Ektelon

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

Ektelon
TypeSubsidiary of Prince Sports
IndustrySporting goods
Founded1964
HeadquartersBordentown Township, New Jersey, United States
Key people
Franklin W. "Bud" Held, founder
ProductsRacquetball racquets, Apparel, Accessories, Racquetball Equipment, Eyeguards, Footwear
ParentPrince Americas, LLC
Website

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 , although few details are available on the role of the Ektelon in manufacturing and development of these paddles.

Ektelon involvement in racquetball tournaments

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

Professional Ektelon Players (International Racquetball Tour - IRT)

Current World Top 100 IRT Professionals

  • United States Jose Rojas
  • United States Jansen Allen
  • United States Charlie Pratt
  • United States Adam Manilla
  • United States Andy Hawthorne
  • United States Farshid Guilak
  • United States Dylan Reid
  • United States Ryan Maher
  • United States Marco Bertarelli

Team Ektelon Players

  • United States Nick Montalbano
  • United States Ricky Diaz
  • United States Richard Aal
  • United States Anthony Wong
  • United States Bill Gorge
  • United States Michael Baker
  • United States Yee Cheng
  • United States Steve Cook
  • United States Woody Clouse
  • United States Alex Ackerman
  • United States Ruben Gonzalez

Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Players[10]

Outdoor Pros (WOR) Players

  • United States Craig Clubber Lane
  • United States Scott Davis
  • United States Bill Gorge
  • United States Andy Hawthorne
  • United States Gary Martin
  • United States Son Nguyen
  • United States Mike Orr
  • United States Jose Rojas
  • United States Rick Sandello
  • United States Robert Sostre
  • United States Jesus Ustarroz
  • United States Dillon Silver
  • United States Greg Solis
  • Ecuador Veronica Sotomayor
  • United States Tracy Hawthorne
  • United States Kris Kaskawal
  • United States Michelle Key
  • United States Aubrey O'Brien

Junior Elite Players

  • United States James D'Ambrogia
  • United States Justus Benson
  • United States Lily Berry
  • United States Sam Bredenbeck
  • United States Daniel Rojas
  • United States Dane Elkins
  • United States Sebastian Fernandez
  • United States Sabrina Viscuso
  • United States Ben Jenkel
  • United States Jonathan Lanford
  • United States Victoria Leon
  • United States Sawyer Lloyd
  • United States Heather Mahoney
  • United States Adam Manilla
  • United States Erika Manilla
  • United States Devon Pimentelli
  • United States Sam Reid
  • United States Chase Robison
  • United States Ricky Diaz
  • United States Kaitlyn Simmons
  • United States Samantha Simmons
  • United States Julian Singh

References

  1. "Company History". Archived from the original on 2008-08-10. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  2. "Racquetball: Uncovering the History of Racquetball - HobbyStop". Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  3. "USA Racquetball - Features, Events, Results - Team USA". usra.org. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. "All - equipment: Ektelon-article--part-1". Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  5. "RACKET STRINGER". freepatentsonline.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  6. "wallbanger.net". www.wallbanger.net. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  7. "Athletic Kings - sporting in Dubai". Archived from the original on 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  8. "Ektelon Partners - Ektelon Racquetball Partnerships". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  9. "LPRT Pros - Women - Athletes - Ektelon Athletics". www.ektelon.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
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