August 10th, 2010 / Our People
The Harvest Challenge has officially begun in top form, with the thermometer at 95ºF (35ºC). No problems with the shirts yet, but we’ve got a long way to go.A few different shirt-wearing strategies are beginning to evolve . . . two competitors are trying to keep their Icebreaker shirts clean by wearing protective shirts or overalls on top of them. The rest of us feel this strategy is complete rubbish which may result in heat stroke.
In a surprise development, one competitor has withdrawn from the challenge, stating (perhaps frustratingly) that white was not her colour – but that she’d be happy to join in the spirit of the challenge by wearing one set of Icebreaker socks for the rest of the harvest. Would one propose an alternate set of rules to an Olympic judge, or to Simon Cowell? Absolutely not. Immediate disqualification.
The standard apparel of choice for a farmer during a typical wheat harvest is the no-frills white cotton Hanes Beefy T. Cotton may be a classic, but cotton tees get notoriously stinky in the armpits, and it will be interesting to see how the merino tees measure up. One harvest veteran was asked, “How hard would it be to wear one of your white cotton t-shirts for the whole harvest?”
“Oh,” he said, and then there was a pause. “Pretty hard.”
The same harvest veteran was asked to show me his Icebreaker (hidden under a protective layer of denim)… and he busted a move straight out of a Calvin Klein ad (pictured)! Nice one Dad!
- Allison Jochim, Icebreaker Graphic Designer
August 9th, 2010 / Our People
Reporting live from the Icebreaker field office in Inverness, Montana…
We’re about to give Icebreaker a wear test like it’s never had before.We know Icebreaker merino performs flawlessly on ski slopes and in the bush – not to mention on the street and at the gym. But how will it perform in the dusty, sticky, oppressively hot wheat fields of rural Montana during the Jochim family farm’s annual harvest?
Headed by Icebreaker employee Allison Jochim (fourth from left), our intrepid team of field testers are about to risk personal comfort, dignity, and basic levels of hygiene in the 2010 ICEBREAKER ‘SHEEP IN HEAT’ HARVEST CHALLENGE.
The rules are simple: whoever wears their Icebreaker 150 weight top for the most hours of the harvest will WIN (competitors may take off the top to sleep at night but may not launder it between wearings).
First prize is a free Icebreaker top, dinner for two at the bar, the 2010 Icebreaker Sheep in Heat Commemorative Champion’s Trophy, and an unending stream of praise and glory. Second place is a handshake.
Right now we’ve had a bit of rain and the wheat is not dry enough to cut, but we’re expecting to be ready to go tomorrow. We’ll also be adding a few more competitors when the out-of-town crew arrives.
And if there are any farmers reading this . . . yes the crop looks good!
April 13th, 2010 / Our People + Outdoors
To be honest I was not 100% sure about racing in Icebreaker at the 2010 Motatapu challenge (New Zealand’s iconic off road marathon). I feel the heat and have always run or raced in a lite weight top. So like every piece of kit I have ever been given I went out and tested it and found my self a bit surprised.
I trained in the IcebreakerGT150 Short Sleeve Velocity Crewe and found that it wicked moisture away from the body, it was cool and breathable on hot days and kept me warm on cold days. I found I could wear it 3 or 4 days in a row and it wouldn’t smell either.
On the race day the weather was a mixed bag – cold in the morning, but overcast with sunny periods for the rest of the day. Believe it or not I wore my IcebreakerGT200 Long Sleeve Chase Crewe and felt totally comfortable for the whole race. Over the years I have been sponsored by a number of different clothing brands and I would have to say that Icebreaker would have to be the most versatile and best product I have used to date.
- Josh Stevenson
