UST Essx

A close up of an Essx Recoil pole, produced by UST Essx.

UST Essx, also simply referred to as Essx, is a brand of pole vaulting poles used by athletes for the competition. Essx is currently owned by UST Mamiya, a golf club manufacturer. Started in the mid 1990s by Bruce Caldwell, Essx gained publicity as a major pole vaulting brand when their sponsored athlete Sam Kendricks made the list of the world's best pole vaulters.

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Essx manufactures several vaulting poles and pole vault accessories. Their main line of pole, the Essx Recoil Advanced, has undergone several design changes over the past decade. As of 2019, top collegiate athletes have switched to vaulting on Essx poles.[citation needed]

History

1998

Bruce Caldwell started ESSX Sport Corporation in 1998. His main goal was to sell pole vaulting poles that were different from the others on the market.

2004

By 2004, several world-class athletes were jumping with Essx poles. In looking for a manufacturer, he teamed up with UST Mamiya in 2004.

2016

UST Mamiya's and Bruce Caldwell's agreement ended in 2016 without distribution renewal. After parting ways, Bruce Caldwell would end up resurrecting his old company, Fibersport, with his new carbon fiber technology.

During this time, Essx signed Sam Kendrick to become a sponsored athlete, giving ESSX publicity as a major pole vaulting brand when Kendrick placed Bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

2017

Sam Kendrick would go on further to win the a 2017 World Championship title, further establishing ESSX as a premier brand.

2024

In the lead up to the 2024 Olympics, UST Essx and AGY announced a partnership, developing new products utilizing S2 glass technology.

Current Sponsored Athletes

Source:

References

  1. ↑ Association (SFIA), Sports and Fitness Industry (2019-01-15). "SFIA Member Spotlight — UST Mamiya". Medium. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Poles, FiberSport Vaulting. "FiberSport Poles". FiberSport Poles. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  3. ↑ "UST Mamiya is a manufacturer of high performance golf shafts". UST Mamiya. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  4. ↑ Caplan, Jeff (31 July 2016). "Olympic dream: Will pole vaulter thrust Fort Worth business to new heights?". Star Telegram. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "AGY, UST Mamiya enhance Olympics equipment via fiberglass vaulting poles". www.compositesworld.com. 2026-04-01. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  6. 1 2 "Team Essx Elite – UST ESSX". Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  7. ↑ Papadatos, Markos (2018-08-05). "Bruce Caldwell shares details about pole vault, track and field (Includes interview)". Digital Journal. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  8. 1 2 Poles, FiberSport Vaulting. "FiberSport Poles". FiberSport Poles. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Jake (2016-08-16). "Sam Kendricks vaults to bronze medal in first Olympics". The Oxford Eagle. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  10. ↑ AP/Wire (2017-08-08). "Sam Kendricks wins World Championship in pole vault at IAAF Worlds". The Oxford Eagle. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  11. ↑ "2024 Olympic Pole Vaulters Excel Thanks to AGY and UST Mamiya Innovation". www.newswire.com. Retrieved 2026-04-07.