The 2016 Summer Olympics are just a few months away and teams are starting to work on some of their final preparations before heading to Rio to compete. This includes of the most important things for every national team: their uniform. As Deion Sanders once said “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.” For athletes, uniforms have become a way to express themselves while still looking good and feeling good. For the USA Rowing teams, feeling good has more to do than just looking good.
When it comes to rowing uniforms the functionality is much more important than the look, but with the help of Boathouse Sports, the USA Rowing team is going to be able to look good and feel good while still having a uniform that maximizes functionality.
Get The Latest 2016 Rio Olympics Tech News In Your Inbox!
Founded by former USA Olympic Rower, John Strotbeck, Boathouse has been providing the national team with uniforms since 2009. After competing in the 1984 Olympics, Strotbeck quit his day job to make training for the 1988 Olympics his full time job. In 1985, he decided that it was time to do something more than just train, and this is when Boathouse Sports was founded. Strotbeck started Boathouse as a company that focused on making gear strictly to help rowers improve their overall performance.
After becoming the sponsor for USA Rowing in 2009, it was Boathouse’s goal to make the perfect product for the national rowers. Boathouse Sports took over shortly after Nike ended their sponsorship with the team.
For rowers one of the crucial aspects when it comes to their uniform is providing compression while protecting the athletes from moisture. According to Strotbeck, rowers should feel as if they’re not wearing anything. Heading into the 2016 Games, the USA Rowing team approached Boathouse with a few challenges that they could face given some of the problems with water conditions in Rio.
After being approached by the team, Boathouse quickly got to work on creating a new unisuit for the rowing team which will launch within the next few weeks that features multiple technologies that can help keep the rowers moving and safe from anything in the water that could harm them. Boathouse teamed up with scientists from Philadelphia University to help develop an antimicrobial technology that will prevent riders from potentially dangerous waters. The unisuit will also provide superior wicking quality and venting that will prevent the material from absorbing moisture.
With the Zika Virus being a concern for athletes in Rio, Boathouse has created long sleeve training gear for all rowers that will help prevent them from coming in contact with mosquitos in the water that could be carrying the virus.
With help from Boathouse Sports, the USA Rowing team was able to basically design their own uniforms and have them executed to perfection by a brand that is known for providing high quality gear from Olympic rowers and athletes alike.
“Boathouse was originally born as an Olympic brand. I came up with the idea as an Olympian, and we still strive to support our Olympians today,” said Strotbeck.
It’s also worth noting that everything Boathouse Sports sells is made in the United States, including the uniform that the USA Rowing team will be sporting in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics.