User:Ask larsson/Ås tennis club

Ås Tennis Club (Ås tennisklubb) was founded on 16 March 1976 and has around 170 members (2009). The club has three clay courts located in Idrettsveien, south of the sports stadion in Ås municipality in Akershus county in Norway. The courts are open for use between April and October.

Foundation
Over 20 people attended the foundation meeting held on 16 March in 1976 in the cantina at the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences at Norwegian University of Life Sciences. One of the central issues was the construction of new tennis courts. A working group consisting of Reidun Carlsen, Anne Ørbeck, Torbjørn Auran, Wolfgang Hoffmann and Per Knudsen was given the task of developing the practical details.

The next meeting was held on 28 April in Ås Townhouse and a new interim board was chosen, with Per Knudsen as president.

Memberships
After the foundation, memberships increased from around 100 members the first year to 200 members i 1978 to almost 300 members in 1979. This was more than the court´s capacity, and a maximum number of members were set at 250.

Fore some years there were waiting lists for memberships, but membership numbers eventually sank to around 150 in 1995.

Clay Courts Facility
The entire clay court tennis facility, included irrigation, cost approximately NOK 170,000, financed by a loan in Aas sparebank on NOK 150,000 guarenteed by Ås Municipality, and NOK 80,000 in grants from the Norwegian State Office for Youth and Sports.

Construction of the three clay courts were finished late fall of 1977.

Inauguration of Tennis Courts
The club´s three tennis courts were inaugurated on 28 May 1978 by Mayor Jacob Apeland with a Follo-tournament with players from the local tennis clubs in Ski, Vestby, Drøbak, Son and Ås.

Ownership and Right of Usage
The tennis courts are located on Ås Municipality´s property and in the negotiations with the municipality in 1981 about the take-over of the NOK 150,000 loan, both parties agreed to transfer the property rights of the tennis courts to the municipality, while the tennis club kept the usage rights. Ås Tennis Club can use the courts freely, and has the responability for maintnance and oversight.

Club Presidents

 * 1976–1981: Per Knudsen
 * 1981–1985: Geir Goffeng
 * 1985–1987: Arne Haga
 * 1987–1988: Terje Andersen
 * 1988–1991: Oddgeir Ovesen
 * 1991–1992: Sidsel Innseth
 * 1992–1994: Kjell Liaker
 * 1994–1995: Børre H. Børresen
 * 1995–1997: Fredrik Ystehede
 * 1997–1998: Niels Vestel
 * 1998–1999: Steffen Hansen
 * 1999–2002: Fred Johnsen
 * 2002–2005: Rolf Østenstad
 * 2005–2010: Geir Goffeng
 * 2010–: Petter Snilsberg

Rib Tournament
When Ås Tennis Club celebrated their 20th anniversary in 1996, Drøbak Tennis Club donated a challenge cup for the annual Rib Tournament, usually held in early January.