Icebreaker - Pure Merino

During my time at Snowgum (an Icebreaker dealer in Australia) I’ve succumbed to an addiction so many people share. I can’t stop buying Icebreaker.

As an elite athlete the equipment you use becomes as habitual as the training routines you follow. This usually means that when I buy something to train with I use it until it truly dies. Thankfully I’ve managed to save quite a bit of money by using the seemingly invincible Icebreaker shirts, socks and jocks. Except now I am spending more money than ever before because my Icebreaker clothing is being “borrowed” by the people I train with.

It usually happens when I get to an event and it is pouring with rain and my “friends” haven’t brought proper clothing, or when there is a minimum requirement for safety gear and it hasn’t been met.

“Callum would you mind if I borrowed that shirt again? I forgot my warm gear”.

“Oh yeah cheers for lending that top Callum I’ll give it back after I wash it”…

“Lucky you had that jumper spare Callum. They wouldn’t let me run without it”.

These are just a few of the quotes I can remember from occasions when I have permanently lent my Icebreaker gear. The kind of thing I compensate for now by bringing along extra clothing wherever I go.

So now I have very little Icebreaker and a severely depleted bank account from constantly trying to replace gear that “must of gotten lost in the wash”. I’m going to have to give up endurance sports or win the lottery soon just to satisfy my addiction and the one my running mates now share.

Cheers to everyone who participated in our “What’s Next to Your Skin?” Vancouver 2010 competition!

Helen Danglmaier from Irdning, Austria, Europe (pictured below), is the lucky winner of the limited edition Icebreaker Whistler ‘10 gear, which includes a set of Bodyfit+, an Icebreaker “Whistler” Toque hat, Skier Mid Socks, the AC Glacier Scarf and the Long Sleeve Chase Crewe.  Nice one Helen!

We received 255 fantastic entries to the competition — from goats to babies to boys and girls in their Nature and Beast knickers (and less). Take a look back at what was submitted here.

Icebreaker was honoured to be the Official Baselayer Sponsor of the New Zealand Winter Olympic Team, and we’re proud of the Kiwi team who competed in Vancouver last month.  We had an awesome wrap up party on Monday.  The band was fantastic and we sold the bar out of beer!  Photos and video to come once Kent Hawkins, our marketing man in Canada, recovers from a chest infection that knocked him out that night (or so he says).

Let us know what you thought of the competition.  We’d like to do again if you’re all up for it?

It’s all go in Vancouver at the moment for the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Icebreaker is proud to support Team NZ by supplying the official base layer to our athletes.  We’ve created a site  www.icebreaker.com/whatsnexttoyourskin to keep everyone up to date with what’s going on as the competition and hype heats up at this years winter Olympics Games.

Check the site regularly to see our latest blog posts, photos and video’s from the action in Vancouver and Whistler.

We’re also giving away Icebreaker product daily to the best photo we receive in our “What’s Next To You Skin” competition,  You can check out all the current entries (plus how you can enter yourself) here - we’d love to see a photo of you showing us whatever you have next to your skin!

Daily we draw a winner who will receive a new Icebreaker top and every entry will be in the grand prize draw to win a Limited Edition Icebreaker ‘Whistler’ top and Hat.  Drawn on March 2nd 2010.  View Terms and Conditions here.

Get photographing!

I am writing to thank Icebreaker for making high quality clothing that also looks great.I graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina last summer and on July 4th made the decision to pack up my car and tour the USA. One month later I was standing on the side of the road in San Jose, CA staring at my totaled car wondering how I was going to continue my travels. How would I get there? What was I going to do with everything I had packed for the journey?

I decided to sell my things, buy a backpack, and keep going. I knew that if I was going to keep going with no clear plan, I should travel as light as possible. While researching travel clothing, I read a review on Icebreaker products and decided to take a chance on a Long Sleeve Bodyfit 200 shirt.

When I tried it on I was pleased to find that in addition to not being itchy or hot in the summer weather it also looked great on me. After wearing the it for only a week I had already received many compliments on how nice my shirt looked.

One month later, the shirt was keeping me warm when it was cold and comfortable when it was warm, whether I was standing at the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii or walking down the street in Savannah, GA.  When I got drenched at Niagara Falls, I found that the warmth didn’t leach out of my body like it would have with a cotton shirt. An additional benefit was that it dried incredibly quickly.

One year later, I had traveled across 25 states, 4 Canadian provinces from September 2008 to September 2009 and worn my Icebreaker shirt every day. Despite the long and frequent wear and washings, the shirt still fits like a glove, looks good and is in great shape.

Never in my life have I been so completely satisfied with a clothing purchase. I am now living in Los Angeles and looking for permanent work, so I have to wear working attire but as soon I can get some income together I am going to purchase more icebreaker shirts so that I can be comfortable and look great in my off time.

Thank you so much for making such a great shirt. I don’t normally write to companies about their products, but this purchase experience was so good that I felt compelled to do so in this circumstance. I have never made a clothing purchase that has impacted my life is such a positive manner and I appreciate it.

I am including pictures of myself in the shirt in a variety of the locations that I traveled to. Some of the locations are more urban than your typical client might travel to but I think this speaks to the versatility of the shirt.

- Drew Buzzell, Icebreaker Fan, Los Angeles, CA

Hi Team Icebreaker,

In September last year we were the recipients of some Icebreaker garments from your “Share the Love” initiative.  “Share the Love” gives Icebreaker to people who are making a difference to nature and to each other.  We took our two new merino garments to the Californian High Sierra on a 300km long expedition following the ridge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Our aim was to use the trip as a vehicle to explore and communicate (through an educational package we designed) the many branches of science that can be experienced when spending time in nature.   Both of us have spent years working in New Zealand’s wild places and both feel a strong connection to the physical environment around us.  The dream of creating an educational package where participants learn in a multi disciplinary way while undertaking an expedition was the real nuts and bolts of our trip.

We wanted to say a big thank you for providing the most dependable garment of our wardrobes!  We stayed warm, cosy and happy throughout the trip and especially appreciated the fantastic warmth to weight ratio of our tops.

We have attached some photos from our trip showing the garments in action.

Thanks again for supporting our adventure.

- Andy Clifford and Ness Smith

Dear Icebreaker,We are the band Longital and this is our story which we would like to share with you:

When we decided to focus on music full-time in 2001, we felt like we were going to explore an unknown territory, and therefore our first steps led us to outdoor shops where we bought the “non-music” gear.

Since then we have released 8 albums, started our own music label and toured 12 countries in Europe. We play about 90 live shows annually in different climatic conditions, traveling by trains or plane so we need to pack electronic equipment, CDs and clothes in small suitcases.

A live gig for the musician is something like an extreme sport, with sudden changes of temperature and humidity. One year ago we came across Icebreaker and since then we have got a new piece from the catalogue almost every month!

We played a tour of Czech republic in October completely in Icebreaker underwear and our singer/bass player has based her image completely on Icebreaker.

I secretly tested the durability of an Icebreaker Bodyfit shirt without washing it for the whole month and the shirt was still OK after 20 shows!

Icebreaker has become an indispensable friend at our travels and also during shows. Thank you for that.

Here is our song for you: http://www.longital.com/gloria/zrkadlo.mp3

- Dano Salontay, Longital, Icebreaker Fan

www.longital.com
www.myspace.com/longital
www.facebook.com/longital

Not only can former Governor Sarah Palin see Russia, but apparently she can see New Zealand too.

She’s wearing Icebreaker’s Long Sleeve Dash Zip on the cover of Newsweek:

The photo chosen was from a shoot Sarah Palin had participated in for Runner’s World magazine. The top she is wearing is from the Icebreaker GT range.

The sky has just started to change from totally darkness towards twilight. The morning hours are upon us, and we’ve been climbing through the whole night. We continue up a steep corner covered with snow and loose rocks, before meeting a new area of compact snow and an other endless uphill. There is not much strength left, but after a short break we start again, putting one foot in front of the other. The speed is slow and we are totally exhausted. A few steps and you’re out of breath forced to take a new break.

But suddenly………behind the snow drift……….it emerges……..a massive pyramid of snow covered with beautiful prayer flags stretched out in all directions of the sky.

WE´VE MADE IT….!!!!!!!!! The summit……..just in front of us………a few more yards and we’re at the top of the world…. A feeling so indescribable that there is no words, which can express our emotions. In a great rush of extreme happiness mixed with laughter and tears, we’re fighting our way the last couple of yards towards the summit and hand in hand we’re climbing up standing on top of the world…..

The sun is once again rising in the horizon and fills our smiling faces with warmth and unveils probably the most beautiful view ever seen by humans.

“People need to climb the mountain not simply because it is there. But because the soulful divinity needs to be mated with the human spirit.”
- Dalai Lama

We are forever thankful for all the great Icebreaker products and support given to us and helping us fulfilling this amazing adventure….

Best wishes from Norway
- Petter Nyquist and Lars Oma Erichsrud, Icebreaker Fans

The ultimate fashion faux-pas is wearing the same outfit as someone else.  I thought an Icebreaker top would be a safe choice in Munford, England (an arse-end town in the middle of nowhere). Turns out I was wrong.  We are everywhere.  Fantastic.

- Dave Anderson, Chief Financial Officer (the one on the left, with his new mate Gus)

Each month we draw a winner at random from our email database and send them a free Icebreaker for their troubles.  Are you signed up to be in the draw?  What about your mates?

You can check out our latest winners and sign up here if you haven’t already.

We’ll also plant a tree for you through Trees for the Future if you sign up, plus you’ll get to be the first in the know with all things Icebreaker.