In the time I've been working on SGB - Sports and Outdoor, I've seen some superb gear. I was thinking, just before writing this, about many of the bits and pieces that have stood out for me both as an editor and a consumer. Gore's amazing running gear, for example, the jackets in particular; New Balance's running shoes from last year, among the best I've ever used; Skins and Linebreak's compression gear, which have helped with all kinds of aches and pains; Saucony's Hi-Viz range; Ronhill's continued excellence across the board; Brooks shoes which are consistently great, but also their outstanding apparel range; MIzuno's shoes, which were a wonderful surprise... There's a common bond through most of those - they're all related to running!

The Ireland rugby team will wear the new PUMA Ireland jersey for the first time against Australia on 15th November at Croke Park. The home shirt marks a return to a more traditional colour with a green (‘Power Green') carefully selected to symbolize the Country of Ireland, with its rich history and tradition.

Brintex, organiser of the UK boardsports trade event Surf Shop, has announced the launch of a new event for 2010. Strictly trade only, new show HUB will bring together the best brands and buyers from across the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands for two full days of business, buying, networking and inspiration.

Despite the economic downturn, Leisure Industry Week (LIW) 2009 attracted 13,102 individuals, a two per cent increase in footfall on last year (subject to ABC audit). The event offered a valuable mix of exhibition space and education seminars, making it the perfect destination for leisure professionals.

INTERSPORT hosted its ‘Q2 2010' show against a background of growing confidence among members and suppliers. The two-day show, which registered a record attendance of nearly 90 per cent of the membership, was the official launch for the all-important seasonal preview of the latest products covering tennis, cricket, fitness and the chance to pick up on immediate Christmas business.

Aqua Sphere have partnered again with Ironman to ‘up' the competition with a new line of men's and women's Speedsuits. Created with leading triathletes in mind, the Aqua Sphere powered Ironman Speedsuits have been engineered to ensure both maximum performance and comfort in the water.

Molten, the world's largest manufacturer of inflatable sports balls, has renewed its sponsorship of the British Basketball League (BBL) for a second three-year term.

The new three-year deal, which commences this month (September 2009), sees Molten's distinctive, 12-panel G-Series basketball, once again, as the exclusive and official BBL league and club ball.

The STAG buying show will again take place at the very impressive Four Pillars hotel in the heart of the Cotswold Water Park on the 22nd and 23rd of November.

In excess of 220 STAG retailers will descend on the two-day event to take advantage of Buying Show offers that the 70 STAG suppliers exhibiting will provide. However, this show offers considerably more than just special offers. It is a chance for retailers to view new ranges, to network with 500 hundred like-minded sports industry people and to relax!  

Brett Elliot, Managing Director of Kookaburra Reader in the UK, spoke with SGB's Paul Clapham about the brand, its position and its future...

SGB: How do you position the brand, what are its key selling points from a retailer's perspective?

Brett Elliot: Kookaburra has always been perceived as an innovative dynamic brand. We pride ourselves on providing well presented, technically advanced and functional products to meet the demands of the sport as it evolves. We have an in-house design department which is the envy of the industry as it consistently provides cutting edge graphics to lead the market at every turn.

Rugby has had a bad summer culminating in Harlequins' Bloodgate affair. I hate the damage done to my favourite sport's reputation - cheat is the worst insult in sport and it is merited here - but will it have a major effect long term? I have read suggestions that this will discourage parents from taking lads to Sunday morning mini-rugby, that players will retire, that sponsorships will not be renewed. Sorry, I can't see it. The game clearly needs to clean house and perhaps we will gain the benefit of rugby ceasing to be holier than thou, of recognising that there are problems and dealing with them openly rather than sweeping them under the carpet.

Precision Training is Britain's fastest growing sports brand and supplies training aids and equipment to all levels from grass roots through to their elite professional partners.

Parachute - Chute with padded waist belt applies even resistance and is a vital training aid for speed work suitable for distances from 10m to 200m.

Since its launch in 2007, the OPROshield has grown from strength to strength. Initially the range comprised 3 models, the BRONZE, SILVER & GOLD, though this was soon increased to include the ORTHO and JUNIOR models and is now stocked by the majority of sports stores within the independent sector.

FORCE XV is a French rugby specialist created in 1985, who manufactures and sells a wide range of rugby products such as playing kit, individual protection, teamwear and training accessories. Specialised in sublimated rugby apparel, the brand has its own production units in France and exclusively sells its products through a selected retail network.

The heart and soul of the Canterbury brand is rugby. The company is proud to produce innovative rugby attire for many of the great teams, but they are also at the top of their game when it comes to high quality training and fashion products. Their latest top-selling product combines the heritage of Canterbury with the quality of the long-standing Hall of Fame products. 

BrandCo Management Ltd are the Official apparel and accessories Licensee for England Rugby, Scottish Rugby, RBS 6 Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup 2011. The company produces under license supporter apparel for men, women and juniors including headwear knitted scarves and beanies

Webb Ellis ask the tough question: do you have the balls to last the season? Rugby clubs are continuously searching for the best balls around in the knowledge that the tools of the trade are paramount to success, but how do retailers also find new ways to excite side-line supporters? With Webb Ellis, the needs of all those involved with the game are met with a range of match and souvenir balls, at the cutting-edge of product design and style.

Base layers have rapidly moved from being a novelty item in stores to being an absolute essential, respected by amateur athletes as genuine performance gear that fulfils, in most cases, a very specific role in their sporting love affair. Compression base layers can aid recovery, for example, and so are very popular among runners or athletes whose base training involves plenty of running; with this in mind, retailers can confidently promote compression gear to footballers, rugby players, even cyclists.

With its patented hDc Technology, McDavid's performance apparel helps prevent the body's core temperature from rising too high which can lead to poor performance, early exhaustion and dehydration. By rapidly spreading perspiration across the fabrics surface the biomechanics of evaporation can draw heat from the body, so keeping the wearer cooler in a warm environment and warmer in a cool environment. Available in a range of Compression fit or Coldwear (which has all the benefits of the compression fit garments with added thermal qualities) the garments work by supporting the large muscle groups thus reducing fatigue, injury and improving blood circulation. Garments also improve proprioception - the body's ability to sense surroundings - thus improving reaction time.

Skins the high-tech Australian clothing company has, in the past 12 months, significantly expanded its base layer range across both tops and tights. As well as its core ‘Sport' range, the company has introduced ICE which is a range of gradient compression tops and tights that also create a cooling sensation by Microencapsulation Technology (MET) - which embeds thousands of tiny menthol microcapsules into the garments which enables clearer thinking when under pressure.

Linebreak Compression and Temperature Regulation Base Layers are now widely used in all sports from Cricket - where they are Official Base layer supplier to Glamorgan - to Rugby, Soccer, Ice Hockey, Squash, Swimming and Archery. Inbuilt graded compression offers the best support to athletes both in terms of training and recovery. With distinctively different ranges for men and women Linebreak offer a wide range of garments for all types of users from Elite Athletes to the Weekend Warrior, all able to benefit from improved recovery, muscular support and temperature regulation whether it's hot or cold.

The X-Bionic Functional Sportswear compression range is designed to warm when you're cold and to cool when you perspire, thanks to its patented 3D-BionicSphere System. X-Bionic garments support what nature has provided, harnessing the cooling function of the sweat film instead of allowing it to dry up while exercising; then when you've finished, the garment's insulation qualities take over preventing a chill while cooling down. The body's preferred 37-degree temperature is maintained as heat in different parts of the body is pinpointed and then regulated. Smart compression is integral to all garments reducing muscle vibration and aiding circulation, thus helping with optimum supply of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles - resulting in enhanced endurance and performance.

2XU Compression clothing is a world leading garment range of performance apparel, endorsed by the Australian Institute of Sport.  The widely accepted benefits of compression clothing include; enhanced circulation for faster warm up and oxygen circulation; reduced muscle vibration ensuring maximum endurance and resistance to fatigue; and a faster recovery from rapid flushing of blood lactates from energy drained muscle groups.

Distributed by Big Bear Sports, CW-X Conditioning Wear features patented CW-X Support Web technology that is based on the Japanese science of Kinesio-taping which works with the body to allow full range of motion and increase blood circulation to rehabilitate muscles and relieve pain.  Scientists at Wacoal Human Science Research Centre in Japan, which is the parent company of CW-X, have tested over 35,000 people and analysed injuries related to warm-up and cool-down periods - they say that variable compression along the 'exoskeletal web' encourages circulation, minimising lactic acid build-up and muscle soreness, so you can stay active for longer and recover faster.

Trekmates offers the consumer a diverse range of good value, family oriented and attainable accessories. For next season they're focusing on high performance base layers in 100% Bamboo, Vapour Tech and Merino, with a retail support package dedicated to the ranges. 

The Prostar base layer range with Pro-Cool technology have been specifically designed to keep active sports men, women and children warm on cold winter days, enabling them to concentrate on achieving their peak performance. These premium garments are also competitively priced with the Geo T Performance Base Layer top at £14.50rrp for kids sizes, and £17.00rrp for adults.

This snug fitting Sub Zero Factor 1 Plus Long Sleeve and the Sub Zero Factor 1 Plus Bloo John are unisex thermal baselayers with plenty of stretch which makes them as comfortable as a second skin. The long sleeve has a long cut body, and the leggings have a high rise back which help prevent exposure under active conditions.  Added to that the super efficient hydrophilic finish on the 100% Polyamide fabric wicks perspiration away. Seamless body construction incorporates stretch rib zones for enhanced support and waffle zones for increased thermal efficiency. Both garments have Sun protection factor 50+ and can be used in conjunction with the Factor 2 range for more extreme temperatures.

My parcel wrapping skills are about as bad as my window dressing abilities and they are little short of a car crash. I hate both tasks, having little patience for either, so avoid them whenever possible. The family groan at Christmas when I share out my offerings, last year they thought I surpassed myself when I distributed presents roughly wrapped in newspaper; it wasn't the fact I'd used newspaper that caused shocked glances but that I had actually bothered to attempt wrapping them at all that stunned my nearest and dearest. For me there's something so souldestroying about spending considerable time on crimping paper then trimming with ribbons and bows, knowing that it will take only seconds to have the thing ripped apart, and then watch all my hard work go straight in the bin so I just don't bother.

I saw something very strange recently, and it's something we'll be expanding on a lot in future issues of SGB. I was invited to a product launch in Newcastle, where I was introduced to Accapi. The room contained five or six reasonably cynical journalists, and every one of us left with a furrowed brow, minds ticking over what we'd just seen, and with a pair of Accapi socks tucked in our bags to try out.

Leading camping and accessories specialist Vango is celebrating after receiving not one but two esteemed industry awards at the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS) in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire recently.

The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) recently published the second volume of Shaping the Future. This year's report focuses on buying trends and showcases the results of research that tested the opinions of 3,500 outdoor consumers across the United Kingdom.

Gelert, buoyed by an estimated 25 to 30% growth in 2009, has made a series of changes to its personnel. The company also recently opened its new distribution centre in Widnes, Cheshire, to support its head office in Porthmadog, North Wales. The personnel changes are to maintain the growth the brand is enjoying to 2010 and beyond.

The Fire Fighters Charity is looking for true adventurers who are bored of the typical sponsored charity activity, and who are looking for a challenge of a different kind. The challenge in question is an expedition to one of the most inaccessible places on earth; the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility - the Arctic Pole!

Foot specialist Anatom have been appointed as the exclusive UK distributors of the Plus 12 foot measuring product.

Designed to quickly and easily measure children's growing feet, the Plus 12 product is a small, easy to carry device which ensures the correct shoes are being worn. The Plus 12 product will automatically add 12mm on to the foot length, which is the extra space required to ensure a good fit and allow for healthy growth.

Technical sportswear brand Helly Hansen is investing in a large scale in-store soft fit programme, designed to increase the brand's presence and re-structure its specialist water and outdoor distribution. The campaign forms part of Helly Hansen's global objective to drive continued growth in its specialist areas of expertise.

HI-TEC has announced an impressive 8% increase in their European footwear sales for the first nine months of 2009.

Continued investment and dedication in particularly the Outdoor footwear market has maintained the positive momentum and growth for the company and a major contributing factor to their latest sales performance figures. Sales of the Outdoor category have increased by 23% whilst forward orders have experienced a healthy surge of 35% compared to the same period in 2008.

In recent months, STAG Buying Group has undertaken a major re-branding exercise with the launch of Freedom, STAG's outdoor buying group. The rebranding has culminated in the launch of the company's new web site, at www.freedombuyinggroup.com.

Bramwell International has taken over the distribution in the UK and Ireland of Gregory packs from ESC Outdoors, with immediate effect. Gregory adds to Bramwell's existing brand portfolio of Meindl footwear and Source hydration systems and sandals.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, even the best waterproof in the world won't keep its hard-walking wearer dry if it's worn over the wrong layers. Sure, it'll keep the rain out, but that's only part of the problem and most people who complain about getting wet out on the hill are actually getting wet from the inside out, rather than the other way around.  

SGB: NosiLife is getting a lot of attention - tell us about it...

Paul Lee: In 2002, the company developed some anti-insect clothing, which was called Nosquito and is to be known as Nosi from SS10 onward. This was proven, by The London School of Medicine and Tropical Disease to prevent 90% of insect bites, which is great for a travel, outdoor brand.