You will see we are carrying the ABC Application Approved banner this month – great news for us, and you! Having incorporated SGB Outdoor into SGB UK we can now provide a much larger circulation to advertisers and a truer reflection of market activity to you, the reader. A quick flick through will enable you to see we now have clearly defined, separate sections for Sports Retail and Outdoor Retail. Please let us know what you think of the new format by contacting me on 01622 699140 or by email at rknowles@datateam.co.uk!

Both Williams sisters switched to [K]Factor technology at the beginning of the 2007 season with great success.After Serena’s incredible climb back into the top 10 from a low of No. 81 and capturing the Australian Open Championship, and Venus winning her first title after a long return from injury, their racket prototypes are now finalised. In recognition of these achievements,Wilson has created two special edition rackets, which both sisters officially debuted at Wimbledon.

Foreign exchange and payment specialist, Travelex, has announced details of a new sports coaching initiative, The Travelex Sport Exchange. The initiative was launched by four of the world’s top sporting specialists: tennis legend John McEnroe,World Champion fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, and world conquering Australian cricketers Brett Lee & Adam Gilchrist.

Chris Harrod, Chief Executive of leading sports equipment manufacturer Harrod UK, has recently been appointed to two high profile positions within the industry.

Chris has been selected as Chairman for The Sports and Fitness Equipment Association (SAFEA), and will also represent The Federation of Sports and Play Associations (FSPA) as its Main Board Director.

Hilly Clothing has recently appointed Peter Riley as Marketing Manager.

Peter has a BA Marketing Degree from the Iona College Hagan School of Business, in New York and has extensive experience, having worked in sports marketing and retail running stores. Peter is former English Cross Country Champion and one of the UK’s leading distance runners.

Following Allied Partners Bournemouth trade show in February, another highly successful show was held in March at Frome Rugby Club. The March show is held specifically for Badminton, Squash and Hockey suppliers, enabling group members to view latest products and place orders for the autumn.

The Molten ACENTEC Vantaggio football has been selected by Canterbury City Football Club as its exclusive match ball for all home games, it was announced this month.

The newly formed club, which was recently accepted into the British Energy Kent County Football League, has chosen to follow the lead of the Kent Football League in opting for the Molten ACENTEC Vantaggio as its official ball. The club is to play with the ball in its inaugural match in September at its playing field at Bridge, near Canterbury.

Columbia Sportswear Company is pleased to announce the promotion of Dan Trapp to the newly created role of UK Sales Manager effective immediately.

Trapp, 32, has been with the company for over five years and has been a key player in establishing relationships with independent retailers and key accounts.

England squash international Jenny Duncalf continued her fine run of form since switching to the new Prince O3 racquet technology at the beginning of the year by successfully retaining her title in the European Individual Championship at the weekend in France.

Since winning the British National crown in February – her first event using the new O3 Black racquet – the 24- year old former European Junior champion has enjoyed a sparkling run on the WISPA World Tour.

Reydon Sports launched its new 07-08 Precision Training sports textile range with help from former England manager,Graham Taylor. Taylor, the official brand ambassador for Precision Training, managed a team of retailers and guests in a special football challenge day at Meadow Lane, home of the world’s oldest football club,Notts County. Taylor has clearly lost none of his managerial touch – steering his side to a 2-1 win over a team managed by former professional Alan Birchenall.

Zoggs will be sponsoring the ‘Swimzone’ at the Michelob London Triathlon Expo at Excel London in August, which will be renamed The Zoggs Swimzone.

The Zoggs Swimzone feature will consist of two training pools for use by both visitors and competing athletes. Expert coaches will be present at the facility, utilising ‘over and under’ water technology to film swimmers and give them feedback and advice on their swimming technique.

Sympatex: General Manager Dick Velings leaves the company

Dick Velings will quit his position as general manager for Sympatex Technologies (Munich) at the end of August, where he is responsible for finance, research, purchase and disposition. His successor in the R&D section will be Martin Friedrich, who is already responsible for sales and marketing.

Swim kit specialist Aqua Sphere has become the official goggle supplier to The Outdoor Swimming Society. Aqua Sphere is supplying the Society with its Kaiman goggle and seal mask, both of which deliver a leak resistant seal and wide-angle vision which is essential for safe and enjoyable open water swimming. The OSS is dedicated to increasing the number of people who experience the joy of swimming in England’s lakes, lidos and rivers while raising money for charity.

Sleek and feminine, versatile and intuitive, the brand new Suunto Lumi has been specifically designed as an outdoor sports instrument for women, and will be available from September 2007.

Suunto, said to be a world-leader in outdoor wrist top computers has now announced the availability of the Lumi, designed for women who enjoy an active lifestyle.

The Nissan Outdoor Games finished with a bang on June 24 at Interlaken’s Stadthausplatz. The final two days of action featured various climbing disciplines, adrenaline-fuelled dirt jumping and encounters between the very best kayakers high up on the WeisseLuchineRiver.

Wayfayrer Foods will be used this summer by film star Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman throughout their motorbike expedition, ‘Long Way Down’.

After being used on the duo’s first adventure around the world,“Long Way Round”, the team were keen to use the 100% real food meals again for their three-month trip from Scotland to Africa.

The team at waterproof clothing company Target Dry, has appointed Sarah Fennessey to join its design team. Sarah will give added impetus to the already impressive development of the Target Dry and Mac in a Sac brands, which has been gathering pace over the last few years.

Demonstrating the strong collaborative approach of the industry, outdoor brands will combine at this year’s OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen,Germany, to raise funds for conservation. The members of the EOG Association for Conservation are donating products for the fundraising event.

With the recent appointment of sales agents for central Europe,Macpac is now moving to re-organise its sales and marketing management in the wider European market.

Frank Spiewack, currently responsible for sales in continental Europe,will take over control of sales and marketing for Europe and the UK.

For the very first time this year, the streets and architecture of the city of London will be transformed into an urban adventure playground for the Rat Race Urban Adventure, sponsored by Columbia Sportswear.

The Rat Race began its assault of city-scapes four years ago in Edinburgh where the streets, buildings and waterways were transformed into challenging and fun obstacles and activities across a series of checkpoints spread out across the city.

Recently hailed by Time Magazine as “...one of the top 100 most influential people in the world,” the internationally recognised runner is also a snowboarder, mountain biker, surfer, and tri-athlete. This summer, fans across the European continent will get a chance to meet Karnazes, at his book-signing and media tour, presented by The North Face. Karnazes’ recent book, Ultra Marathon Man: Confessions of an all night runner, is already a best seller and has been translated into nine languages.

There seems neither rhyme nor reason to the erratic pattern of business at the moment, even the usually popular bank surprised me with there being no queue when I called to deposit the contents of my money box. I asked the forlorn looking cashiers what had caused their drop in magnetism. Shrugging their shoulders despondently they offered bad weather, rising mortgage rates and a missing feel good factor as possible reasons.

The man behind Hilly was much more than an entrepreneur, wasn’t he?

When one looks back at Ron Hill’s career it is with sheer admiration. Besides being the former Commonwealth and European marathon champion, and world record holder, he holds a string of other athletic achievements.

JACK LYNES braved torrential storms to visit NISTEX, the National Independent Sports Trade Exhibition, held in Solihull on 22nd June. Whilst praising the organiser’s initiative, and finding a good deal of enthusiasm on the stands, he pulls no punches when it comes to some constructive criticism...

Catalyst backpack (Green) - £80. Use the Catalyst for accelerated trips to the backcountry, day-tripping on the trail or as a minimalist overnighter. The bag is made from differential-cut ShiftLayer nylon fabric, and features front-panel loading for fast access to gear. An outside, center-zip vertical storage pocket holds gloves and lunch.

HEAD is renowned for it's high quality, reliable and great value for money sports bags. It currently has on offer a collection of men’s and ladies sports bags for the ‘back to school’ and ‘holiday period’, including holdalls, backpacks, monopacks and gymsacks, in a variety of colours and fabrics.

JanSport has introduced a product that combines the efficiency of a regular backpack with the portability of a home mini hi-fi system. The JanSport Recourse provides a blend of functionality and technology in a stylish and easy to use backpack.

The autumn/winter 07 collection is proof of Laguna’s attention to detail and efforts to provide the best in quality. The design team travelled to Europe and the Far East to find top quality leather and materials. Furthermore, the reinforced stitching on the seams of the handle and cotton twill lining combine to provide for durability.

Weird Fish remains dedicated to the outdoors and to the people who enjoy it with a range of accessories ideal for the active type!

Handy canvas rucksacks, perfect for adventure, have been enhanced with funky Weird Fish graphics,while prettier sack bags feature delicate fish illustrations… Leather belts in earthy browns and soft cornflower blues continue the fish theme with metal buckles and detailing.

Speedo is pleased to introduce its new spring/summer collection for 2008. Light – in all its qualities – is the inspiration behind the collection which features swimwear and lifestyle apparel products for people of all ages, whether in or out of the water.

Following the success of its debut spring/summer collection,Aqua Sphere’s striking autumn/winter range of performance swimwear combines the latest fabric developments with true Italian design flair to offer longer lasting swim kit which retains its elasticity, fit and vivid colour – swim after swim.

"Stylish Individual Swimwear"

From competition and training, to fitness and leisure,Maru's new swimwear collection combines technical innovation with inspired design. All this, complete with the latest high performance fabrics and styles fit tested on multiple body shapes. Check out the full range at:

ULTEX

Zoggs has launched a full branded range of chlorine-proof swimwear. The new range named Zoggs Ultex, is manufactured from a new fabric pioneered by Zoggs, and will feature six key swimsuit styles for both men and women.

Rip Curl brings back the board shorts for spring/summer 07 and takes inspiration from the 80’s, art, and the rock scene. Various fits are available including STL (Stitchless), Fixed Waist, Easy Fit and Volley Shorts to ensure that there’s a style for everyone wanting to hit the beach this summer.

Midnight Madness blazes back in 2007 with the mission of finding the UK’s finest basketball players.Another year on and the stakes have been raised, as the winners will fly out to Los Angeles, California for a three game tour on the hallowed courts of Venice Beach and at The Point’ – Nike’s homage to Basketball at a secret location in LA. The UK’s leading basketball event is also one of the hottest tickets in town,with NBA stars Luol Deng and Pops Mensah-Bonsu heading over from the US for the MM finals night at Crystal Palace, London on 18th August.

The revolutionary MOLTEN G-Series basketball is the only 12-panel basketball which is approved by FIBA (International Basketball Federation). Internationally, the Molten GL7 is the official match ball for all FIBA competitions worldwide and is also the official game ball for the Olympic Games up until 2012.

Distributed by Ransome Sporting Goods, Sure Shot has a wide range of basketball equipment ranging from the Action Sport models for early learning right through to the Gladiators for open parks. One of the most popular models is the transportable 510 unit, available with an adjustable height and pole padding.All Sure Shot basketball items are approved by England Basketball. Baden basketballs are also available from Ransome Sporting Goods.

Spalding NBA Basketball Equipment from Eskimo Leisure caters for all performance levels and budgets. The price entry T-Base full size NBA Portable system retails from £99.99, whilst the impressive Platinum In-Grounds retails from £699.99 - £1499.99

The best way to minimise the risk of becoming a victim of crime, and to reduce the fear of crime, is to take sensible precautions. Before you leave the house to go for a run, make sure you tell someone where you are going and when you will return. It is also vitally important that you tell friends and family what route you are going to take.

JanSport has taken its range of lifestyle and performance packs further in 2007 with some new colour ranges.

Blending fun, funky styles with practicality and durability, JanSport’s duffel bags and backpacks are suitable for all sports, whether it’s packing gym gear, stuffing in football boots and shinpads or carrying the team kit. JanSport’s bags are suitable for everyday use too.

The Cockney Clothing Company has just launched its 2007 range of Rhyming Slang mens T’s and ladies tops. Based on some of the better known rhyming slang terms the shirts and tops are of the finest quality and have a broad range of screen finishes. At present there is a range of seven sayings and these are available in both men’s T’s and womens cut T’s. Plans are to launch seasonal ranges in the future with a Kids Fun range in time for Christmas.

ir8 is a new development in EDGE clothing – EDGE is always on the look out for developments that will help players perform at their best, while retaining its reputation for value money. Therefore, this season it is announcing the development of clothing in its new material – Air8. Air8 is made from lightweight fibres but with cooling properties.

The D-Lux Air Mat is the latest product from company Ajungilak. The luxury airbed contains insulation as well as air and ,with a foot pump buried in the pillow, it is not only quick and easy to inflate and deflate but there is a guarantee that you will not lose any of the bits. The airbed is priced at £110, but what a price for a good nights sleep.

In Spring 2007, Haglöfs launched a new range of lightweight gear; come Spring 2008 we will see this range developed even further, with the use of a fabric called Dryskin X-Odour. The fabric contains polygiene (technology made to inhibit bacteria and fungi) with Traptek/ Cocona activated carbon yarn.

For those who enjoy camping, Vango is a company to look at. With a new range, the company can cater to any need. The range includes the six person Idaho 600 tent, priced at £160, which offers large sleeping areas, a large living space, crystal clear windows, and a mesh door; the six person capacity Colorado 600 tent, complete with porch and features twin ventilation to help reduce condensation, priced at £200; the 8 person, Oregon 800, which offers a large living area for storage, and domestic duties.

Saucony is set to build on its unprecedented success in 2007 with its Spring 2008 range. Featuring a new top-end shoe and, for the first time, a comprehensive spikes range, Saucony is launching an impressive lineup of shoes, securing its position as the No. 2 brand in UK specialist stores.

Timex, a leading sports manufacturer has introduced a new range of compass watches. The range is the only analogue faced collection in the marketplace. The watch, is shatterproof, water resistant, and comes with an INDIGLO night-light. It is made of stainless steel case, making it lightweight and comfortable to wear. Priced at £110, the watches are available in both black and white.

Leading running apparel specialist, Ronhill, is to re-launch its popular Windlite products in both its men's and women's collections this Autumn. Brand new jackets and gilets have been designed to feature Flexlite panels for greater freedom of movement while the main body is Windlite fabric, a high performance lightweight, windproof and breathable material.

Surf Shack has acquired a kind of cult status over the years- sports and outdoor enthusiasts love it. When was it established?

Surf Shack was established 15 years ago in Rye as an independent shop retailing surf, skateboard and snowboard equipment, and sports style clothing. The business enjoyed considerable success and developed into a chain of shops including Maidstone and Bromley. The Rye shop was sold to realise the capital value of the land. With the opening of Bluewater shopping centre, turnover fell and the Bromley shop was closed allowing us to concentrate on the Maidstone shop.

The hotly anticipated ispo SPORT & STYLE took place in the eclectic city of Munich this month. Approximately 17, 500 trade visitors came to the premier of the new trade fair concept, which reflected the fusion of sport with fashion, music and lifestyle. Becci Knowles reports on what turned out to be a deeply inspirational show…

Darren Irving is founder and MD of a new website – www.ukfootballfinder.co.uk – for the amateur football league. The site grew to feature more than 3,000 members in its month long infancy, and this whirlwind success is now looking for assistance from sports retailers, in exchange for some fantastic coverage

The laws of mechanics govern human tissue in exactly the same way as any other material. With biomechanics the effect of forces is upon living tissues.Thus, an association occurs between the biological and mechanical – ie movement. The study by podiatrists into biomechanical examination, therefore, enables the examiner to observe any problems related to walking, running and standing and to treat any notable functional faults.