The Legend of Leki
LEKI, the world's leading manufacturer of ski, hiking, and trekking poles had its start in Kircheim, Germany as a hobby of its founder, Karl Lenhart, an airframe mechanic and avid skier.  Lenhart believed aluminum world make a superior ski pole compared to the heavy steel models available in the late 1940's.  After successfully creating light weight poles for his friends, in 1954, the hobby became a full time business.  The name of the company, LEKI, is a combination of "LE" from Lenhart and "KI" from the town of Kircheim.  Lenhart began producing injection molds for plastic pole parts, revolutionizing the ski pole industry.  In the early 1970's, LEKI launched its own line of ski poles and has since been recognized around the world as the leader in pole manufacturing and innovation.  LEKI sets standards that others follow.  LEKI originated the use of nylon webbing for straps and created plastic molded grips and baskets in place of metal and leather.  Additionally, Lenhart developed an aluminum tempering process that produces a pole shaft with incomparable strength, durability, and reliability.  In 1984, Klaus Lenhart, Karl's son assumed the leadership and shortly thereafter developed the first dual-component grip.  He is also responsible for improving adjustable pole locking technology and grip innovations such as the Trigger "Click-in" system and COR-TEC, a material made of real cork and latex.  As the ski market continued to flourish, LEKI began manufacturing hiking poles primarily for European mountain guides.  The concept of using two poles as a means of relieving stress on knee joints and the lower back appealed to climbers who also saw benefits in performance and safety.  LEKI poles eventually caught on with the general hiking, trekking, and more recently adventure racing population that recognized and appreciated the preventive health benefits as well as the climbing support and stabilizing effects.