Protechion by Audex

[TheGoalNet]

Made in Quebec for a short period of time, worn by the GOAT for 1 season, similar to a late Bourdon / Early Lefebvre pad... anyone got more details?

[Mike24]

Damn right on GOAT call.!!!!!

So ball rolling this Roy equipment story. 

On 8/10/2017 at 5:41 PM, TheGoalNet said:

Made in Quebec for a short period of time, worn by the GOAT for 1 season, similar to a late Bourdon / Early Lefebvre pad... anyone got more details?

I believe I have that trading card 

[Fullright]

My understanding from a retired pro who wore them - Nuems - is that Audax was simply a name. Here's how it ended up there and I may have the chronology wrong. Bourdon made these bad boys. Mr and Mrs Bourdon got into an ugly divorce just as their brand was really taking off. As a part of the disposition of the divorce case, she got to keep the name Bourdon for purposes of the pads/gloves. Koho bought the naming rights from her. Ultimately, Koho sold the name to Audax, which was a small stand alone company. The pad design never changed under any of the names. Now here's the real kicker: Mr. Bourdon continued to make the pads but couldn't use his own name on the pad. You can tell whether you have a set of his by length pen mark on the outside of the pad saying, for example, 32". 

I may have the Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon bass ackwards and I may have the Bourdon to Koho to Audax inverted. It might have been Bourdon to Audax to Koho.

Great pads. I have a set almost brand new which I am too lazy to wear often enough to break in because my hips are old and I play only once, maybe twice,  a week. Those types of pads - leather, kapok, and horse/deer hair - take about 6 wks of skating almost every day to break in. 

[TheGoalNet]

On 8/15/2017 at 5:17 PM, Fullright said:

My understanding from a retired pro who wore them - Nuems - is that Audax was simply a name. Here's how it ended up there and I may have the chronology wrong. Bourdon made these bad boys. Mr and Mrs Bourdon got into an ugly divorce just as their brand was really taking off. As a part of the disposition of the divorce case, she got to keep the name Bourdon for purposes of the pads/gloves. Koho bought the naming rights from her. Ultimately, Koho sold the name to Audax, which was a small stand alone company. The pad design never changed under any of the names. Now here's the real kicker: Mr. Bourdon continued to make the pads but couldn't use his own name on the pad. You can tell whether you have a set of his by length pen mark on the outside of the pad saying, for example, 32". 

I may have the Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon bass ackwards and I may have the Bourdon to Koho to Audax inverted. It might have been Bourdon to Audax to Koho.

Great pads. I have a set almost brand new which I am too lazy to wear often enough to break in because my hips are old and I play only once, maybe twice,  a week. Those types of pads - leather, kapok, and horse/deer hair - take about 6 wks of skating almost every day to break in. 

I think Bourdon to Audax to Koho is correct... but I have similar stuff but different... 

I heard that Bourdon's equipment was always built by his wife as she was the master sewer. However, maybe that only started after the divorce? The reason Bourdon stopped is that she got too old and it was too hard to market gear outside of Quebec 

Mr Bourdon ending up starting Audax after Bourdon and then it being sold to Koho makes sense in my head. 

@Fullright Did you ever hear that Mrs Bourdon was the real skilled labor? Did you hear why the Bourdon name stopped? 

[goalie]

On 8/15/2017 at 5:31 PM, TheGoalNet said:

I think Bourdon to Audax to Koho is correct... but I have similar stuff but different... 

I heard that Bourdon's equipment was always built by his wife as she was the master sewer. However, maybe that only started after the divorce? The reason Bourdon stopped is that she got too old and it was too hard to market gear outside of Quebec 

Mr Bourdon ending up starting Audax after Bourdon and then it being sold to Koho makes sense in my head. 

@Fullright Did you ever hear that Mrs Bourdon was the real skilled labor? Did you hear why the Bourdon name stopped? 

I'm sure I remember a pair of Bourdon pads with the Jofa brand on them.

[Fullright]

I heard that she was the master sewer and it was his design. I don't know why the name ended; I think it just got swept up in the fragmentation of small manufacturers and the gobbling up of names by Reebok, Louisville, etc. The only direct line I know of going back to Bourdon is, I think, Lefebrve. I might be wrong on that. Really a shame too because their stuff as well as the other small manufacturers made long lasting stuff. My Koho/Bourdons are in primo shape and my D&R LG55s are still in excellent shape and I bought those new in 1983. I've always joked that I had good luck with French made gear from Quebec but the truth is that those makers were really something else. My pads are older than most of the guys with whom I skate; that says a lot about the skill of those makers...and my age. As an old wind bag, I am pleased that the younger guys are keeping those names in our consciousness. It is important because they did so much to advance the position.

Goalie, you are correct. There was a small point in time where Jofa and Koho were interchangeable. 

I'll see if I can get in touch with Nuems to clarify this. You guys want a pic of mine? I get excited every time I see them.

[Mike24]

Yes we do 

[Fullright]

[Fullright]

Sorry for using so much space...I did something wrong getting the pics here. Last pic shows the famed pen mark.

[bunnyman666]

You can take up as much space as you want, as those are GORGEOUS!!!!!

[TheGoalNet]

On 8/15/2017 at 5:53 PM, Fullright said:

I heard that she was the master sewer and it was his design. I don't know why the name ended; I think it just got swept up in the fragmentation of small manufacturers and the gobbling up of names by Reebok, Louisville, etc. The only direct line I know of going back to Bourdon is, I think, Lefebrve. I might be wrong on that. Really a shame too because their stuff as well as the other small manufacturers made long lasting stuff. My Koho/Bourdons are in primo shape and my D&R LG55s are still in excellent shape and I bought those new in 1983. I've always joked that I had good luck with French made gear from Quebec but the truth is that those makers were really something else. My pads are older than most of the guys with whom I skate; that says a lot about the skill of those makers...and my age. As an old wind bag, I am pleased that the younger guys are keeping those names in our consciousness. It is important because they did so much to advance the position.

Goalie, you are correct. There was a small point in time where Jofa and Koho were interchangeable. 

I'll see if I can get in touch with Nuems to clarify this. You guys want a pic of mine? I get excited every time I see them.

Yeah, get Nuems out of retirement!!! 

Passau has a direct line to Bourdon as well. Guys started there, built gear for others, started Bayard, built gear for Sher-Wood, built gear for Warrior, and then focused on Passau full time. I'm hoping @GoalieTimmy33 is able to get an article on the whole Passau history. It's solid! 

[Fullright]

Completely did not know that; no wonder I like their stuff.

[TheGoalNet]

It sounds like Audex for Mr. Boudon and Mr. Beaudry from Passau. It's believed they made about 10-15 sets max 

How insane is it that 1 set was worn by Roy in the NHL?!? Imagine if that happened now, someone left Vaughn... Started a company that lasted for 18 months and Price wore the gear for a year? 

[Mike24]

Pretty crazy stuff 

[Fullright]

Got a message to Nuems hyping the site and asking for the history. Whatever he says, I'll add here word for word...unless he joins in which case he can tell us.

[Mike24]

No offense to you sir.  But hopefully he joins. I enjoyed him on GsBB

[Fullright]

None taken at all...I hope he does likewise. He's a good man.

[bunnyman666]

I haven't even been to the vintage masque discussion page. I know he kicks about on there. I am still looking for his preferred steel every time I go to PIAS, as I have been very lucky finding vintage pads, though nothing as cool as a set of Bourdon/Jofas.  

[Synyster]

On 15/08/2017 at 5:17 PM, Fullright said:

My understanding from a retired pro who wore them - Nuems - is that Audax was simply a name. Here's how it ended up there and I may have the chronology wrong. Bourdon made these bad boys. Mr and Mrs Bourdon got into an ugly divorce just as their brand was really taking off. As a part of the disposition of the divorce case, she got to keep the name Bourdon for purposes of the pads/gloves. Koho bought the naming rights from her. Ultimately, Koho sold the name to Audax, which was a small stand alone company. The pad design never changed under any of the names. Now here's the real kicker: Mr. Bourdon continued to make the pads but couldn't use his own name on the pad. You can tell whether you have a set of his by length pen mark on the outside of the pad saying, for example, 32". 

I may have the Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon bass ackwards and I may have the Bourdon to Koho to Audax inverted. It might have been Bourdon to Audax to Koho.

Actually, to make things clear, after Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon divorced (he was an alcoholic and she was manico-depressive), Alain Beaudry and the Bourdon's nephew bought the factory together in Chambly, Québec and Mrs Bourdon stayed there a the master sewer. When the moment arrived to transfer the Bourdon name, Mrs. Bourdon refused so this left both guys with no other possibility than to start a new brand: Audax. The new brand was first distributed by Pro-tech-tion and eventually they went on to making pads for Jofa also, which was the property of Volvo at the time. Then Koho bought Jofa, and Audax decided to shut the name down for something new: Bayard. History is pretty straightforward from there, as Alain Beaudry, who was now the only owner, put out the first flat faced pad and then became Passau in 1984. Basically, this is the long line of history behind Passau gear.

I know for a fact that hundreds of Audax pads were made, so the comment stating 15 is false. And that number gets even higher if we are to include the Jofa pads.

[TheGoalNet]

1 hour ago, Synyster said:

Actually, to make things clear, after Mr. and Mrs. Bourdon divorced (he was an alcoholic and she was manico-depressive), Alain Beaudry and the Bourdon's nephew bought the factory together in Chambly, Québec and Mrs Bourdon stayed there a the master sewer. When the moment arrived to transfer the Bourdon name, Mrs. Bourdon refused so this left both guys with no other possibility than to start a new brand: Audax. The new brand was first distributed by Pro-tech-tion and eventually they went on to making pads for Jofa also, which was the property of Volvo at the time. Then Koho bought Jofa, and Audax decided to shut the name down for something new: Bayard. History is pretty straightforward from there, as Alain Beaudry, who was now the only owner, put out the first flat faced pad and then became Passau in 1984. Basically, this is the long line of history behind Passau gear.

I know for a fact that hundreds of Audax pads were made, so the comment stating 15 is false. And that number gets even higher if we are to include the Jofa pads.

Great stuff. Lost on one point. If Mrs Bourdon was doing the sewing, why did she hold back the name?

what happened to the Bayard name?

[Synyster]

Mrs. Bourdon was not completely sane, and after Alain had learnt the sewing tactics from her, she decided to leave and brought the name with her. The name was supposed to be continued afterwards but she decided differently. Basically, the Bourdon name died the day she left and they started Audax.

The Bayard line was shut down and Passau was started. You could see it as a change of name.

[TheGoalNet]

Do you know why they felt the need to change the name though? 

[Synyster]

1 hour ago, TheGoalNet said:

Do you know why they felt the need to change the name though? 

I'll ask Alain tomorrow, he's the best to provide that insight.

[TheGoalNet]

17 minutes ago, Synyster said:

I'll ask Alain tomorrow, he's the best to provide that insight.

Awesome, thanks

Do you have a connection to or work for Passau?

[Synyster]

Yes, I work for Passau at the main office. It's actually Alain himself that came across this post today and asked me to respond. I just translated word for word what he told me (we're all french here).