Sport Support
How accessories keep athletes at the top of their game
By Marcy Bruch

Dualies top-of-counter display from Hilco

Running, racing, jumping, and climbing may all be great physical activities, but the gear athletes wear while doing all this often takes a beating or worse--it flies off, breaks, or gets lost.

The right accessories can prevent eyewear disappearance or destruction and are well worth their nominal expense. What's more, the upswing in technically driven sport sunwear on the market gives dispensers an opportunity to expand their sport accessory repertoire.

Following is a roundup of the latest sports-related eyewear accessories.

A CASE FOR PROTECTION

The best way to protect frames is by storing them in a case that withstands an athlete's rugged lifestyle. Since there are so many boaters in Key West, Fla., Linda Patchett, owner of Eye-Eye-Eye there merchandises lightweight aluminum flip-top cases with airtight rubber seals. The technology keeps water out and makes cases more likely to float if they fall overboard.

Skiing customers snap up cases with belt loops so that the case performs a double-duty function of housing both eyewear and essentials such as keys, money, and a driver's license, says Bev Rouleau, owner of International Optique in Denver.

	Bwana Gear's action-ready case has air-filled chambers to protect eyewear
	Nanofilm's Fog Eliminator has a non-petroleum-based formula

Three to 10 leashes per week retailing anywhere from $7 to $10 sell at The Bent Lens in Bozeman, Mont., says optician Carol Cox. "We're located near the ski resorts Big Sky and Bridger, so a lot of the skiers want eyewear retainers with rubber grips because they hold the frames more securely."

Leashes in Lycra, microfiber, or other absorbent materials are top choices for sporty users. The new fabrics wick away perspiration so athletes don't end up with a sweaty neck.

Since white water rafting is a popular activity in the area, Cox carries a variety of leashes called Floaters. The retainers have floating balls so the eyewear is buoyant. This prevents them from getting lost under rushing waters.

ADD-ON OPTIONS

For sporty customers who look for accessories with multiple applications, there are always polarized clip-ons. At Schaff Opticians in Brattleboro, Vt., manager Bill Labonte says his polarized clip-on business probably generates the most volume in accessory items.

"We have a tower of polarized clips in a variety of shapes situated in the middle of the floor and they all sell for $25," says Labonte. "Skiers like them because they don't fog up, and apparently they stay on securely, because no one has complained about them falling off or getting lost while downhill skiing."

As an alternative to polarized clip-ons, Patchett has started offering her boating customers Over Rx polarized sunwear.

"There is better UV coverage on the sides compared to clip-ons," Eye-Eye-Eye's Patchett says. This is also appealing to the dispensary's senior patients. "They like the preventative cataract protection they offer," she adds.

Croakies' Suiter retainer is made with Lycra for perspiration absorption	EasyClip model 49046 from Aspex Eyewear

And, now that there is a greater selection of updated Over Rx styles, "I've increased my inventory of these and bought less into clip-on styles," she says.

CLEAR AND CLEAN

Another sport accessory category geared to helping athletic performance is anti-foggers. Offered in creams, sticks, and cloths, these items are relatively new to the market--and receiving mixed reviews.

"What I've discovered about anti-fog products is that, over time, the petroleum-based anti-foggers can eat away the anti-reflective coating and eventually destroy the lenses," says Lyric Edwards, owner of Edwards Optical in Rogers, Ark.

California Optical's cases have a sporty look. Shown here, model 61499
EK Ekcessories' three-way barrel float retainer for water sports enthusiasts
ICU Eyewear's bifocal sunreader style 739BFSR

He has recently discovered anti-fog cloths, which aren't petroleum based. And Edwards says they do a good job of preventing fogged lenses without destroying the anti-reflective coating.

Anti-reflective cleaner spray also helps keep patients seeing clearly on the slopes and in the sun, says Terry Johnson, an optician for the practice of Drs. Jeffery Dutch and Amy Marnecheck in Belfast, Maine.

While the dispensary discontinued carrying anti-fog sticks because customers complained they were too gooey and scratched the lenses, they still stress the importance of keeping lenses clean properly.

"I find that fogging on the slopes has more to do with the fact that the frame hasn't been properly fitted," Johnson says. "Besides, it's more important that our customers maintain their sport sunwear frames by keeping them clean and protecting them."

Because losing expensive sport sunwear is always a concern among athletes, some dispensers are also offering bifocal sun readers and polarized bifocal sun readers to hikers and cross-country skiers as an affordable alternative to prescription sunwear.

"I have customers who will buy spare pairs of these before they go on a trip," says David Schulman, vice president of Trapp Optical, in Rye, N.Y. "At $37 per pair, if the sun reader gets scratched, broken, or lost, it's not the end of the world. Polarized bifocal readers are ideal for hikers and cross-country skiers who periodically need to read a trail map."

While these accessories may not be permanent for patients, they should be an everyday part of dispensary operations. He concludes: "No question, they are definitely a disposable accessory. But they serve a purpose to our customers, and they keep returning to buy them again and again."