SPORTS | STYLE | TECHNOLOGY
From Issue #14
Elite Athlete To You
What goes into the clothing we play in
by Rob Brunner
Canadian Olympic snowboarder
Mike Michalchuk
When we head out to buy gear, we know what we want. And we expect to find it. If
we’re off to the slopes we have simple needs, right?
We want to be warm, dry and comfortable. But ever
stop to think about what goes into putting that kind
of gear into our hands and onto our backs?
Faze spent some time with one of the leaders in
sports innovation and research, Mario Lafortune. As
the director of Nike’s global sports research lab, Mario
works with the likes of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods,
soccer sensation Mia Hamm, tennis’s Lleyton Hewitt,
and more recently, Canadian Olympic snowboarder
Mike Michalchuk, in order to figure out exactly what
they need to excel at their sport.
Mike Michalchuk, who has been riding the slopes
for 12 years, says he has a lot of input into what gets
produced. When he speaks with Mario, they talk
about designing elements in the gear that will help
him on the hill: “I tell them that I need something that
will keep me dry and warm and has flexibility,
because there’s so much movement in the pipe and
you need to be able to stretch, move around, and do
flips and spins.”
Mike also throws in some other practical
requirements and says, “I also wanted longer
sleeves so I don’t rip off my elbows when I bail.”
Mario gives us the step-by-step as to how the whole process unfolds:
-
First, they observe different athletes and decide if there is a need for a new or better
product.
- Then they speak to people using the product — not to just one athlete, but several
in the form of a focus group — to find out what they’d like to see in the product.
- Then
they observe some more. They carefully scrutinize every motion to see exactly what the athlete
is doing. They will go on site, film the athlete, and return to the labs to study what is happening
to the equipment or garment when the athlete moves.
- Mario says they have approximately
30 researchers in the lab, as well as 15 university research partners, who will all work
together to try to understand the needs of the athlete.
- Based on the lab observations, they set
up design parameters defining what they need.
- Then they speak with the designers and developers
about those parameters and ask them to come up with a product that fits their requirements.
- Mario says that past research has clearly proven that when our bodies overheat, our performance
declines, so controlling body temperature is always an important feature they are constantly striving to
improve.
- The team produces a concept and evaluation begins.
- The test product is given to the athlete to begin
practical field testing.
- The athletes report back on what they experienced, what worked, what didn’t, and what they feel still needs to
be done.
- Back to the lab for modifications.
- Back to the athlete for more testing.
- Finally, a product is developed that meets the
design parameters and criteria.
- Off to production and into the stores!
It’s a long process that can take up to two years.
We may have to wait to shell out our coin for the latest
technology, but in the end, we usually get what we pay for.
Olympic gold medalist Bruny Surin speeds it up for the
cameras. . .
Earlier Photos:
Nike’s Mario Lafortune (left) has a laugh
with Hockey Hall of Famer, Mario Lemieux. . .
Tiger
doesn’t mind getting wired up for some serious testing.
