PT630Wannabe
Professional
Total time capsule piece. Wicked.
Thrift store? Estate sale? Mom and Pop shop's back room stash?
Thrift store? Estate sale? Mom and Pop shop's back room stash?
The Ski Club
- Thread starter vsbabolat
- Start date
joe sch
Legend
Nice find ! You going to hit it ?My latest Ski a NOS Composite Professional
I totally lucked out! The grommets did not dry out and turn to dust for some reason. Only the bridge grommets were missing.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Nice find ! You going to hit it ?
I just strung it up and ready for tomorrow!
coachrick
Hall of Fame
Sold a few zillion of those 'back then'. I played the TXM at the time...fantastic racket!
Indeed you were lucky the grommets held...plenty of new ones split while being strung the first time!
That's the ultra-slick gray grip, yes? Easier to hold on to the plastic!!!
joe sch
Legend
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I had some old Babolat Gripsy that i'm using as an overgrip to have the full 80's experience. Its still perfect!
teachingprotx
Legend
Vs! Was that you that got this for dirt cheap on the baaaaaayyye?
If so.. Last I saw it was 9 Bux
I didn't have the heart to bid on it cause I figured that guy would have felt like a lotto winner still with plastic on the handle gorgeous !
If so.. Last I saw it was 9 Bux
I didn't have the heart to bid on it cause I figured that guy would have felt like a lotto winner still with plastic on the handle gorgeous !
teachingprotx
Legend
Would love to try one of these . So nicely priced . Just don't know the flex as really compared to my babies .. Club pros...
coachrick
Hall of Fame
More slick grips and brittle grommets! I played the Elektra Master for a couple of years...decent stick with the partial CAP system that attracted clay/Har-Tru like a magnet!!!
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Actually that's the original leather grip on there and there's some tack to it. I love the CAP system grommets.
Zodd
Hall of Fame
Here's my Twin Tec Pro with those very cool features.
IMO one of - if not the - coolest pj's ever done. It just looks the business all the way through. Nice pics!
coachrick
Hall of Fame
Maybe they just needed some aging...like a couple of decades! That grip used to be off-white and the crown of the handle was white-white as you will recall.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I don't know. I don't remember them drink that slick back in the day. The collar did yellow over time.
coachrick
Hall of Fame
Nice gruppo! I'm a 660 guy personally; but THAT is a great collection!
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Thanks Coach!
Great racquets in great condition also!
joe sch
Legend
Looks great except for the strings ... how about some VS or a nice gut hybrid so they can be played
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I play with them all the time with Natutal Gut.Looks great except for the strings ... how about some VS or a nice gut hybrid so they can be played
What natural guts do you use and at what tension? Thank you.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Right now I'm using Babolat Tonic @25kg
Thank you.
Lavs
Hall of Fame
Hey VS, can we also put the photos of our favourite Skis?
I would try to.
These are my weapon of choice... So sad that Atomic is not in tennis business.
Sanglier
Professional
If you simply MUST have an Atomic racquet, there is a one-of-a-kind example for sale on German fleabay at the moment. It was probably an OEM from Donnay or Snauwaert, but it looks quite legit. The seller claims it's a prototype that never went into production. I'd get it myself if this was my area of interest, and if the seller shipped to the US.
This is one of the listing photos:
This is one of the listing photos:
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Looks like a Snauwaert.If you simply MUST have an Atomic racquet, there is a one-of-a-kind example for sale on German fleabay at the moment. It was probably an OEM from Donnay or Snauwaert, but it looks quite legit. The seller claims it's a prototype that never went into production. I'd get it myself if this was my area of interest, and if the seller shipped to the US.
This is one of the listing photos:
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I dont ski anymore and gave away mu skis. I had a pair of Kneissl White Star back in the day.Hey VS, can we also put the photos of our favourite Skis?
I would try to.
These are my weapon of choice... So sad that Atomic is not in tennis business.
DUROC
Professional
Newest pair are Rossi 100 HD Ti the wife got me and I just bought myself a pair of FACTION CT 2.0's..........totally in love with the new Factions........
Sanglier
Professional
Other than the Völkls I posted on the previous page, which are my favorite, I still have my black/white/orange Rossi ST (my first real skis, purchased used in 1980), a pair of Rossi HPM from '84 or '85, a pair of Rossi RPM-17, a pair of LaCroix Escape (the original ones from the '80s, which were considered the "Rolls Royce" of cruising skis back then, somewhat akin to the Prince "Boron"), and several pairs of these 30+ year old Swiss surplus touring skis (which have been selling for about CHF 10 a set at Swiss Liq Shops for many years, and no more than $30 a set through mail order here in the US). I believe they were made by Authier, which was owned by Rossignol at the time (so they belong in this thread by association
). I skied on a pair for two days at Kirkwood last week. They felt heavy and made me look ridiculously anachronistic next to all these water skis that have now taken over the slopes, but I honestly couldn't imagine myself having more fun than I did with something more modern under my feet. 
Lavs
Hall of Fame
They were actually very good ones. Kneissl used to produce quality Skis but too bad they are so weak in marketing. They are like 'ProKennex' in tennis market.
Lavs
Hall of Fame
Thanks Sanglier!If you simply MUST have an Atomic racquet, there is a one-of-a-kind example for sale on German fleabay at the moment. It was probably an OEM from Donnay or Snauwaert, but it looks quite legit. The seller claims it's a prototype that never went into production. I'd get it myself if this was my area of interest, and if the seller shipped to the US.
This is one of the listing photos:
Seems like one of few attempts from Atomic to step in Tennis
Perhaps they just failed to buy some MOLD from Snauwaert, but good catch!
dje31
Professional
Re: Atomic and tennis, it's not apples-to-apples, but at least recently, Atomic is a subsidiary of AmerSports, who also owns Wilson.
So you could argue that there's a connection. Would love to see them share technology / MFG techniques from the ski world to put wood cores into modern tennis racquets.
I've been lobbying for this for a while, along with leather shoes, but I guess I'm a dinosaur these days.
Yeah, I know, ProKennex did something like this a while back with the Core series, which flopped, with RA stiffness ratings in the 70s.
More recently, Lendl is involved in a venture doing something similar...but the two models' specs are basically granny sticks.
So you could argue that there's a connection. Would love to see them share technology / MFG techniques from the ski world to put wood cores into modern tennis racquets.
I've been lobbying for this for a while, along with leather shoes, but I guess I'm a dinosaur these days.
Yeah, I know, ProKennex did something like this a while back with the Core series, which flopped, with RA stiffness ratings in the 70s.
More recently, Lendl is involved in a venture doing something similar...but the two models' specs are basically granny sticks.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Snauwaert had wood cores in their graphite racquets in the 80's.
dje31
Professional
Yup, remember those as well, and were pretty decent, IIRC. Was thinking more recent...as well as in context with the Ski Club thread's theme.
But while we're at it, I think that recent Lacoste racquet was also a hybrid of new and old tech...but super pricey. Wonder if Rossignol or another French ski MFR had any involvement there.
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Got some Rossignol 7SK's.
Quit using them when I was going through the depression of a roll at about 70mph and my Technica boot exploded. Met a guy on the lift later (after I rented new gear) who said he saw it happen and said it was the funniest thing he ever saw.
Never got my new boots fitted to the 7SK's (ski shop won't do it because the bindings were too old).
Actually miss using them because it is so fun to snap off slalom turns by bending the skis instead of using the sidecut.
Also some Hart rackets from an old thread:
Coach,
You got the Tretorn and the Fox ("ATP Mid-Fox") correct. There is no Sterling. The chrome racket is a "Cortland Steel;" the one with the air valve is the "Maynard AirPower;" and the one on top is the "Midland STR." The Seamless/Seamco looking racket is actually the predecessor called "Hart Pro Aluminum". Here's a better picture.
Yes, but it wasn't badged "Hart." Instead it had the manufacturers name "Acro" on it. It was called "Acro - The Adjustable." Here's a picture:
If you look at the top of the grip on all the Hart/Seamless/Seamco rackets you will see the word "Acro." They manufactured all of those rackets as well.
Sanglier
Professional
I would REALLY like to see an example of these, Retro. Images of prototypes are rare, so images of prototypes that never went into production must be exceedingly hard to come by, especially ones that were developed 40 years ago. If you know where I can find them, please point me in their direction!
Since Hexcel did apparently operate their own ski factory, which was later sold to Hanson, I assume they made those racquets in-house as well? When I first saw their Splitail models in magazines, I thought they were the coolest looking thing ever, but I never came across any for sale where I lived, nor did I ever see anyone skiing on them. Naturally, when I noticed this pair at a GW recently, I just had to bring them home for a closer look:
Evidently the "/" between "Honeycomb" and "Prepreg" is significant, as the core of the ski is not a honeycomb structure formed out of composite prepregs; rather, the honeycomb itself is aluminum, like the kind found in Browning racquets. This aluminum honeycomb core is then molded between layers of prepregs, making for a pretty stiff structure for its weight.
I wonder if their racquets were made the same way?
Hexcel probably figured out very quickly that they could make more profit supplying fibers and prepregs to racquet makers rather than making the racquets themselves. If so, history has proven them correct, as their logo and name are still found on some current frames, while many of their former customers had to quit tennis long ago.
joe sch
Legend
I would REALLY like to see an example of these, Retro. Images of prototypes are rare, so images of prototypes that never went into production must be exceedingly hard to come by, especially ones that were developed 40 years ago. If you know where I can find them, please point me in their direction!
Since Hexcel did apparently operate their own ski factory, which was later sold to Hanson, I assume they made those racquets in-house as well? When I first saw their Splitail models in magazines, I thought they were the coolest looking thing ever, but I never came across any for sale where I lived, nor did I ever see anyone skiing on them. Naturally, when I noticed this pair at a GW recently, I just had to bring them home for a closer look:
Evidently the "/" between "Honeycomb" and "Prepreg" is significant, as the core of the ski is not a honeycomb structure formed out of composite prepregs; rather, the honeycomb itself is aluminum, like the kind found in Browning racquets. This aluminum honeycomb core is then molded between layers of prepregs, making for a pretty stiff structure for its weight.
I wonder if their racquets were made the same way?
Hexcel probably figured out very quickly that they could make more profit supplying fibers and prepregs to racquet makers rather than making the racquets themselves. If so, history has proven them correct, as their logo and name are still found on some current frames, while many of their former customers had to quit tennis long ago.
Beautiful find, sounds like these skiis were meant for you. Very interesting how things workout like this sometimes. Patience does pay off. Many items that I could not afford during that era are now mine for steals. Good to also read how Hexcel made the correct business decisions which paid off for long survival and productions. Keep up the great work !
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Sorry I don't have more photos or info on this unicorn! Somehow, one of my high school friends here in Northern California, back in the mid-1980's, had it. I think his father had a friend who worked at Hexcel. Actually, you know, there is still a Hexcel office on Dublin Boulevard in Dublin... Not too far from your home base, eh? One can see it from the 580 on the far westerly edge of Dublin. Perhaps you could gingerly ask them about it?I would REALLY like to see an example of these, Retro. Images of prototypes are rare, so images of prototypes that never went into production must be exceedingly hard to come by, especially ones that were developed 40 years ago. If you know where I can find them, please point me in their direction!
Since Hexcel did apparently operate their own ski factory, which was later sold to Hanson, I assume they made those racquets in-house as well? When I first saw their Splitail models in magazines, I thought they were the coolest looking thing ever, but I never came across any for sale where I lived, nor did I ever see anyone skiing on them. Naturally, when I noticed this pair at a GW recently, I just had to bring them home for a closer look:
Evidently the "/" between "Honeycomb" and "Prepreg" is significant, as the core of the ski is not a honeycomb structure formed out of composite prepregs; rather, the honeycomb itself is aluminum, like the kind found in Browning racquets. This aluminum honeycomb core is then molded between layers of prepregs, making for a pretty stiff structure for its weight.
I wonder if their racquets were made the same way?
Hexcel probably figured out very quickly that they could make more profit supplying fibers and prepregs to racquet makers rather than making the racquets themselves. If so, history has proven them correct, as their logo and name are still found on some current frames, while many of their former customers had to quit tennis long ago.
joe sch
Legend
Looks like sweet hiting, 17g gut ?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
16g multi
joe sch
Legend
Must not be one of your hitting sticks ?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Yes, I love using it
joe sch
Legend
Ok, just thought you were a gut or poly guy, guess your like Bobby Riggs and will play anything
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Like our friend vsbabolat,a high-quality 16-ga multifilament at 55 lbs. is my go-to setup on a Prestige Pro or Elite Pro. Just perfect!Ok, just thought you were a gut or poly guy, guess your like Bobby Riggs and will play anything
flanker2000fr
Hall of Fame
Here are some of mine:
I have a few more, but they are currently being restrung.
I have a few more, but they are currently being restrung.
joe sch
Legend
Very impressive, great playing classic rackets !Here are some of mine:
I have a few more, but they are currently being restrung.
I bet you play them since you have overgripped the leathers and protected the sweet spots with string protectors ?
I love playing these molds with natural gut and nice leather grips.
