The Freeheel Running Pad
Jackets, footwear, bikers’ communications systems, a rope and a headtorch are among new products to be given awards for innovation at a major outdoors show.
The clothing and gear was selected by a panel of designers, athletes, retailers and journalists at the ISPO show in Munich as showing particular originality and advancement among the hundreds of items on show.
Tobias Gröber, head of business unit consumer goods at Messe München, said: “Innovation is a must. This was the primary criterion for entry in the competition for the ISPO Award 2012, the ‘sports industry’s new quality seal’.”
The recently announced NAO headtorch by Petzl, with its Reactive Lighting LEDs caught the jury’s eye. Members added: “The NAO’s automatic light intensity adjustment is new to the market. A very innovative feature is the USB charging option.”
The Petzl NAO
Mammut’s 9.8 Transformer climbing rope was another award winner. The rope is made of high-quality yarn remnants. Judges said: “The sheath production uses the entire yarn, resulting in a substantial reduction of waste and ropes with a new look.”
Another award winner was Edelrid’s adjustable via ferrata set, the Cable Vario. Edelrid’s innovation is the world’s first system allowing the adjustment of the braking resistance according to the climber’s weight, which considerably increases safety. Load absorbers in the set generally reduce the fall energy and thus the effect on the body. The jury said: “The Cable Vario is the solution for lightweight climbers. The new construction considerably increases safety.”
Arc’teryx’s Alpha SV jacket features the new N80p-X Gore-Tex material, with a low weight. Judges added: “The Alpha SV jacket impressed us with its very high degree of breathability and water protection. In addition, the jacket’s material is very durable.”
Another jacket that impressed judges was the Sympatex 3F for women, which bowled the jury over with its ‘function, fashion and femininity’. It said: “The 3F jacket combines style and function. Its trendy outdoor design distinguishes it from the competition.”
The Hooded Effusion running jacket by Mountain Hardwear and Montrail impressed with a high degree of breathability and freedom of movement in a three-layer jacket. “The material of the Hooded Effusion jacket combines pleasant wear comfort with a high degree of functionality and purist design. This combination deserves the ISPO Award,” the experts said.
Arc’teryx’s Alpha SV jacket
The Freeheel Running Pad is an ultra-light shoe ‘specially designed for forefoot runners who perform long, extended runs even under extreme weather conditions’. The jury said: “The Freeheel Running Pad represents an advancement of the barefoot running shoe trend. The natural materials complement the positive impression of this shoe.”
And a Bluetooth system that allows cyclists and mountain bikers to talk to each other even if they are hundreds of metres apart and travelling at speed won an award. The HIOD One by Free2Move is
attached to the handlebar. The judges said: “The young company Free2Move is pursuing a unique concept: with the HIOD One it focuses on communication between cyclists rather than on a technological achievement.”
IPSO will run from Sunday until Wednesday at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in the Bavarian city, with more than 2,000 exhibitors.
