specials

FAST & ON THE GO

Rapid ascents, snow-covered mountains, racing downhill, 1,000 possibilities and your challenge. Ski tours are freedom. And the freedom is as good as the clothing you are wearing. Your body needs room for movement, protection against wind and weather, moisture management and insulation. That is how sport in winter conditions becomes a pure experience without limits. That is the idea behind the adidas FAST SKI TOURING COLLECTION. Technology and comfort are combined in the TERREX ICESKY LONGSLEEVE to form a flexible mid-layer that keeps you warm and dry. The TERREX SKYCLIMB VEST with PrimaLoft ® insulation on the front panels is used during breaks or at lower temperatures. Together with TERREX SKYCLIMB PANTS featuring the FORMOTION ® cut,

TEXT: MIKE MANDL PHOTOS: MICHAEL MEISL

this mountain trio becomes an athletic quartet when you add the lightest weight TERREX SKYCLIMB JACKET to the mix. Through storms or snowdrifts, the waterproof and extremely breathable TERREX ACTIVE SHELL GORE-TEX ® JACKET is the ultimate choice. If it gets cold, or even colder, the NDOSPHERE JACKET comes into a class of its own: thanks to PrimaLoft ® insulation and its Cocona ® lining, the jacket keeps you warm even in wet and extreme conditions. Because you want to look the part on the ascent, and afterwards as well, the TERREX SKYCLIMB SKIRT and TERREX NDOSPHERE SHORT add functional style. And that is the way it should be.

BIG PERFORMANCE FOR LITTLE EXPLORERS

Autumn leaves cover the misty landscape and after three more sleeps snow mounds become snow mountains and mountains transform into castles. Whether it is the morning frost, November rain or arctic temperatures: a need to move and discover draws you outdoors for playful exercise or energetic play – adventure where neither fantasy or toes are left in the cold. Always part of the action: the versatile adidas KIDS COLLECTION. In the heat of the battle against the cold, the SUPERHERO JACKET has the upper hand thanks to its climaheat TM concept with patented PrimaLoft ® Silver Down Blend Insulation. If the low temperatures send in reinforcements, boys pull on the comfy FLEECE HOODIE

TEXT: MIKE MANDL PHOTOS: MICHAEL MEISL

over the quick-drying and moisture-regulating base layer. Girls slip into the stylish organic cotton LONGSLEEVE and then the FLEECE JACKET. Boys and girls stick their legs into the tough SLUSH PANTS, especially when it looks miserable outdoors. That is when they can really show what they are capable of thanks to their total waterproofing and perfect fit around the waist and feet, which ideally will be wearing TERREX CONRAX YOUTH CLIMAHEAT or CLIMAHEAT ADISNOW II. If anything can keep the frost at bay at ground level then it is these boots, which are insulated with PrimaLoft ® . So that little adventurers don’t lose their footing, they can rely on the Traxion TM soles for optimum grip.

FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW IN THE EYES OF SCIENCE

One of the most important pieces of equipment for dynamic outdoor activities is sports eyewear. That is the opinion of the internationally renowned optometrist Nick Dash, who also provides proof: peripheral vision and optimum overview are key factors for our sports performance. The eyes also need to be protected, and not just from UV radiation. Very few glasses fulfil these requirements. The tycane pro outdoor does, very well indeed.

80 to 90 per cent of what you perceive of your surroundings is received through your eyes. As a result, the ability to see is our most dominant sense and it plays a critical role during sport. If you have any doubt about that, try running an obstacle course with your eyes closed: have fun! Being able to see well is more than just being able to focus. Just as important as a sharp focus are spatial perception, contrast, peripheral vision, dynamic field of vision, and much more besides. All of our visual perception channels are in use during sport: when we move we need orientation, we must be able to reference our movement and our position in relation to our surroundings, we have to recognise each detail and foresee possible sources of danger, static as well as dynamic, we have to maintain an overview and keep everything in perspective. Like during climbing, for example: Where is the next hold? Where is the next foothold? Where is the next opportunity to place protection? Where does the route lead next? How is the rope hanging? How is the weather developing? And what was that small jolt caught out of the corner of the eye? A rock? Watch out! Danger! Our eyes show us the way. Our eyes are our all-round radar. Perfect vision means being able to react quickly, stay safe, act proactively rather than reactively, tire less quickly, be exposed to lower injury or accident risk. Our sight system supplies us continuously with important feedback. Without this constantly updated information, we would be very limited during sport activities. There is a simple formula: See better, be better. Even so, many athletes underestimate the importance of good vision and eye protection. Our eyes are sensitive and harmful, rays are often underestimated or taken seriously far too late. This can lead to permanent damage to the conjunctiva and cornea, impairing vision. Wind, dust, sand and dryness also stress the eyes. Stressed eyes tire sooner. Fatigued eyes have a negative effect on our concentration. Reduced concentration stresses our whole system. We become less secure. Performance drops. That is why high-functionality sports eyewear is no luxury. It is essential. The specifications that have to be met by good eyewear are high. Whether these specifications are really requirements is another story, a story that the British optometrist Nick Dash has taken a closer look at. Nick is a specialist when it comes to sports vision and has opened the eyes of many top athletes worldwide as far as visual perception and sporting activities are concerned. In a new study, Nick tested a range of sport eyewear for performance during a day of sport.

OUT OF THE CORNER OF AN EYE Something doesn’t always need to happen centre-stage for it to be important. Sometimes, essential details are located on the side. Like peripheral vision, for example. This is where visual perception takes place outside the zone of focussed vision. To put it simply: it is what you can see out of the corner of your eye, even though you are looking straight ahead. It turns out that that is a great deal. The significance of peripheral vision lies especially in the localisation of objects, while the central field of vision is responsible for identifying them. Put another way: peripheral object localisation is about filtering a structure – relevant at the given time or to the current activity – out of a more or less unspecific background. That is how we create an orientation reference for our actions. During sport that is a more than critical factor, as confirmed by the professional climber and experienced mountain guide, Michael Lerjen from Zermatt: “Especially during climbing, I need the widest field of vision. I need to maintain visual contact with my climbing partners or a group I am guiding in the mountains. I am in a position of great responsibility and need to be prepared for all eventualities. I also need to scan the surroundings for holds, footholds and possible hazards. The less I need to move my head while doing this, the better.” Every extra movement means more effort, which can destabilise the body in tricky situations. More effort is inevitably required if your field of vision is restricted. That is because your eyes and head are constantly moving during sport. On average, every three seconds from the core field as far as 70° to either side. That is the zone looking over your shoulder to the left and right. Classic mountaineering eyewear – like good old glacier goggles, which are covered on the sides – requires even more movement. You have to turn your head even further to see the same as without glasses, or with glasses that promote peripheral vision. The extra movement required costs energy. Each time you turn six kilos – the average head weight – from one side to the other, can have a negative effect on your balance. It is a subtle effect, but in the middle of a wall standing on ultrathin ledges or at the end of a long and tiring day, it becomes an undesirable side effect. Good sport eyewear should therefore have the widest possible field of vision at the same time as protecting against stray light. Here lies the technical challenge. The test used by Nick Dash

TEXT: MIKE MANDL

reveals that the tycane pro outdoor is the only eyewear that perfectly manages the balancing act between providing side protection and a wide field of perception. In the peripheral vision sector, the tycane pro outdoor allows a lateral view angle of 114° from a static standpoint – that is more than 16° wider than the second-best eyewear in the test. This field of vision is achieved thanks to the extremely large wrap-around 10-base filters on the tycane pro outdoor. By turning your head 70° to each side, the tycane pro outdoor opens up a 360° field of vision, i.e. full all-round vision. The best of the competitors’ eyewear managed 336°, leaving a blind spot of 24° unless you rotate your shoulders or upper body in order to be able to look behind you. A limitation that can become noticeable longterm. Conversely, full all-round vision means: 1. Less energy is expended during sport because the surroundings are covered effortlessly by peripheral vision. 2. More stability for the overall system because head movements are reduced. 3. Enhanced safety and better performance.

LESS SALT THANKS TO MORE FOAM Michael Lerjen is 26. But his eyes are already twice as old. Firstly because he has already seen so much of the world during his professional mountaineering activities. All 4,000er summits in the Alps, for example. As well as Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas. And secondly because a great deal of time in the mountains means a great deal of stress to the eyes. Nick Dash discovered that Michael’s eyes are showing signs of developing pingueculas. Like many Latin medical terms, it sounds more dramatic than it actually is. This common complaint of degeneration of the conjunctiva is seen as a yellow-white spot in the eyelid fissure and is something to which outdoor athletes are particularly susceptible. Too much UV radiation, yes, that much we know. But then there is dryness as well, and that is something many are not aware of. Wind, heat, sweat – during sport we lose liquid. And so do the eyes, and the loss of liquid can be measured by monitoring the salt concentration of the tear fluid. Which is what Nick Dash did. Once in the morning. Once in the evening. In between plenty of activity and with different sports eyewear. The more dehydrated the eyes, the saltier the tear fluid, says Nick. An alarmingly high value was recorded with eyewear that is open to the sides - far in excess of the critical level. With the tycane pro outdoor the value was even better in the evening than in the morning. But why? A foam pad is integrated into the construction. This not only stops UV rays from the side, but also keeps out wind and dust particles, with the effect that the eye does not dehydrate during sport activities. The tycane pro outdoor does this job as well as ski goggles, which for comparison purposes Nick had also included in the test. Because there is no better protection against dehydration. Nor against UV radiation.

EASY ON THE EYE Looking at the sun without a filter can cause lasting damage to the eyes in a matter of seconds or a few minutes. A fact that witnesses of the partial eclipse of the sun in Germany in 1912 found out to their cost. More than 3,000 people suffered from changes to their eyes, with around ten per cent sustaining permanent deterioration in vision. Of course, who looks directly at the sun anyway, and the next eclipse is some way off. During outdoor sport, however, the magnification of the sun’s rays and their reflection result in similar stress to the eyes. Snow, for example, reflects 80 to 95 per cent of the light, while vegetation only reflects 6 percent. Water and rock are somewhere in between, but depending on the angle of incidence of the sun, they can reach levels close to those of snow. Plus, the intensity of the sun’s rays increases by up to 16 per cent for each 1,000 metres of elevation. Mountain sports can therefore present a risk to the eyes. People exposed to chronic light levels can sustain between 30 and 40 per cent of age-related conjunctiva and cornea changes from UV light damage. The cornea absorbs mainly UV-C and UV-B rays, while the eye lens absorbs UV-B and UV-A rays. Almost unhindered, the remaining radiation reaches the retina, especially the point of sharpest focus, the macula. On top of that, we have already reached 80 per cent of the total damage from UV rays before we are 18, firstly because children’s eyes are more sensitive to sunlight, and secondly because it is more difficult to persuade kids to wear sunglasses. The necessity for comprehensive protection against sunlight is clear. High-quality filters and effective side protection are essential for sports eyewear. Nick Dash investigated this too. Result: of the tested eyewear, only the tycane pro outdoor offered reliable long-term protection. One thing that the test clearly revealed is that lifestyle eyewear is not up to the job. That is because regardless of whether you are in the mountains, on the water or on the beach stray light is everywhere and in the worst case it comes in from the side and is then reflected into the eye by the inside surface of the eyewear. The ultimate combination that should be avoided under all circumstances is: leisure sunglasses, contact lenses, glacier. Contact lenses also dry out the eye and a dry eye is more susceptible to UV damage. The logical consequence would be: tycane pro outdoor always and everywhere. And why not? Who said that function can’t also be smartcool? SPECIALS