All legends have a beginning. The legend of TK began out of a personal passion for Hockey, a passion held from a very young age by Thomas Kille.
His early enthusiasm proved itself with his competing in 60 games for the German Junior National team, followed by the Under 21 German Team captaincy, which ultimately led him to play for the National League.
Thomas Kille recognized an opportunity during the 1970’s to improve the traditional hockey sticks available at that time. While studying Business Economics the young entrepreneur began experimenting with new glass fiber and polyester materials, reinforcing blank sticks in the basement of his home and selling them to players he knew, pioneering early technological advances that would shape the hockey sticks of the future. These early sticks ended up in the hands of some high quality players. Soon demand increased as word of the sticks unique quality and performance spread among the clubs.
The Beginning
Following the success of his innovative sticks, the time was now right for Thomas to take the next step and launch the first sticks branded with TK.
These revolutionary sticks went on sale in January 1985, distributed by the company Kille & Bal, a partnership between Thomas Kille and Ranbir Bal. The hockey world would soon be introduced to something that would grip the imagination of players everywhere the combination of the TK logo with the two signatory elephants with crossed trunks, playfully shaped like hockey sticks.
The addition of the brightly coloured elephant graphic allowed TK to attract more players through both design and technology, form and function. TK’s winning combination was born.
The Legacy
From the companies inception, TK Hockey soon became a leading player in markets across the world. The visibility of the brand in the international arena set a precedent at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, just seven years after TK officially began trading, 10 male and female players who won either gold or silver medals did so using a TK stick. TK is now regarded as one of the worlds leading independent global hockey brands.
For over 30 years the brand’s reputation for quality, innovation and design has preceded it. TK continues to dominate the market by pushing boundaries in materials science and product design. A pioneer reflecting the true spirit of hockey.
The Future
In July 2020 Thomas Kille stepped back from his active role within TK and passed the baton onto his long-standing team member Axel Schröder. Axel’s internationally recognised expertise for products, sales and distribution, made the ideal choice for Thomas Kille towards ensuring the continued success of the brand that he built, now that he is stepping back from his active career.
TK now looks to build a new chapter for the future, we’re just getting started.
