Chasing Blades: Like Reciting Tang Poetry (Part 2)
6 — Spring Slumber
Spring slumber, unaware of dawn — birdsong everywhere.
April has always been the month every manufacturer fights over. Starting in 2019, this pattern became obvious. That year, the three big brands each launched their inner carbon offerings: Butterfly’s Harimoto Tomokazu ALC, DHS’s Hurricane Long 5X, and Stiga’s Carbon Core.
2023’s April was just as lively. DHS put out the Hurricane King and Hurricane Sa; Butterfly released the Glayzer and G09c; Stiga brought the Walnut upgrade, Cyber pure wood, and Mantra Pro.
This year, the familiar flurry of birdsong arrived a little later than usual. But around the time of the China Sports Show, things heated up again — Tibhar’s Dako and Kaufmann, Andro’s Simon, Stiga’s Destiny Carbon and Luma hybrid carbon, Xiom’s Hugo rubber. Even the author released his own Super Black Horse and Mo Zai Ti blades.
So every April and May brings both major tournaments (World Cup, World Championships) and a happy season for gear collectors.
7 — Wildfire Burns, Grass Returns
Wildfire cannot burn it away — spring wind blows and it grows back again.
This perfectly captures the mindset of the gear-obsessed. Whether that’s good or bad is hard to say. It’s just like playing with toys as a kid — the next one is always better. The next racket is always the most exciting.
Even those of us who have burned through so much gear there’s almost nothing left to try — having tested professional-grade blades and rubbers — still get excited over the next unknown piece of kit.
8 — Drink While You Can
When life is good, enjoy it to the fullest — don’t let the golden goblet stand empty.
When it comes to gear choices, being sensible might seem important. But really, what matters most is whether you love it. Either don’t buy at all, or buy something you truly want — even if it’s expensive.
And once you have it, play with it right away. Enjoy it at its best. Because if you let it sit too long, the excitement fades.
9 — Shared Candlelight
When will we trim candles by the west window together, and talk of that rainy night in the mountains?
Gear enthusiasts easily find common ground. But real resonance only happens when the players are evenly matched — similar technical levels, a similar passion for equipment, and neither willing to yield to the other.
10 — A Decade Like Flowing Water
After parting, we drift like clouds. Ten years pass like a rushing river, never to return.
Over the past few years, gear changes might look incremental. But stretch the timeline to ten years or more, and the shifts are substantial. Tenergy is still used by some professionals, but it is becoming increasingly rare. The tide of change does not bend to anyone’s wishes.