UCS Spirit is a company based in

Minden, Nevada Minden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,001 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the town of Gardnerville. The Douglas campus of the Wes ...

that specializes in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

equipment. They are best known for their

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

pole vaulting poles. UCS Spirit also sells other track equipment like throwing implements, hurdles, and landing mats. The production and sale of track equipment began in 1987.

History

The company began as Universal Canvas and Sling, Inc. in the late 1960s by Lou Schwartz and his family. Canvas products like awnings and boat covers were made by them in their factory in Hackensack, New Jersey. Son Jeff Schwartz saw an opportunity to create pole vault and high jump landing pits. The company contacted Coach

Bill Bowerman William Jay Bowerman (February 19, 1911 – December 24, 1999) was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champi ...

of the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

track and field team. It was agreed upon the pole vault mat would be showcased at the upcoming AAU National Championships. After the meet, Coach Bowerman asked to purchase the mat. Years later, Universal Canvas and Sling, Inc. was growing as a mat production company when Jeff's brother Larry Schwartz joined the company. The brothers teamed up with Steve Chappell to create a line of pole vaulting poles made of fiberglass material. Chappell and his business partner Lane Maestretti had already been working on pole vaulting poles in Carson City, Nevada. Fiberglass poles were in its infancy at the time. Together the group made the UCS Spirit vaulting pole in 1987. A year later, Sergei Bubka set the first of 12 world records on a UCS pole. In February 2017, UCS Spirit moved locations from Carson City, Nevada to a 6,000 square foot facility in Minden, Nevada.

References

{{Reflist Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States Companies based in Nevada American companies established in 1967