ERSA Pro Stringer Issue 9 2017 ProStringer_0917_5 web | Page 15

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INDUSTRY NEWS
Yuko Kawasaki Makes it to the Badminton World
Championships with Ashaway ZyMax® 66 Fire String
An improbable story, a quest, a dream come true:
however you want to style it, Yuko Kawasaki’s
journey to this year’s World Badminton
Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, makes for
an epic tale of grit, determination, and not a little
talent. As an amateur and, at 49, the oldest female
competitor, Yuko and her partner Tuck Chan didn’t
win, but she did compete, ending a yearlong,
ten country, ten tournament quest and fulfilling
a lifelong dream. And she credits her Ashaway
ZyMax® 66 Fire Badminton string with helping her
along the way.
A self-confessed “badminton nerd,” Yuko is the mother of three children, Assistant Director of Nursing at El Camino,
Chair of the Junior Badminton program at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club, and an Ashaway sponsored
player. She and Tuck compete in mixed doubles and her quest to qualify for the World’s, “was like a bucket list
kind of thing. My intention originally was just to have the chance to do it. What an amazing opportunity!”
And an amazing experience as well. In addition to traveling all over the world, Yuko and Tuck got to experience
the world of professional badminton. “You know,” she said, “anybody who looks at us knows we’re not ever going
to be on the podium at an international tournament. I was the oldest lady in Glasgow! But all the players on tour
were just wonderful to us. They were super supportive and very, very nice and we just developed a really nice
rapport with a lot of the people we had to compete against. That was really cool.”
“It was also great having a string sponsor,” she said, and being able to rely on the consistency of her Ashaway
ZyMax 66 Fire. “It was fabulous. No matter where we were, with humidity, no humidity, crazy hot or crazy cold
with air conditioning, the string was great. It was never spongy, it was super reliable. It was always consistent
and easy to string.”
Part of the ZyMax Fire line, ZyMax 66 Fire strings are designed for high performance players. They offer the
benefits of a proprietary BETA polymer, including a 25% improvement in elasticity and dynamic stiffness over
most popular badminton strings.
ZyMax strings generate excellent feel and repulsion, as well as optimum power and durability, and i ncredible
knot and loop strength.
Both ZyMax 66 Fire and it sister string 66 Fire Power are available in traditional white and in a distinctive “Fire”
orange color, and in either 10-meter sets or 200-meter reels. Recommended stringing tension is up to 35 lbs.
Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for
squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family since 1824, Ashaway has been
making racquet strings since 1949, and is responsible for several important technical innovations. Ashaway
has been the Official String of USA Racquetball for more than fifteen years. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. also
makes braided products for medical and industrial applications.
For more information visit www.ashawayusa.com.
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