premium tier at $56.95. Target customer segments are recreational and competitive gymnasts (primary), cross-fit athletes (secondary), and gymnastics facilities/retailers (B2B). Worldwide shipping is offered, supporting the company's stated global footprint, and the company operates without external venture or institutional funding as a wholly owned subsidiary of Paul Ziert & Associates, Inc.

Name

Grips

Legal name

GRIPS, Etc., Inc.

Website

https://gripsetc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GRIPS, Etc., Inc. is a Norman, Oklahoma manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of gymnastics grips and accessories, offering the world's largest variety of women's, men's, and beginner grips, plus wrist supports, hand care, and training aids, serving recreational and competitive gymnasts globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gymnastics Equipment

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100)

akta.pro primary industry

Riding Gloves & Hand Protection Retail (CRAMANAE)

Keywords

• Gymnastics grips
• Leather gymnastics equipment
• Wrist supports
• Athletic tape products
• Hand conditioning balm

Headquarters

HQ city

Norman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Gymnastics Grips Retail Sales: Direct e-commerce retail sales of gymnastics grips and accessories. One-time purchase model for individual products with dealer pricing available for bulk orders ($200+ threshold for dealer pricing).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

GRIPS, Etc. manufactures and sells gymnastics grips (women's dowel, men's rings, men's high bar, beginner, pre-dowel) and related accessories including wrist supports, athletic tape, heel cups, training aids, and HandeBalm conditioning ointment. The company offers the world's largest variety of grip styles and widths, produced in-house at its Norman, Oklahoma factory and sold direct-to-consumer through its own website and dealer channel.

Product overview

GRIPS, Etc. is a gymnastics equipment manufacturer offering the largest variety of grips in the world, serving beginners through Olympic-level gymnasts. The company produces grips for women's and men's gymnastics events (uneven bars, rings, high bar), including standard width, narrow width, and beginner dowel styles with various strap options (Velcro, single buckle, double buckle, super soft). Key product lines include their own GRIPS, Etc. brand, the Allen Elite sub-brand for higher-level gymnasts, Pegasus wrist supports, and Bailie grips (originating from 1985). All products are manufactured in their Norman, Oklahoma factory. The company also offers a comprehensive range of support accessories including wrist bands, heel cups, wrist supports, athletic tape, pre-wrap, hand care products, training aids like the Kip Swing, and storage solutions. They operate a dealer discount program offering savings up to 25% on select items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bailie: Gymnastics grips brand developed by Sam and Topsi Bailie, acquired by Paul Ziert.
• Pegasus
• Allen Elite

Products and services

• Women's Dowel Grips (300/302 series) Standard-width leather dowel grips for women's uneven bars, available in Velcro (302W), single buckle (302B), double buckle (302DB), super soft (302SS), and the proprietary 302XUB buckle-plus-Velcro hybrid. Priced at $49.95-$54.95. Sold to gymnasts at any competitive level in sizes 00-5.
• Women's Narrow Grips (301 series) Narrow-palm dowel grips for gymnasts with smaller hands, available in single buckle (301B), Velcro (301N), double buckle (301DB), and super soft (301SS) variants. Priced at $49.95 in sizes 00-5. Designed for gymnasts preferring more hand exposure on the bar.
• Men's Rings Grips Standard-width leather grips for men's rings, available in Velcro (VR502), single buckle (BR502), double buckle (DBR502), and buckle-plus-Velcro hybrid (XR502). Priced at $49.95-$54.95 in sizes 000-5 for any-level competitive male gymnasts.
• Men's High Bar Grips Standard-width leather grips for men's high bar, including Velcro (VH501), single buckle (BH501), double buckle (DBH501), and buckle-plus-Velcro hybrid (XHB501). Priced at $49.95-$54.95 in sizes 000-5. BH501 is a top-selling men's item.
• Beginner & Pre-Dowel Grips Entry-level leather grips including beginner palm PV102 ($16.95), beginner palm CP200 ($21.00), pre-dowel ND300 ($25.00), and beginner dowel BD200/BDV200 ($44.95 each). Designed for first-time dowel users and recreational gymnasts in colors and sizes ranging XS-XL.
• Allen Elite Premium Grips Premium leather grips for higher-level gymnasts available in soft or hard grain leather (hard grain offering longer durability). Includes women's UB line (AE UBB, AE UBV, AE UB2B) and men's rings/high bar line (AE R2B, AE RB, AE RV, AE HBB, AE HBV, AE HB2B). Priced at $56.95.
• Bailie Brand Grips Bailie is the legacy grips brand originally developed by former All-American gymnast Sam Bailie in 1985 and now manufactured by GRIPS, Etc. in Norman, Oklahoma. Established reputation in the gymnastics community.
• Pegasus Wrist Support Closed-cell neoprene wrist support with 1.5-inch fastener, sold in pairs under the Pegasus sub-brand. Priced at $15.00. Used by gymnasts for tumbling, vaulting, beam, and pommel horse.
• Neoprene Wrist Support (WS500)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DICK's Sporting Goods: Large multi-category sporting goods retailer carrying select gymnastics grips and accessories alongside a wide assortment of athletic equipment. Comparable as a distribution channel competitor for gymnastics and adjacent athletic hand-protection products.

Emerging players

• Title Nine (Title 9): Women's athletic apparel and accessories retailer with selective gymnastics and grip-adjacent categories. Comparable as a women's athletic specialty retailer serving active women, including gymnasts, with relevant hand/wrist accessory adjacencies.
• Charkbat / Reed Sports: Specialty gymnastics equipment retailer carrying grips, grips accessories, and apparel with a strong e-commerce presence. Comparable niche positioning and overlapping target customer base of competitive gymnasts.

Direct peers

• Gymnastics Direct / Indigo Gymnastics: Online retailer and distributor of gymnastics grips, apparel, and accessories serving competitive gymnasts and clubs. Competes with GRIPS, Etc.'s e-commerce and dealer channels.
• Resilite Sports Products: Manufacturer of gymnastics and wrestling mats, plus select gymnastics accessories and grips. Overlaps with GRIPS, Etc. in gymnastics equipment sold to schools, clubs, and competition programs.
• American Athletic Inc. (AAI): One of the largest gymnastics equipment manufacturers in the US, producing grips, bars, mats, and competition apparatus. Directly competes with GRIPS, Etc. in the gymnastics grip and accessory category for clubs, schools, and competitive programs.
• Nissen / Sportcrafters: Manufacturer and supplier of gymnastics equipment including grips, apparel, and accessories sold through sporting goods channels. Competes with GRIPS, Etc. in the same product categories with overlapping distribution to schools and clubs.
• Norber's Gymnastics Supplies: Long-running gymnastics specialty retailer and equipment supplier offering grips, grips accessories, mats, and apparel. Overlaps directly with GRIPS, Etc. in gymnastics hand protection and serves a similar dealer/gym customer base.
• Pella Sports / Pella Athletic Gear: Supplier of gymnastics grips, grips accessories, apparel, and shoes marketed to gymnasts and clubs. Directly comparable as a specialty retailer/manufacturer in the gymnastics hand protection category.
• Tumbl Trak: Manufacturer of gymnastics training equipment including training aids, mats, and accessories; also sells grips and grip accessories. Comparable as a gymnastics-specialty manufacturer serving competitive and recreational programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GripsEtc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grips