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                                  EXHIBIT 99.1
PRESS RELEASE
ESCALADE SPORTS TO ACQUIRE NORTH AMERICAN ARCHERY GROUP

Evansville, Indiana, USA (May 12, 2003).
Escalade Sports, a wholly owned subsidiary of Escalade, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESCA),
announced the acquisition of substantially all the assets of North American
Archery Group, LLC (NAAG), Gainesville, FL., subject to final approval by the
bankruptcy count on or about June 6, 2003. NAAG is a manufacturer of premium
archery equipment specializing in an exclusive line of compound bows,
traditional re-curve bows, long bows, youth bows, cross bows, archery
accessories and arrow components. Products are sold under strong brand names
that include Fred Bear, Jennings, Golden Eagle, Brave, and Satellite Archery.

Bill Reed, President of Escalade, Inc. was quoted as saying; "The combination of
the intellectual property of NAAG with the marketing strength of Escalade Sports
will have positive results in the current year. We expect this acquisition to
add between 12 and 14 million in annual sales and to be accretive to earnings in
the current year. This addition strengthens our already strong position in the
archery market place."

NAAG is currently under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and Escalade Sports has
filed an asset purchase agreement with the court offering 4.8 million dollars in
cash and the assumption of roughly 6.3 million dollars in existing NAAG debt.
The transaction will be funded through existing lines of credit held by
Escalade, Inc. with Bank One Indiana, N.A.

Assets being acquired include accounts receivable; inventory; property, plant
and equipment; and intellectual property. The property plant, and equipment is
comprised of land, buildings, and production equipment located in Gainesville,
FL, used in the manufacture of NAAG's current product line. Escalade Sports
expects to utilize these assets in the present location for the same purpose
they are currently utilized by NAAG.

Fred Bear, the founder of NAAG and the most recognized name in archery, is just
one of the world recognized brand names in NAAG's intellectual property
portfolio. The "Fred Bear" name is synonymous with innovative and creative
technologies such as the compression molded limbs and single cam bows - both
developed by NAAG. Escalade Sports will continue the "Fred Bear" tradition of
leading the industry through innovation and manufacturing excellence - a legacy
of craftsmanship that is evident in every bow produced.

Dan Messmer, President of Escalade Sports stated, "The strength of the
intellectual property accompanied with strong brands such as Fred Bear enables
us to expand our distribution. The NAAG product line, innovations, patents and
brands complement our strong position as a quality manufacturer, importer and
distributor of sporting goods products."

Escalade Sports manufactures and distributes a full line of sporting goods
products including Table Tennis Tables and equipment, Pool Tables and equipment,
Basketball Systems, Game Tables, Archery equipment, Darting Products and Fitness
equipment. For more information about Escalade Sports, contact Phil Piccolo,
Vice President of Marketing, 817 Maxwell Avenue, Evansville, Indiana 47711,
812-467-1200 or visit the company website at: www.escaladesports.com.

Escalade is a quality manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods and
office/graphic arts products sold worldwide by better resellers.

For more information on Escalade, Inc., please contact Terry Frandsen, VP
Finance at 260/569-7208 or C.W. (Bill) Reed, President and CEO at 260/569-7233.



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