Head sports equipment

Head is a prominent global sports brand with a rich history rooted in aviation technology. Founded in 1950 by Howard Head, an American aeronautical engineer, the brand revolutionized the skiing industry by introducing the first successful metal-wood composite skis. This innovation made skiing significantly easier and more accessible, quickly establishing Head as a market leader. In the late 1960s, the company expanded into tennis, where it pioneered the use of aluminum frames and oversized rackets, a move that fundamentally changed the sport.

Today, the brand operates as a major division of the Head Sport GmbH group, which is headquartered in Kennelbach, Austria. While the brand's origins are American, its administrative and research centers have long been centered in Europe. Manufacturing is diversified globally to meet international demand; high-performance skis and bindings are primarily produced in Austria and the Czech Republic, while a significant portion of tennis racket production was strategically moved to China and other Asian locations starting in the mid-2000s.

Ownership of the brand has transitioned through several conglomerates over the decades, including AMF and Austria Tabak. Since 1995, the company has been under the leadership and primary ownership of Johan Eliasch. In 2025 and 2026, the group further solidified its market position by acquiring the Aqualung Group and the cycling brand Le Col, expanding its reach across winter sports, racquet sports, diving, and performance apparel.