Head

Head began as the Head Ski Company, founded in Baltimore in 1950 by aeronautical engineer Howard Head, who applied aircraft-grade aluminum and plastic laminates to skis instead of the wood then standard. In the late 1960s the company expanded into tennis, developing one of the first oversized metal racquets. Howard Head sold the company to AMF in 1969; after later ownership changes it now operates as Head Sport GmbH, headquartered in Kennelbach, Austria, making equipment for skiing, snowboarding, swimming and racket sports, and owning diving brands Mares and Aqualung. Head has sponsored Novak Djokovic since 2001, before he turned professional; the relationship has been renewed multiple times, most recently reported around $7.5-9 million a year.