Ektelon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Ektelon Inc.
Type Public
Founded 1964
Headquarters United States Bordentown, NJ, USA
Key people Franklin W. "Bud" Held, founder
Industry Sporting goods
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[1], not long after the development of the sport of racquetball by Joe Sobek [2][3]. Working from Held’s garage in San Diego, California, the company initially set out to build aluminum tennis racquets and a racquet stringing machine.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

In 1970, Ektelon produced the first experimental racquetball racquet[1] 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).[1] In 1988, Prince_Sports purchased Ektelon.[7]

Contents

[edit] Ektelon involvement in racquetball tournaments

Ektelon sponsors numerous tournaments and tours nationally and internationally, including:[8]

[edit] Ektelon in professional racquetball

Professional racquetball players currently using Ektelon racquets include:[10]

International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Players

  • United States Rocky Carson
  • United States Ruben Gonzalez
  • United States John Ellis
  • United States Andy Hawthorne
  • United States Woody Clouse
  • United States Jose Rojas
  • United States Keith Minor

Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) Players

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

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c http://www.ektelon.com/companyinfo/history.asp
  2. ^ http://www.hobbystop.net/Racquetball/Uncovering_The_History_Of_Racquetball.html
  3. ^ http://usra.org/HistoryofRacquetball.aspx
  4. ^ http://www.meetandplay.com/forum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=8956
  5. ^ http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3441275.html
  6. ^ http://www.wallbanger.net/Racquetball/History.htm
  7. ^ http://www.athletickings.com/index.php?id=50
  8. ^ http://www.ektelon.com/companyinfo/partners.asp
  9. ^ * World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR)
  10. ^ http://www.ektelon.com/teamektelon/teamlist.asp?
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ektelon"