I can hardly believe it’s May already; the year seems to have flown by doesn’t it? Certainly when I started in this role in January, the National Independent Sports Trade Exhibition seemed a long way off. As its media partner, the team at SGB UK have obviously been very excited about the prospect of a show aimed specifically at the independent retailer.

The long-awaited news that Boston would replace Baltimore as the port of call for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race was announced at a ceremony to introduce the Boston-based entry for the world's premier off shore race which begins in Alicante, Spain, in October 2008.

Harrod UK has been selected as the official supplier of goal posts and nets to the new Wembley Stadium. The Lowestoft based firm will be supplying goals and nets for the main stadium pitch, as well as pre-match warm-up goals, mini soccer goals and rugby posts. In October,Harrod UK will also be supplying a bespoke set of American Football Posts when Wembley hosts the first NFL game to be played outside of North America in October.

Nike’s latest commercial urges runners to join the 250,000 registrants of www.nikeplus.com to “Run Like You’ve Never Run Before.”Nike+ is the wireless system that allows Nike footwear to communicate with an Apple iPod nano for personal running and workout experience. In the first pan-European television campaign to feature Nike+ technology since its introduction in September 2006, viewers will experience Nike+ on-screen through the eyes and thoughts of a runner.

Australian swim brand Zoggs has recorded its 36,000th registrant to its Swim4Fitness swim training programme.

Launched in early 2004, Swim4Fitness was designed to appeal to swimmers of all ages, proficiencies and abilities, providing a variety of interactive training tips and advice. Since its launch it has gone from strength to strength, and has even launched a triathlon-specific sister website - www.swim4triathlon.com - in recent weeks.

Linebreak, a young, dynamic company specialising in design and production of technical performance sportswear, has been announced as an official supplier to the British Triathlon Federation.

Lotto has dedicated its Zhero Gravity boot to Inter Milan’s Cruz, marking its fifteenth Italian premier league championship victory.

The Zhero Gravity laceless boot takes the theme of the Italian flag, highlighting its sleek form with a red flame on the sides, the company's green double diamond logo. The heel is green too, and boasts the Italian championship shield, sealed with a blue-and-black “15”.

M-C is the UK arm ofMarchés Conclus, an international retail consultancy specialising in increasing sales by improving the performance of management and sales staff. Established 30 years ago, it has trained 35,000 people in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany,Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. It has also worked with major international companies in a number of sectors, including auto, computing, electrical goods, fashion, food, footwear, furniture and health & beauty.

Moving ispo china winter from Shanghai to Beijing was a complete success said organisers.As a result of the new exhibitor and visitor records, the event is once again changing venue to the bigger China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC) in Beijing. The steady growth of ispo china is thus being taken into account. This year, 300 brands from 20 countries exhibited to 12,059 visitors (2006: 11,089) and the venue was completely booked out.

Patagonia footwear has announced the appointment of Duncan Holme, as the new sales and marketing manager for Patagonia Footwear Europe.

Duncan joins Patagonia from Pacific Brands Footwear in Auckland,New Zealand where he was sales manager for Hush Puppies and Caterpillar amongst other brands.He is now relocating to the UK after three years in NZ.

Did you know that one in four of your staff either know or have known someone who is affected by dementia? This devastating disease of the brain robs people of their loved ones in a very cruel way. The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.

Diadora has announced a two- year deal with The Scottish Football League to become its Official Ball Supplier, starting from next season. The new deal will see Diadora supply a specifically designed football to all the SFL clubs from the 2007/2008 season.

The Triumph Fashion Cup 2007 at the team base of Desafio Espanol in the Port America’s Cup turned models into mermaids and sailors into catwalk stars with lingerie being presented by top models from the participating sailing Nations and a special selection of Desafío Español crew members. Heavily cheered on by the international press the men hit the runway with style – while their colleagues smoothly sailed to victory on the open water.

Fischer: New team for alpine sports

The Austrian sports supplier Fischer (Ried im Innkreis) has changed its personnel in the alpine sports division. The reasons are the combination of marketing and sales, the strengthening of the sector freeski and the departures of Stefan Rosenkranz and Gerald Palm.

Established since 1970, how has Ronhill evolved to position itself in the current UK running market? What defines it today?

Ronhill started life as a mail order company in the 1970s, when running was a minority sport. During the 1980s with the advent of the London marathon and Great North Run the brand enjoyed enormous success with little competition.

The human foot was originally ‘designed’ to travel on soft, natural surfaces like earth and sand, Richard told me during our meeting at SGB towers.“Unfortunately, instead of soft earth,we now spend every day walking and standing on unnatural hard, flat surfaces like pavements and floors. These surfaces force our feet to roll over to gain ground contact and our arches to flatten. Rolling over of the foot – or ‘Excess Pronation’ is believed to effect over 70% of the population”.

Ronhill has underpinned its pre-eminent position in the market by posting record sales for its VIZION running collection. This dramatic increase in sales follows its biggest ever marketing drive in support of the highly innovative Vizion collection and at a time when its women’s range, particularly, is also experiencing strong sales growth.

Odlo has combined its expertise in the development of functional sportswear with a fresh, fashionable look for its spring/summer 07 Active Run collection, currently arriving at specialist retailers across the UK. Maintaining Odlo’s highly successful Layering Principle, the Active Run range for men and women is adapted for the personal needs and preferences, the changeable weather and the sporting activities of its customers.

Through its pending Performance Shape Technology, Saucony has created a sports bra for active women.

By combining the latest in bra manufacturing with a heritage in technical performance fabrics, it claims to have built a comfortable and supportive bra that will also remain dry and cool even after the most intense workout. Its Performance Shape Technology features stretchable, breathable molded cups, which provide support, shape and moisture management all in the same bra.

HILLY Clothing is one of the country’s leading suppliers of technical performance socks and accessories. The socks are designed by running legend, Dr Ron Hill, MBE - the former Commonwealth and European Marathon Champion, who set a personal best of 2.09, in 1970, when winning the Commonwealth Marathon. In addition, with a PhD in Textile Chemistry and not having missed a day’s running in over 43 years, he knows what is required in a good running sock.

New for autumn/winter 2007 the Complete Magnetist is the testimony shoe in PUMA's stable cushioning category and is designed for the mild overpronator. The Magnetist claims to have superb engineering and also uses the most up to date materials with innovations such as the TEXCARE bamboo sockliner which creates a healthier shoe environment. From the moment you land until the second you take off it's naturally smooth sailing.

NISTEX is a brand new show designed specifically for the independent retailer.With over 50 exhibitors, including Nike,Adidas, Puma and Reebok already signed up to attend, retailers can look forward to filling their stores with fresh and exciting product for next season and beyond.

HEEL PAIN SYNDROME (Plantar Fasciitis)

Heel pain can be attributed to a variety of conditions but one of the common problems encountered is plantar fasciitis or heel spur syndrome. Often there is no history of specific injury that has precipitated the problem.

I can still remember, clear as day, setting out to buy everything I would need before term commenced at the local grammar school. Being a sport the school took seriously I was going to need a hockey stick.“We’ll go to Hubble and Freeman” said my Dad,“They know what they are talking about there.”

Australian swim brand Zoggs has launched a triathlon-specific training website, www.swim4triathlon.com, to help triathlon enthusiasts get the very most out of their swimming training.

The Ironman Triathlon O.V.A Series by TIMEX Sport is claimed to be the ideal training equipment to support any sporting and outdoor activity for both men and women.

It is ergonomically designed to fit the small of the wrist so that the watch face falls naturally into the line of sight, and has a curved case back for ease and comfort.

Leading UK triathlon and fitness coaching consultancy www.richardallenfitness.com has chosen Aqua Sphere as its official swim partner. With 14 years experience as a professional triathlete, Richard Allen is the only person to have won nine national championship titles covering every triathlon distance and duathlon.

ASICS has introduced two distinctive updates from its racing and triathlon ranges – the GEL-DS Racer and the GEL-Noosa Tri 2. Both shoes offer high performance in lightweight designs, created to withstand the rigours of competitive distance running. Sleek and elegant in aesthetic and packed with ASICS’ pioneering technologies, the GEL-DS Racer and GELNoosa Tri 2 are said to be the leading choice for professionals and serious race enthusiasts.

Unlike all other sports and energy drinks, Taut claims to contain no artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colours and preservatives and is specially engineered to give your body all the replenishment it needs,without giving it the junk that it definitely does not.

JACK LYNES, our man about the trade, has been to Bristol, where he met KEITH SAWYER, the man who brought KARAKAL to these shores, a name which although it may not have quite the same charisma as some other brands, already plays a significant role in the ‘real sports trade’ and looks to have an important part in its future. But he starts with some thoughts pertinent to the trade, generated by his visit.

Yet another innovative development from the Dunlop R&D team, the Vibrocore claims to dramatically reduces frame vibration and thereby the risk of tennis elbow. The racket is actually cut in half and then reconstructed using two additional pieces. A sleeve portion is made from a thermalplastic resin system while the round core material is made of silicon rubber.These are said to combine to produce an unrivalled vibration dampening effect.

After launching its revolutionary new O3 racket series in 2005 - a successful technology breakthrough which produced an expanded sweetspot (up to 54%) and increased racket speed - Prince is now attacking the next frontier in tennis equipment innovation by delivering a racket line that brings a critical component to a player’s game: Extra Speed.

This is ASICS flagship tennis shoe, the GEL-Resolution. This top of the range shoe contains all the technological specifications expected of ASICS, and is designed to perform under the multi-directional stresses found on a tennis court. Key features include:

Concrete Leisure

Last month we brought you news that Concrete Leisure has now acquired the rights for Speedminton products in the UK. Speedminton is easy to learn and is accessible for everyone aged 10 years upwards.

The company is already working with several School Sport Partnerships with great success.

‘Chilled out chic’ is the look of the Weird Fish collection this season, with cute cool tees in citrus yellows, oranges and blues and flattering but comfortable linen skirts and cropped trousers. With a strong focus on nature and the outdoors, wave, fish and flower prints run throughout the range and can be seen on anything from hoodies to handbags.

Get energised this summer with STORM’s high impact, shock and water resistant Energy sports watch. Athletic types no longer have to compromise on style in order to sport the very latest in practical, functional watch technology.

One of the UK’s largest footwear retailers, Office, has signed up with healthy shoe importer and distributor, Hamsin, to bring a revolutionary extreme exercise shoe to the high street.

The boundaries between fashion and sports are becoming increasingly less clear. Lifestyle is conquering the sports world and sport style is being transferred into everyday life more and more. Under the motto of “Lifestyle Meets Sports”, ispo SPORT & STYLE is focusing on this trend and providing a completely new trade fair concept for the interaction between fashion, lifestyle, sports and music in Munich from July 8 to 10, 2007.

When I overheard a traffic warden outside the shop ask a passing pedestrian what the name of the street was so she could issue a ticket I peeked out looking for a hidden camera, it had to be a wind up. Having found the pedestrian as much of a stranger to the area as herself she asked me the same question.