Ektelon

Ektelon

Type	Subsidiary of Prince Sports
Industry	Sporting goods
Founded	1964
Headquarters	Bordentown Township, New Jersey, USA
Key people	Franklin W. "Bud" Held, founder
Products	Racquetball racquets, Apparel, Accessories, Racquetball Equipment, Eyeguards, Footwear
Parent	Prince Sports, Inc.
Website	[1]

Ektelon, Inc. is an American manufacturer of equipment for racquetball.

Currently based in Bordentown, New Jersey, Ektelon was founded by Franklin W. "Bud" Held in 1964 as the first company to manufacture racquetball racquets and stringing machines, not long after the development of the sport of racquetball by Joe Sobek. Working from Held’s garage in San Diego, California, the company initially set out to build aluminum tennis racquets and a racquet stringing machine. With the development of metal tennis racquets, the old techniques of stringing wooden racquets no longer worked, and Held saw the need for a new machine. Held is credited for one of the first patented designs for a racquet stringing machine. He named the company Ektelon based on a combination of two Greek words: "ektein", meaning to stretch out, and "telon", representing the concept of perfection.

In 1970, Ektelon produced the first experimental racquetball racquet for Bud Muehleisen, a top racquetball player and early legend of the sport. The company moved into a larger facility in San Diego to begin manufacturing racquetball racquets on a larger scale. Over the years, Ektelon has introduced a number of new racquetball technologies, including the first racquetball racquet made of high-strength aluminum (1971), the first handlaid composite racquet (1978), the first oversized aluminum racquets (1984), and continues to develop new technologies in racquet design such as the elimination of string holes (O³). In 1988, Prince Sports purchased Ektelon.

Ektelon involvement in racquetball tournaments

Ektelon sponsors numerous tournaments and tours nationally and internationally, including:

• US Racquetball Association
• National Intercollegiate Championships
• National Doubles Championships
• National Singles Championships
• Racquetball World Championships
• World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) Championships
• International Racquetball Tour
• International Racquetball Federation
• Classic Professional Racquetball Tour
• Racquet for the Cure
• Women's Professional Racquetball Organization

Ektelon in professional racquetball

Professional racquetball players currently using Ektelon racquets include:

International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Players

• Ruben Gonzalez
• John Ellis
• Andy Hawthorne
• Woody Clouse
• Jose Rojas
• Keith Minor
• Nick Montalbano
• Jose Diaz

Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) Players

• Rhonda Rajsich
• Paola Longoria
• Brenda Kyzer
• Doreen Fowler
• Keely Franks
• Aimee Ruiz
• Jennifer Saunders
• Veronica Sotomayor
• Michelle Key
• Aubrey O'Brien

Outdoor Pros (WOR) Players

• Craig Clubber Lane
• John Ellis
• Andy Hawthorne
• Gary Martin
• Son Nguyen
• Mike Orr
• Jose Rojas
• Rick Sandello
• Robert Sostre
• Jesus Ustarroz
• Dillon Silver
• Greg Solis
• Rhonda Rajsich
• Keely Franks
• Veronica Sotomayor
• Tracy Hawthorne
• Kris Kaskawal
• Michelle Key
• Aubrey O'Brien

Junior Elite Players

• Justus Benson
• Lily Berry
• Sam Bredenbeck
• Jose Diaz
• Jonathan Lanford
• Sawyer Lloyd
• Adam Manilla
• Erika Manilla
• Devon Pimentelli
• Sam Reid
• Chase Robison
• Kaitlyn Simmons
• Samantha Simmons

External links

• Ektelon site
• World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR)
• Ektelon Racquetball Shop