The World Cup According to Grande: Oakley Returns to the USST Pool
The Return of Oakley.
Most of us don’t pay attention to seemingly small things like a company joining the USST Equipment Pool. It means that we likely missed one of the most important returns in a long time, the return of Oakley.
Why is this worthy of my time? Why is the return of one optics company to the USST pool a big deal? Why would anyone care?
First, Oakley is an original American company. It was born in Southern California from a motocross background. James Jannard started it out of his garage making grips for MX motorcycles. It was a rubber product that became tacky when wet. The company still uses some of this technology on nose grips, etc. The company grew into MX goggles in 1980 and then ski goggles in 1983. They were all the rage and the company was helping out skiers all over the country, on all levels. They were sponsors up and down the ladder.
But Oakley got BIG, really they got HUGE. Making shields for football and hockey helmets and glasses that you couldn’t keep on the shelves. They were Nike for eyewear. They have over 600 patents. Oakley went public in 1995 and was a part of a 2.1 billion dollar merger with the Milan based Luxottica in 2007.
Regardless of all of that noise, Oakley was a strong player in the US ski scene and in the pool for a long time and then left the pool and mostly left racing, leaving a part of the Oakley childhood in the dust. Daron Rahlves worked out an exclusive deal in his last years with the ski team to be able to use the product. But it did not benefit anyone else on the team nor did it seem like Oakley would be interested in doing anything large-scale within skiing ever again. And since “D” had a Cali upbringing and motor sports background, the whole thing made sense. The Red Bull tie-in didn’t hurt either.
But now, to me at least, it indicates that the world of mainstream athletics might be reaching into our little world. Big-time Oakley wants into our little game. Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety are responsible for this awareness, even if they don’t use the stuff. The fact that Lindsey KILLS it on TV and in Sports Illustrated made a company re-identify with its roots. Those athletes, along with Snowboarders and Freestyle skiers and XC skiers have all been so successful in the venue and with their marketing ventures, that a large American company decided it needed to be back in the pool.
While I am not an Oakley team member and do not plan on using their stuff in the immediate future, I applaud their move. And I hope that it opens eyes to many other companies who it would be great to see back in the fold. I hope it begins a competition that returns Scott and Smith to our team and to our sport in force. And I don’t care if the stuff is free for anyone. Actually, I would prefer if no one below the National Team got free stuff. But if the price was reasonable and service was prompt, that would make all the difference. The last thing a ski racer needs is to be running around the country with scratched or poor quality lenses, making bad visibility even worse. The optics world is likely the most overlooked and most important thing we deal with in the sport. From flat light on “The Streif” to snowstorms in Mammoth, you need good stuff to see where you need to go.
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Greg “Grande” Needell grew up ski racing at Stratton Mountain,
Vermont. After graduating from SMS he skied for NCAA Division 1 St.
Lawrence University in Canton, NY where he was co-captain in 1986. Greg
returned to SMS to coach there for five years serving as the Head
Women’s Coach as well as the Head J2 Men’s Coach. He then moved to
Mission Ridge in Wenatchee, Washington in 1992 to become the Program
Director and Head Coach of the Mission Ridge Ski Club. In 1997, Greg
became the Head Coach at Mammoth Mountain, California.
In 2002 Needell was asked to join the U.S. Ski Team staff as a World
Cup SL and GS coach. From 2002 to 2008 Needell helped lead the U.S. Ski
Team Men to 43 wins, 105 podiums and 264 top ten finishes. Now at the
helm of Alpine Race Consulting, Needell offers his knowledge and
experience to clubs nationwide.
About the Author: Pete Rugh
