The Experience
Hi this is a message from Tim Strawn, founder of the GSS Racquet Stringers Symposium. GSS is now ready to experience it’s 4th year of offering this annual event for racquet technicians from around the world.
Larry Hackney - left in white hat
Each year as we get more and more feedback from the attendees I am constantly amazed at the different things they have to say about their own personal experiences at the symposium. Larry Hackney of Union City, New Jersey contacted me by phone and asked why we don’t just record the seminars at the symposium and sell the DVD’s. However, after he attended his first symposium in 2008 Larry was absolutely convinced that in order to get the full benefit out of the symposium it was definitely one of those things where you just “had to be there”! The networking opportunities and the new friends made are a major part of attending an event like the GSS racquet stringers symposium and as you might imagine, this simply cannot be captured on a DVD. The learning opportunities are many and varied. No one who has attended a seminar in the past will deny that everyone has something to share and there is no one at the symposium that can’t learn something from someone else in attendance.
Party time at the GSS symposium!
Yes the ladies party too!
Parties? Yes we like to party! You didn’t think that all we did was string racquets did you? The Saturday night meet & greet session includes a cash bar which is often supplemented by a complimentary round or two of drinks provided by one of our sponsors. This is really the best time at the symposium for everyone to move through the crowd, meet and make new friends, and in general just have a good time. We always try to hold this party at poolside if the weather permits and there’s always plenty of time for you to get better acquainted with the seminar leaders and others in attendance. You can stay as late as you like or you can leave a little early to go watch the first round of the speed stringing contest. Whatever you choose to do you’ll find the Saturday night meet & greet to be a great time for all!
Gordie Lehman stringing at the 2009 symposium
Stringing? Sure there’s plenty of stringing going on at the symposium and in 2010 we’ve added even more opportunities for people to get on the machines and string. Open stringing sessions will be available on Sunday and Tuesday providing a venue for everyone to get as much time on a machine as they desire. Stringing machines from various manufacturers including Alpha, Babolat, Prince, and Wilson will be available and we’ll have as many manufacturer reps on hand as possible to answer any questions you may have about their machines. Seminar leasers will also be available to answer your questions and assist in any way they can. We also have a brand new seminar being presented by Wilson this year titled “Stringing Patterns & Techniques” which will definitely give anyone who participates plenty of time to string. This seminar has a 1 to 3 teacher to student ratio and every participant will be assigned their own personal Wilson BAIARDO stringing machine to work on.
ATTENTION PTR MEMBERS--recieve a symposium discount PLUS 5 MAP points. Receive an additional 5 MAP points if you attend the Orlando PDW October 7th - 10th
New for 2010…. GSS has partnered with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) to offer a discount to PTR members who will be attending the PTR’s Professional Development Workshop (PDW) in Orlando October 7th – 10th and also attend the GSS symposium. All members will receive a discount off of their GSS symposium registration fee PLUS they will receive 10 MAP points from PTR.
2009 Prince speed stringing winner
Don’t forget the Prince speed stringing contest! Last year we had 12 contestants and the winner, Vasily Guryanov strung a Prince frame with an 18 x 20 pattern in all poly in under 14 minutes.
