Ektelon, Inc. was an American manufacturer of equipment for racquetball.
| Company type | Subsidiary of Prince Sports |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sporting goods |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Bordentown Township, New Jersey, United States |
Key people | Franklin W. "Bud" Held, founder |
| Products | Racquetball racquets, Apparel, Accessories, Racquetball Equipment, Eyeguards, Footwear |
| Parent | Prince Americas, LLC |
| Website | [1] |
Originally 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] and the brand remained prominent among racquetball equipment manufacturers for several decades thereafter.
As a subsidiary of Prince Sports, Ektelon changed ownership and management multiple times before disappearing among the holdings of Authentic Brands Group in 2012. As late as 2015, the Ektelon brand name was referenced as an ABG property, but all manufacturing had ceased, with existing inventory disposed and player programs discontinued by the following year. A Restrung Magazine annual re-cap in 2016 detailed The Quiet Death of Ektelon with added insights, and the company website later went dark.
In 2022, the Ektelon brand came out with a set of Pickleball paddles [2], although few details are available on the role of the Ektelon in manufacturing and development of these paddles.
Ektelon involvement in racquetball tournaments
editEktelon sponsors numerous tournaments and tours nationally and internationally, including:[8]
- US Racquetball Association
- National Intercollegiate Championships
- National Doubles Championships
- National Singles Championships
- Racquetball World Championships
- World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) Championships [9]
- International Racquetball Tour
- International Racquetball Federation
- Classic Professional Racquetball Tour
- Racquet for the Cure
- Women's Professional Racquetball Organization
Professional Ektelon Players (International Racquetball Tour - IRT)
editPrevious World Top 100 IRT Professionals
Jose Rojas- Jansen Allen
- Charlie Pratt
- Adam Manilla
- Andy Hawthorne
- Farshid Guilak
- Dylan Reid
- Ryan Maher
- Marco Bertarelli
Team Ektelon Players
- Nick Montalbano
- Ricky Diaz
- Richard Aal
- Anthony Wong
- Bill Gorge
- Michael Baker
- Yee Cheng
- Steve Cook
- Daniel De La Rosa
- Alex Ackerman
- Ruben Gonzalez
Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Players[10]
- Rhonda Rajsich
Veronica Sotomayor- Michelle Key
- Jessica Parrilla
Outdoor Pros (WOR) Players
- Craig Clubber Lane
- Scott Davis
- Bill Gorge
- Andy Hawthorne
- Gary Martin
- Son Nguyen
- Mike Orr
- Jose Rojas
- Rick Sandello
- Robert Sostre
- Jesus Ustarroz
- Dillon Silver
- Greg Solis
- Veronica Sotomayor
- Tracy Hawthorne
- Kris Kaskawal
- Michelle Key
- Aubrey O'Brien
Junior Elite Players
- James D'Ambrogia
- Justus Benson
- Lily Berry
- Sam Bredenbeck
- Daniel Rojas
- Dane Elkins
- Sebastian Fernandez
- Sabrina Viscuso
- Ben Jenkel
- Jonathan Lanford
- Victoria Leon
- Sawyer Lloyd
- Heather Mahoney
- Adam Manilla
- Erika Manilla
- Devon Pimentelli
- Sam Reid
- Chase Robison
- Ricky Diaz
- Julian Singh
References
edit- ^ a b c "Company History". Archived from the original on 2008-08-10. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
- ^ "Racquetball: Uncovering the History of Racquetball - HobbyStop". Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
- ^ "USA Racquetball - Features, Events, Results - Team USA". usra.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "All - equipment: Ektelon-article--part-1". Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
- ^ "RACKET STRINGER". freepatentsonline.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "wallbanger.net". www.wallbanger.net. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "Athletic Kings - sporting in Dubai". Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
- ^ "Ektelon Partners - Ektelon Racquetball Partnerships". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ * World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR)
- ^ "LPRT Pros - Women - Athletes - Ektelon Athletics". www.ektelon.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
External links
edit- Ektelon site Archived 2008-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
- World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR)
- Ektelon Racquetball Shop Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ReStrung Magazine 2016 Top-Ten List
- US Racquetball Museum, History of Ektelon Racquet Frames