Head celebrates this year its 75 years of existence, a major milestone for the iconic brand of racket and board sports. Ottmar Barbian, Executive Vice-President of the Racquet Sports division, returned to the secrets of this longevity and the place of innovation in the company's DNA.

Founded in 1950 by Howard Head, the brand first distinguished itself in skiing with the introduction of the first metal ski, a revolution that made the sport more accessible. “Howard wanted to make the easier skiing and accessible to all,” explains Barbian. This turning point marked the beginning of a technological adventure that then extended to tennis in 1969, With the first aluminum frame. “We have always sought to offer the best innovations, whether in skiing, tennis or today padel, to allow players to reach their best level", he specifies.

Ottmar Barbian: innovation at the heart of the strategy Head

Si Head celebrates his 75e anniversary, his commitment to the paddle goes back, for its part, to 25 years. “Padel has not 75 years in Head, but it does already a quarter of a century that we are involved in this sport,” Barbian emphasizes. This discipline, which is booming, occupies an increasingly important place within the group. “Today we consider ourselves as a real padel brand" he says.

The commitment of Head in this sport results in a dedicated team, working with passion to develop innovative products adapted to the requirements of players. “Our teams are fully invested every day in this sport. We understand his growing importance, and that is reflected in our logo,” he explains.

Finally, to illustrate this implication, Barbian mentioned Ricky, a key figure in padel in Spain, who leads the operations of Head for several decades. “Who better than Ricky, who is here in Spain and has been leading our padel business for more than 70 years, to talk about it?” he concludes with humor.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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