David Kjeldsen – the game’s mover and shaker extrordinaire

In the mid 1980s he was one of the world’s most dedicated couch potatoes. Then one Friday evening his sedentary existence miraculously became a thing of the past.

David Kjeldsen was invited to play mixed doubles on a small, elevated court surrounded by chicken wire. With the paddle he was given in one hand, a can of beer in the other, and a cigar between his lips, Kjeldsen was a poster child for sports enthusiasm. He got hooked on the game and started playing more and more, but it was getting expensive with a sleeve of balls costing $10.

He found out that Hedstrom, out in Ohio, was selling the Vittert balls he was using and arranged to buy case loads directly from them at a discount for distribution to friends and for use in tournaments. Hedstrom was delighted with the increase in business and offered further discounts.

Finally, Kjeldsen began thinking: “Why not set up a distributorship for a broad range of platform products?” That led to the formation of A2Z Products, and an arrangement with the only platform paddle manufacturer, Marcraft Recreation Corporation, to sell its line at dealer pricing.

Overnight, he was in business. He sold the first paddle at his Club in 1989, and then expanded his sales to players across Long Island, eventually developing retail accounts nationwide.

By the time he purchased Marcraft’s domestic platform tennis production facility in April of ’95, Kjeldsen was its largest customer.

Kjeldsen’s extraordinary support of the game and to Junior programs over many years lead to his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2008

Source: Platform Tennis News, Summer 1996