Comments on: In Print http://pdberger.com/in-print/ The blog of a British freelance writer living in New York Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:25:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: pdberger http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73927 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:46:48 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73927 I didn't ask about expenses. I didn’t ask about expenses.

]]> by: beau http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73896 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:56:57 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73896 But The USD 50k covers, I assume, the cost of some fellow attending every match in the tour series and being on hand constantly to tweek the strings when necessary. Right? So if the guy has to pay for his hotels, flights, beer and lapdances all from this USD 50K then actually it's hardly anything... But The USD 50k covers, I assume, the cost of some fellow attending every match in the tour series and being on hand constantly to tweek the strings when necessary. Right?

So if the guy has to pay for his hotels, flights, beer and lapdances all from this USD 50K then actually it’s hardly anything…

]]> by: Selma http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73853 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:55:12 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73853 How anyone could think Federer, a boorish eurosnob who makes tennis tired, is exciting is beyong me. How anyone could think Federer, a boorish eurosnob who makes tennis tired, is exciting is beyong me.

]]> by: pdberger http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73396 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:31:23 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73396 Nope, but it's a good idea. Do you have any particular airline magazines in mind? Nope, but it’s a good idea. Do you have any particular airline magazines in mind?

]]> by: beau http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73129 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:58:42 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73129 This sort of stuff goes down real smooth with in-flight magazines... have you approached any? This sort of stuff goes down real smooth with in-flight magazines… have you approached any?

]]> by: Cretin Regnant http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73098 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:27:07 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73098 No. No.

]]> by: pdberger http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73085 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:20:04 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73085 It does. The $3,500 figure is for a mere mortal like you or I to have our racket customized to as near to Federer's specs as possible. But if you're Roger Federer, and you want someone to follow you to all the tournaments to customize and string your rackets, you're looking at a lot more than $3,500. Federer's customizer and stringer, Nate Ferguson, told me that his company's Gold Service "generally costs less than $50,000 per man, and it varies depending on the specific requirements of the player." Ferguson's current clients are: Federer, Djokovic, F. Gonzalez, A. Murray, M. Baghdatis, G. Canas, L. Hewitt, M. Fish, and M. Safin. His first Gold service client, in 2001, was Tim Henman, who he strung for until his retirement last month. It does. The $3,500 figure is for a mere mortal like you or I to have our racket customized to as near to Federer’s specs as possible.

But if you’re Roger Federer, and you want someone to follow you to all the tournaments to customize and string your rackets, you’re looking at a lot more than $3,500.

Federer’s customizer and stringer, Nate Ferguson, told me that his company’s Gold Service “generally costs less than $50,000 per man, and it varies depending on the specific requirements of the player.”

Ferguson’s current clients are: Federer, Djokovic, F. Gonzalez, A. Murray, M. Baghdatis, G. Canas, L. Hewitt, M. Fish, and M. Safin.

His first Gold service client, in 2001, was Tim Henman, who he strung for until his retirement last month.

]]> by: William http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73083 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:03:06 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73083 Funny, I imagined these custom rackets for pros would cost a heck of a lot more than mere civilian rackets. Funny, I imagined these custom rackets for pros would cost a heck of a lot more than mere civilian rackets.

]]> by: pdberger http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73081 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:34:51 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73081 Cretin, can't a man have more than one passion? Cretin, can’t a man have more than one passion?

]]> by: pdberger http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73080 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:34:09 +0000 http://pdberger.com/in-print/#comment-73080 That's right, William. It's a quirk of tennis that the rackets the pros use are actually a little bit cheaper than beginner "game improvement" rackets. You can buy Federer's racket, the Wilson K Factor Six-One Tour, for about $190 in a store. Then it would cost you a further $100 or so for the customization. The $3,500 figure is the total ($290) multiplied by 12 and rounded up. That’s right, William.

It’s a quirk of tennis that the rackets the pros use are actually a little bit cheaper than beginner “game improvement” rackets.

You can buy Federer’s racket, the Wilson K Factor Six-One Tour, for about $190 in a store. Then it would cost you a further $100 or so for the customization.

The $3,500 figure is the total ($290) multiplied by 12 and rounded up.

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