Classic racquets and ... other addictions

[Tennis Man]

Hey guys, just curious what are your other addictions besides tennis racquets?

I probably spend same amount of time with my racquets as with professional Canon lenses (huge market out there) .... when I'm free from my month 4 month old, a future WTA pro tennis star

I heard retrowagen is crazy about classic cars and VGP probably loves guitars judging by his avatar

 

[retrowagen]

Yes, it's true. Apart from tennis, my hobbies include:

Restoring and collecting classic German, Italian, and English cars
Collecting and using classic German-made photography equipment (Leica, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, etc.) from the 1920's-1950's
Cycling: I compete in mountain bike races in Northern California, and love building high-end mountain and road bikes for myself and my friends
Horology: I have this thing for interesting classic Swiss mechanical clocks and watches

My family - wife and five-year-old son - comes first, though.

 

[struggle]

Cycling: I compete in mountain bike races in Northern California, and love building high-end mountain and road bikes for myself and my friends

My family - wife and five-year-old son - comes first, though.

you know Sean Sullivan? (sully), santa cruz

he and i played competitive ultimate (frisbee) together and against for several years.

 

[joe sch]

I also like classic road bicycles, especially the Italian models like Masi and Colnago. Its interesting that there are some comparisons to tennis rackets like the classic bike frames were made to last for decades and used steel (columbus, reynolds). They absorbed the road shock better. The new road bikes are all composites like carbon fiber and do not last or feel the same. There are also the same weight issues, old school slightly more heavy and modern is light for "higher performance" and speed.

 

[Tennis Man]

Yes, it's true. Apart from tennis, my hobbies include:

Restoring and collecting classic German, Italian, and English cars
Collecting and using classic German-made photography equipment (Leica, Rolleiflex, Zeiss, etc.) from the 1920's-1950's
Cycling: I compete in mountain bike races in Northern California, and love building high-end mountain and road bikes for myself and my friends
Horology: I have this thing for interesting classic Swiss mechanical clocks and watches

My family - wife and five-year-old son - comes first, though.

retro, we got so much in common. I forgot to mention my addiction for cars (mostly european sports cars), cycling and running marathons. Is your son playing tennis yet?

 

[retrowagen]

retro, we got so much in common. I forgot to mention my addiction for cars (mostly european sports cars), cycling and running marathons. Is your son playing tennis yet?

That's amazing - my wife is a marathon runner; ran in the Boston a couple years ago, in fact! (I myself only run when scary things are chasing me.)

My son is only beginning to show a slight interest in tennis, thanks for asking. He likes to watch me play sometimes, and we have just began playing with some foam training balls on a makeshift court on our driveway at home (we have a very long driveway). He seems to like swimming much better, and is actually pretty good at it already for a little guy. If he doesn't play tennis at all, it's OK with me (although I secretly would be so proud to win the local club men's doubles championships with him in about 10-15 years!).

 

[Tennis Man]

That's amazing - my wife is a marathon runner; ran in the Boston a couple years ago, in fact! (I myself only run when scary things are chasing me.)

My son is only beginning to show a slight interest in tennis, thanks for asking. He likes to watch me play sometimes, and we have just began playing with some foam training balls on a makeshift court on our driveway at home (we have a very long driveway). He seems to like swimming much better, and is actually pretty good at it already for a little guy. If he doesn't play tennis at all, it's OK with me (although I secretly would be so proud to win the local club men's doubles championships with him in about 10-15 years!).

You never know for sure but I'm more ambitious about my little tiger cub.

My secret wish is to accompany her to some major international tournaments in 10 years (love travelling, too.)

 

[retrowagen]

You never know for sure but I'm more ambitious about my little tiger cub.

My secret wish is to accompany her to some major international tournaments in 10 years (love travelling, too.)

That's cool. Right now, my main ambition for my son is for him to stop picking his nose in public, and to listen to and obey his mom and I, and not cause trouble at school... (It's weird: these little people have minds of their own...)

 

[Tennis Dunce]

porn anyone?

 

[mad dog1]

seems like we share quite a bit in common interests.

used to do quite a bit of cycling and running until a herniated disc put an end to that so i do have an appreciation for the old colnago, pinarello, cinelli, litespeed, merlin, serotta road bikes. i also love music so i do enjoy 2 channel audiophile gear.

 

[dak95_00]

I like to compete.

1) I run. I completed 1 marathon and a half-marathon recently. I prefer to run 5ks and 10ks.
2) I like playing basketball against young kids in their 20s. I'm nearly 39 and weigh 160 so it gets tough competing against former and current D1 athletes.
3) I rode TOSRV and like messing w/ bikes but it isn't a huge passion. BTW, TOSRV is 50 this year!
4) I'm a single digit handicap golfer.

I also like to teach/coach.
1) I've coached high school soccer, golf, tennis, basketball, and cross-country.
2) I prefer to coach little kids and teach them the correct fundamentals in a fun atmosphere while they are young.

My kids all play soccer at various levels. One plays in high school, one plays travel soccer, and the youngest is just getting started. The youngest is also playing basketball and shows the most interest in tennis. She is 5 and loves to hit balls from the ball machine. She only hits on the forehand side and holds the racquet like a baseball bat. The last time we were out was in the early fall right after she turned 5. At the beginning of summer, she only make contact w/ 1 out of every 10 balls and might only hit one ball of the 100 into the court. By the end, it was a complete reverse. She was hitting 9 out of 10 balls and getting 7 out of every 10 into the court. I don't try to instruct her. She is having fun!

 

[vwfye]

Modifying vintage VWs... currently going turbo on one
Graphanolas and the albums that go with them (lots of Les Paul stuff)
Mandolins
and the tennis rackets

 

[VGP]

<------

VGP probably loves guitars judging by his avatar

You guessed right. But since having kids my guitar obsession has waned greatly. What's in my avatar is a made in Japan Fender 50's Stratocaster with a Blues Jr. amp. It's been my avatar since I signed up.

Lately I get my tennis gear fix by dropping past thrift stores and used sporting goods shops hoping to score a nice frame. I never know what I'm gonna find.

For example, in the past month I found a Yonex R-23 for $8, a Yonex R-18 for $2, a Prince CTS Precision 90 for $4, and on the woodie front a barely used Wilson Billie Jean King Autograph medium in 4 3/8 grip with a nice Fred Perry racket cover for $2.

Oddly, I haven't come across a nice POG OS (in decent enough shape), Dunlop Max200g, or Prestige Mid. Maybe it's a regional thing. I'd like some of those but I don't want to pay through the nose. I've only been back checking in the last couple of years.

I guess I compensate for my lack of skill by getting way too into the gear aspect of guitars and tennis.

 

[Tennis Man]

<------



You guessed right. But since having kids my guitar obsession has waned greatly. What's in my avatar is a made in Japan Fender 50's Stratocaster with a Blues Jr. amp. It's been my avatar since I signed up..

This is funny. One of my local friends has a huge collection of guitars signed by top Rock'n'Roll stars and a collections of ... military guns. Man, I'm going there to watch the Superbowl on Sunday. I hope he keeps them locked up.

<------
Lately I get my tennis gear fix by dropping past thrift stores and used sporting goods shops hoping to score a nice frame. I never know what I'm gonna find.

For example, in the past month I found a Yonex R-23 for $8, a Yonex R-18 for $2, a Prince CTS Precision 90 for $4, and on the woodie front a barely used Wilson Billie Jean King Autograph medium in 4 3/8 grip with a nice Fred Perry racket cover for $2.

Oddly, I haven't come across a nice POG OS (in decent enough shape), Dunlop Max200g, or Prestige Mid. Maybe it's a regional thing. I'd like some of those but I don't want to pay through the nose. I've only been back checking in the last couple of years.

I guess I compensate for my lack of skill by getting way too into the gear aspect of guitars and tennis.

Another good point. I tried that and realized that I can eventually become a junk dealer. Over the years, at the stage of "classic racquet" discovery, I scored a few great things mostly accidentally. Now I think it's a big waste of time. I even stopped picking up mint OS graphites like Wilson Hammers and Prince Composites.

in my experience there are more deals on **** and otherwise than at places like Goodwill.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

Just scored a PK Type SX Laver Heritage for 14.99 at PIAS.

 

[Dino Lagaffe]

Reggae
Rhum
Cars
Motorcycles
Watches
Soccer

 

[Tennis Man]

Reggae
Rhum
Cars
Motorcycles
Watches
Soccer

hmmm, you must be Jamaican. They have rhum, cars, motocycles and a soccer team (the last time I checked). Not sure about watches but I like Usain Bolt, a nice tennis player bwhen he's not running.

 

[Dino Lagaffe]

hmmm, you must be Jamaican. They have rhum, cars, motocycles and a soccer team (the last time I checked). Not sure about watches but I like Usain Bolt, a nice tennis player bwhen he's not running.

I am indeed intrigued by Jamaica and would like to go there sometime, but I'm from a place slightly north-east of Jamaica... In a feeble attempt to be a bit more specific about my interests I have a compiled a "best of"-list for your amusement:

Reggae (song): Concrete Jungle (Bob Marley)
Rhum/Rum: Mount Gay
Cars: Too hard... I might make a separate list in odds and ends. OK then, Corvette split window.
Motorcycles: Exile
Watches: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Soccer: Arsenal

 

[cigrmaster]

I used to have an incredible cigar collection. At one point in time I had over 3000 Cuban cigars. I stopped smoking them a couple of years ago ( I used to smoke 6-8 a day) so I decided to sell my collection when I was down to about 1800 cigars.

I sold 1500 cigars in one day for over 18000.00. I kept a few hundred and now only smoke maybe 1 a month.

I also had a pipe collection of about 50 high line smoking pipes. Most were from Danish and Italian carvers. I sold most of them when I sold my cigars.

I still have quite a bit of pipe tobacco that is gaining in value every day. I have quite a bit of discontinued Dunhill tobacco that I paid 5.00 a tin for. Those tins are now selling for 80-100 a piece on ****. I figure in another 10 years I will be able to send my youngest child( 8 year old girl) to college.

 

[galain]

I taught martial arts since the 1980's. I don't teach anymore but still practice for myself and love to catch anything martially related I see sportswise.

I have a Japanese taiko drumming school that is growing faster than I can handle it at the moment. I still pinch myself at how lucky I am.

I don't collect anything beyond the racquets, but in thinking of forums I visit daily - probably a mixed martial arts forum, this one and a bodybuilding place would be my regular stops.

 

[Ross K]

Aside from frames then, let me think... tennis bags... strings... tennis clothes... tennis magazines... coffee... used to love the good Brandies etc... red wine... cheeses... watches... used to big into record collecting... used to be a smoker... books... clothes (general)... guitars (kind of)... and I'm sure there's plenty more.:wink:

 

[pshulam]

<------
For example, in the past month I found a Yonex R-23 for $8, a Yonex R-18 for $2, a Prince CTS Precision 90 for $4, and on the woodie front a barely used Wilson Billie Jean King Autograph medium in 4 3/8 grip with a nice Fred Perry racket cover for $2.

With many acquisitions, how many racquets do you have now? I have about 20 and feel like I am exhibiting a hoarding behavior.

Oddly, I haven't come across a nice POG OS (in decent enough shape), Dunlop Max200g, or Prestige Mid. Maybe it's a regional thing.

I was able to get a nice POG OS, MAX 200G, and a MAX 400i for cheap from Craiglist.

 

[pshulam]

My other addictions: walking, biking and investing. I guess addictions to good-looking people does not count.

 

[pshulam]

Aside from frames then, let me think... tennis bags... strings... tennis clothes... tennis magazines... coffee... used to love the good Brandies etc... red wine... cheeses... watches... used to big into record collecting... used to be a smoker... books... clothes (general)... guitars (kind of)... and I'm sure there's plenty more.:wink:

Have you considered seeing someone about your addictions? Just kidding.

 

[Tennis Man]

I used to have an incredible cigar collection. At one point in time I had over 3000 Cuban cigars. I stopped smoking them a couple of years ago ( I used to smoke 6-8 a day) so I decided to sell my collection when I was down to about 1800 cigars.

I sold 1500 cigars in one day for over 18000.00. I kept a few hundred and now only smoke maybe 1 a month.

I also had a pipe collection of about 50 high line smoking pipes. Most were from Danish and Italian carvers. I sold most of them when I sold my cigars.

I still have quite a bit of pipe tobacco that is gaining in value every day. I have quite a bit of discontinued Dunhill tobacco that I paid 5.00 a tin for. Those tins are now selling for 80-100 a piece on ****. I figure in another 10 years I will be able to send my youngest child( 8 year old girl) to college.

I just wish you lots of health. Hope tennis helps you to air your lungs. It's great sources of adrenaline (just another drug) which typically kicks in after an hour of aggressive play.

 

[Hall of Fame Racquets]

Sports Positive Addiction

Another positive addiction realm in addition to collecting tennis racquets/memorabilia is taping and filming many other sports. I have some thirty years and beyond of the best of competition from tennis, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, boxing, etc. I especially tape all of the playoff and championship games from each sport. I also have taped most of the Summer and Winter Olympics for the last thirty years. Also, I have all forty-five Super Bowl games from the National Football League including yesterday's game.

I also have personally filmed the last 279 games for the most prominent high school football team in history. Many books and documentaries have been published in the last ten years about this team and a feature film will be emerging in the future. This team has been recognized in the media with eight national championships and recorded the longest 151 game consecutive winning streak in football history considering all levels.

Since I am the archivist for this team I get requests weekly for film about this team and its games whether from the countless fans to the television networks and movie production companies.

This weekend I finished my nineteenth football highlight film (1992-2010). I film, edit, and produce these films for the school and others and they all have the 8-10 most significant plays from each game of the season. Much adrenaline is activated in all of this filming and processing of high school football. Also, when football is finished I then move to filming basketball and baseball for the same high school and these programs are almost as successful as the football program.

Fortunately, I am able to access if helpful all of the film I collect when I am working with sport teams and individuals on peak performance issues. http://photobucket.com/alamocrest

I especially value my tennis video collection where I have taped almost every televised match for over thirty years.