Have you ever been skiing/boarding down a double black and thought to yourself 'this would be better in a onesie'? If the answer is yes then today is your lucky day as Red7SkiWear are kickstarting style and comfort on the slopes this season
It is a simple fact of life – a truth more universally acknowledged than Jane Austen's assertion that "a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" – everything is better if you do it wearing a onesie. Cup of tea? Better in a onesie! Watching TV? Better in a onesie! Going to the pub? Mildly frowned upon by most members of society, but still ultimately better in a onesie!
With that in mind it may come as some surprise to learn that there is currently a gaping hole in the market for a comfortable, stylish and affordable ski onesie (i.e one that isn't second hand and the odd combination of vibrant purple and green that someone in the 80s clearly thought was going to be the next big thing). Fortunately for slope fiends across the world two enterprising Richmond girls with backgrounds in elite sport have spent the past 18 months developing the answer to all the world's lack-of-ski-onesie problems: the Red7SkiWear CG1 ski suit.
The two Richmond locals in question are Naomi Hampton – an elite women's rugby player who was part of Richmond FC's premiership title winning squad last year – and her partner Christie Fearnside an elite hockey player for Slough Hockey Club who has also represented Hong Kong on the international stage.
The girls journey began back in the summer of 2014 when Naomi broke her leg playing for Richmond and spent the whole of Autumn onesie-bound whilst she recuperated from her sporting injury. Knowing Naomi was due to go skiing with friends in the winter, Christie wanted to buy her a ski onesie as the perfect christmas gift; combining a love of the slopes with a new found love of onesies. However, after scouring the market Christie was left disgruntled. Surprised at the high price, discomfort and design flaws of existing gear, she made a simple remark; 'we could make one better than this’, that led the pair to co-found Red7SkiWear and embark on an 18-month quest to design the CG1 ski suit.
And what a suit they have designed. The CG1 has a 3-layer softshell fabric with a stretch TPU membrane; this water resistant membrane has microscopic pores which are large enough to allow water vapour to escape but too small for water droplets to penetrate. Science is awesome! To add to the suits water resistance its seams are heat sealed to stop penetration even in blizzard conditions or when blasting throw waste high powder. This all adds up to a suit that has a waterproof rating of 15,000mm (which is very, very high).
The CG1 also has a number of ventilation zips and a unique internal strap that allows the wearer to slip the suit off their shoulder and hang it at a height that is appropriate for the current temperature or activity. When combined with the suits 4 way stretch material this all results in a hugely comfortable and customisable riding experience. Safety-wise the CG1 is equipped with RECCO avalanche rescue reflectors which assure easy spotting if you are unlucky enough to be caught in an avalanche and the suit also has a non-detachable helmet hood.
Anyway enough about the technical side of things, I don't know what a lot of the above means but it all sounds very impressive and ultimately the suit looks awesome, is unbelievably comfortable and has more pockets than you can shake a ski pole at. And if all that isn't enough to get you interested then the CG1 has been backed by elite athletes including snowboard freerider Angelica Sykes, as well as Olympic hockey player and seasoned heli-skier Maddie Hinch.
With the design finished and the prototypes performing as well as hoped, the girls are now trying to raise £55,000 on Kickstarter to get the CG1 on a mass production run, offering backers everything from branded snapbacks and sweaters to CG1 suits at a 40% discount and a full chalet ski holiday. When asked why they've gone down the crowd funding route co-founder Naomi had this to say:
"We've already accomplished our mission to make the best all-round suit for boarders and skiers. Now, instead of taking orders from large retail stores, which results in high prices for the consumer, our model delivers directly to you."
So if you're looking for an awesome and unique ski outfit at a big discount for the upcoming season, or just want to help two local girls live their dream, check out the Red7SkiWear Kickstarter page and get pledging.
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Naomi
Christie
