Icebreaker - Pure Merino

I’m writing to extend a HUGE thank-you to Icebreaker!!! Without it…I would have been caught out in the cold…literally!

I just returned home from Ironman Florida where I had a major breakthrough performance.  It was a great day, and I ended up coming 2nd in my division and 7th AG overall in one of the most competitive ironman fields in North America. As a result, I won a spot for the big dance, the Kona Hawaii World Championships, next year which is very exciting!

While Icebreaker is a major component of my training gear, I never imagined that would play such a major role in my race day in Florida. It really saved the day!! We all arrived into Panama City Beach, FL and were shocked to find the temperature hovering around the freezing mark. It was cold and rainy through the whole week leading up, and race day was scheduled to be subzero and windy. Athletes panicked and huddled in their hotel rooms for warmth.

We all worried about race day. Imagine coming out of the ocean soaking wet and heading into 30 mile/hr winds going 20 mile/hr with only shorts and a t-shirt…… for 5-6 hours!! Everyone was scrambling…. what were we going to wear? Athletes flocked to the sport stores and Target to find any cold weather gear. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a pro cyclist training on his $20,000 bike fitted with disc wheels, wearing a Florida Gators sweat- suit from Wal-Mart!

Lucky for me I had packed my ICEBREAKER! I had two 150 weight long sleeves and a thicker 260 weight crew top.  Man… was I ever glad I packed them. First of all, I wore the thick crew all week at registration/ bike check-in/ mandatory race meetings. I was glad it was odour resistant because that shirt was on 24-7 for the whole week!!

When it came to picking my race kit for the big day, my coach and I had a big discussion as to what I should wear. He asked me what I would wear if I was home….I said Icebreaker. He told me to pack it! I ended up wearing a black long sleeve 150 weight Icebreaker Bodyfit under my tri-shirt all day.

It was comfortable and warm…and easy to pull over my head in transition. While other athletes froze out on the bike, I remained nice and cosy in my Icebreaker. Icebreaker has always been my favourite piece of clothing and is now my “lucky ironman” shirt!!!

Looking forward to wearing more Icebreaker training this winter.

My race plans include:

1. Sub 3 hr Spring Marathon 2011

2. Top three finish at Half Ironman Summer 2011

3. Top 10 finish in Kona Hawaii in Fall 2011

- Laura Keefe, Icebreaker Sponsored Athlete http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/

Glaciers, one of nature’s miraculous creations, may disappear in this century due to global warming.

Since 1990, Italy’s La Venta Association has played a leading role in the exploration of Patagonia’s largest glaciers. Starting in 1990, members of La Venta have carried out research on at least 30 glaciers around the world, which has allowed the identification of factors which cause the formation of glacial cavities and, particularly, the morphological and climatic conditions which in some seasons cause the ice to melt. Ice caves is only one of the many projects La Venta has been carrying on during these two decades, from Mexico to the Philippines, from central Asia to Antarctica. You can learn more at www.laventa.it

An expedition by La Venta, outfitted in Icebreaker Bodyfit and GT, in collaboration with the Italian IB team has just been completed to Patagonia and Perito Moreno and its neighboring glaciers.

We caught up with filmmaker/cameraman/producer Alessandro Beltrame to learn more.

Tell us about yourself
I’m a 41-year-old filmmaker with 30 years experience in outdoor sports, from skiing, biking, climbing to mountaineering.  I’ve been making videos for 15 years – take a look at www.agbvideo.com and www.vimeo.com/agbvideo/videos.

What was the purpose of your expedition to Patagonia to study the ice caves at Perito Moreno?
Exploring the ice caves inside the Hielo Continental Glaciers. Not only Perito Moreno, but also Viedma, Ameghino, Upsala and more.  Take a look at http://www.laventa.it/eng/catalog/ghiacciai-patagonici/ipercarsimo-glaciale.html.  The approach is scientific and documentary, my role was for a documentary.

Who was on the trip?
Fifteen men and three women, including 15 Italians and one person from Argentina, Mexico and Japan.

Why did you want to make a movie about it?
Two reasons:  for a scientific documentation and comparison during the years, then to produce a documentary about hyper-karst in Hielo Patagonico and its influence on the global climate, global warming and fresh water reserve.

When will your movie debut?
My agency AGB with La Venta is trying to produce the film, we have experience in collaborations with National Geographic and BBC, and the Italian national channels.

How did your Icebreaker apparel perform in Patagonia?
An Italian dealer friend introduced us to Icebreaker.  I had never used merino wool before.  It’s not only fabulous, it’s incredible! Really!  I wore Icebreaker baselayer for 30 days, from warm situations, with wind in El Calafate to ice camps on Moreno and Viedma.  Some items I wore for five or six days without any problems.  I have chosen IB for this experience, just the Italian dealer contact, no other way before to know and try it.

How can we find out more about your movie?
About the movie you need to wait some months, we are organizing the production, sharing the HD video with BBC, etc…

If you are interested in supporting the production, email Alessandro Beltrame at alessandro@agbvideo.com

Watch the Patagonia Ice Caves Project 2010 here

Patagonia Ice Caves Project 2010 from Alessandro Beltrame on Vimeo.

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?