Winter Olympic Games: Rule Columbia

Columbia-UniformsThis wouldn’t have happened during the Cold War. American athletes are about to head to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics and they’ll be heading in style in uniforms made by Columbia Sportswear. What is unique about this is that earlier this month Columbia unveiled the Ski Team uniforms for the U.S. as well as Canadian and Russian teams!

Columbia showed these off to the press in Utah, and the uniform collection included those for moguls, aerials, half-pipe, skicross and slopestyle events. Many of these uniforms will feature the compnay’s Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective technology as a base layer to help keep the athletes warm. Many across America who have been digging out in recent weeks likely wish they had such technology.

Other features reportedly include a new waterproof zipper that is bonded to the laser-cut fabric, removable pockets and even special patterns that have been dubbed “snow camouflage.” We’ll be watching for these uniforms in next month’s games.

[Via GearJunkie: U.S., Russian, Canadian Ski Team Uniforms Manufactured By Columbia Sportswear Unveiled]

Columbia Sportswear Introduces Omni-Freeze ZERO

The heat is on, and rightfully so as June is here and that means summer – at least in the Northern Hemisphere. And Columbia Sportswear is talking about Omni-Freeze ZERO, the company’s new groundbreaking apparel technology, which is the culmination of a four-year development project.

The result is a new line of apparel that actually cooler in hot, moist conditions. It features distinctive blue rings, embedded and visible in the fabric to help disperse heat! How cool is that? About the only thing not cool is that we’ll have to wait until Spring 2013 to try it out.

Video after the jump

Gathering Storm Gloves Gather Heat

When out hiking or snowshoeing, or for that matter just shoveling the driveway, there are times when you just can’t get your hands warm. But perhaps Columbia Sportwear is on to some with its Omni-Heat technology, which is essentially little silver dots inside of the glove that reflect the body heat, thus transforming gloves such as the Gathering Storm into ones that gather some heat.

And because these reflect heat, the amount of insulating material can be reduced, making for a less bulky glove. In other words, it is a small glove that feels warmer! Sounds like it might be time to gather a pair.

Columbia Sportswear Official Website
[Via Snowshoemag: Columbia’s Gathering Storm Glove Meets the Queen of Cold Hands]

Columbia Thinks Corn is so Cool

Corn is a summer favorite. Recommended servings include grilled, steamed and cooked in the microwave as long as there’s a dollop of butter to melt over the kernels. But would you think about wearing corn? The Omni-Freeze Ice Baselayer from Columbia Sportswear coming out next year is made from a corn or maize-based fiber.

The shirt does well to keep the wearer cool in hot weather. Tiny crystals in the fiber undergo a change from solid to gel when they become wet. Sweat causes this reaction. The result is that the gel cools the skin, or “sucks heat from the surrounding environment,” Columbia claims.

This is called a baselayer, however even with the cooling functions it’s going to be the only layer.

Columbia Sportswear Official Website
[Via GearJunkie: ‘Maize-Based’ Compound Adds Cooling Effect to Columbia T-Shirt]