Titan Hockey

Hameenlinna is located in the Southern part of Finland. It has a cold and rugged climate. It is dominated by natural terrain and the presence of lakes and forests, contributing to the area’s picturesque and challenging environment. Antti-Jussi Tiitola was born in Hameenlinna in 1936 and died in October 24th, 2021. In the 1950’s he met Marjo Sieva and entered a life long marriage that ignited his passion as an uncompromising engineer. He developed a poetic sensibility by building frames for his wife’s paintings; he went to concerts and theatres and read widely all kinds of literature. Tiitola led an incredible life filled with passion for sports, nature, and community.

His contributions to the sports equipment industry from pioneering fiberglass skis and poles to creating the iconic Titan hockey stick as a yard stick in industrial innovation. Tiitola came from a hockey family. In fact, his family was present when the first hockey game was played in Finland in the 1920’s. Tiitola experimented with fiberglass and made a hockey stick that increased the durability and strength that was far superior to his competitors. He also introduced plastic rail on the blades so they can be used in street hockey. Thus was born the ABS blades that we use today for asphalt and cement surfaces. The Titan hockey stick permeated from every school yard and street including the rugged terrain of the Canadian tundra. When he built a factory in Quebec, he was able to secure Wayne Gretzky for 11 seasons. Titan became the number 1 selling stick in the global market, producing 1 million units in North America and 500,000 units in Finland.

Tiitola was a product of his own environment. He was deeply concerned about composite sticks. He would often say “where do these sticks go, when they are broken?” But as an engineer, he knew companies will spring up and answers his call. At Toronto Hockey Repair, we partnered with Integral Hockey, a company that uses new technology to repair broken composite hockey stick.

In Tiitola’s retirement, he built houses for his daughters to be close to him. He would often fish with his friends, acting as a driver, selling fish and vegetables from his garden that his wife tended. Tiitola was a great engineer that used practicality as an engine, streamlining his production factories, making them profitable every year. Tiitola’s inventive methodology allowed his tradesmen’s freedom to set various tasks as a steady continuous unit of efficiency. Tiitola developed Telemark skis and poles for production. He was a director at Karhu and developed the Karhu air-cushioned sneakers. Back in the 1970’s Karhu invented the first air-cushioned shoe in the world that absorb impact during athletic activities. It stirred the attention and was copied by many prominent shoe companies like Nike and Adidas.

He built the iconic Titan hockey sticks that employed hundreds of tradesmen in his Quebec plant. He laminated Titan goalie sticks with bright fiberglass colours. It seems to me that Tiitola was climbing a spiral staircase. He would often look back at the places he has been but is no longer there. Sometimes he would take a step back but continues his climb. Tiitola reached the top of the staircase and decided to turn back to his humble roots. His neighbours shouted through an open window, and saluted a common member of their community. The mother and daughters resides close to each other as a strong family unit. To this day, the mother has never given up on their perfect harmony of nature, teaching their daughters the best edible mushrooms and selling them to the market. Beyond Tiitola’s professional career, his commitment to family and community shines through as a testament to his innovative spirit on a global scale. Rest in peace Antti-Jussi Tiitola.