PERFORMANCE HEADWEAR GOES FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR RUNNERS

The New York Times recently ran an article about how important performance fabrics are to serious runners. According to the article the caps available at retail this year are far superior to the ones of the past.

The article below highlights the importance of performance fabrics for athletes - and weekend warriors - in search of an endorphin fix. This is a growth business if you are looking for another venue of hat making.

Young people spend their time making money or searching for a way to attain longevity or physical nirvana. They work hard and play hard, give them another toy to compete and they will love you.

The article is below with photos of the top rated hats.

“At Boulder Running Company, a running specialty store, clients often buy several colors of the same hat and sales of all running headgear increased to 4,000 in 2007 from 900 in 2002.”

“Fashion is just as important to some runners as function,” said John Raveling, general manager at the Denver branch.

That is good news for hatters and something to take note of. Just today a friend of mine called to tell me she got skin cancer on her head from not wearing a hat when she walks on the beach. To me this is a no-brainer but not to the rest of the world (and I live in Florida where basal cell carcinomas are as frequent as breast augmentation) they’re sort of clueless about the importance of hats.

“RUNNERS, it may be time to ditch that Yankees cap. A new crop of performance running hats promises to wick sweat, decrease glare, reflect car headlights and even regulate head temperature.

While work-for-you running hats aren’t new, the performance and safety features they offer have improved greatly in the last year and a half, said Dana Ross, the running gear and running apparel buyer for Paragon Sports in Manhattan. Ms. Ross said SPF protection and reflectivity are the most sought-after features.

And these hats are selling. Some runners want a hat for every ensemble. At Boulder Running Company, a running specialty store, clients often buy several colors of the same hat; sales of all running headgear increased to 4,000 in 2007 from 900 in 2002. “Fashion is just as important to some runners as function,” said John Raveling, the general manager at the Denver branch.

To see if running hats live up to their claims, Brad O’Brien, left, the president of the Tamalpa Runners, an 800-member club in Marin County in California, tested five hats while training for and racing in the Napa Valley Marathon, where he ran a personal best of 2:53:10 on March 2. “I used be a no-hat man, but I now include them on every run,” he said.

By SARAH BOWEN SHEA

	ADIDAS SUPERNOVA CAP $19.50, www.runningwarehouse.com. Mr. O’Brien’s favorite hat, he wore it for 16 miles of his marathon. Its silver-fiber headband “pulled sweat well,” and the two-layer mesh, with an SPF 25 finish, “ventilated well.” The cap, which comes in different sizes, “felt completely snug without squeezing.” He said it fit low enough “to stay on in a breeze without looking like an Amelia Earhart bomber cap.”
	SUGOI RSR CAP $19.95, www.runningwarehouse.com. This “cool-looking hat” had a “ ‘go fast’ look” that appealed to Mr. O’Brien. But “it rode high,” which he didn’t like. The cap’s “narrow and long” brim has a black underside that “reduced the glare from the rising sun.” A swath of reflective material across the bill “shined brightly” when Mr. O’Brien drove his car toward a friend wearing the hat on an early run.
	BOSS HEAD-LITE LITE & MOTION $19.95, www.bosshead-lite.com. This hat’s boldest feature is a “very effective, very bright built-in light.” Mr. O’Brien said that “the amazing thing was, it didn’t feel like running with a couple of D batteries” on his head. (It’s powered by two lithium batteries.) On a predawn run, Mr. O’Brien “could see fine,” but he “felt the morning chill through the top of the lid” and his full head of hair.
	PEARL IZUMI ULTRASENSOR RACE LID $21.99, www.pearlizumi.com. Mr. O’Brien thought this hat “wicked as well as the Brooks and Sugoi.” He liked the “extra padding in the sweat band, which made the fit more comfortable,” yet he did have to tug on the “easily adjustable one-sided Velcro to make up for the loose fit.” As a fashion statement, he “couldn’t find anything to match” this Scream Yellow hat (also in white or black).
	BROOKS HVAC MESH CAP $24, www.brooksrunning.com. “Sleek and stylish,” this mesh hat “felt the lightest,” said Mr. O’Brien, who wore it during the last 10 miles of his marathon. It “sat higher” on his head, making him “pull the cap low to make sure it did not blow off.” The cap, with X-Static silver fibers, kept Mr. O’Brien’s head “warm in the strong winter wind, while allowing sweat to escape.”

THIS COULD BE A GROWING BUSINESS FOR YOU CAP PEOPLE. CHECK IT OUT.