Sports Sunglasses Blog

New Kontrol Sports Case

Each Frame Purchased Now Includes A Quality Semi Rigid Sports Case for Protection.

 Recent price changes reflect the addition of this item.

Optician practices benefit from sunglass sales boost

Practices benefit from sunglass sales boost

Superb weather conditions over the past three months have led to a boom in sunglass sales through optical practices worth £18.9m according to market research company.

It reported that during the second quarter of 2010, monthly sales of sunglasses have hit a three-year record. GfK also revealed that May 2010 saw record sales with over 87,800 sunglasses sold through practices, with a value of £7.4m, the highest levels since May 2007 when 103,000 pairs were sold at a value of £9.4m.

Giving insight to optical practitioners about how to optimise their product offering among the 3,100 different sunglass models selling in UK practices excluding Northern Ireland, GfK revealed that there had been a continued trend in favour of women's sunglasses ahead of unisex models. The company's data showed that two in five sunglass sales had been manufactured specifically for the female demographic. Plastic models were particularly popular with women during the quarter, accounting for 91 per cent of sales in the women's category.

Contrary to positive sunglass sales and the overall UK economy's growth of 1.1 per cent, the UK's ophthalmic frame market remained in decline during the second quarter of 2010 according to GFK. Quarterly sales of £208.5m represented a 4.3 per cent value decline compared to the same period in 2009 and 13.7 per cent less than in 2008.

In May 2010 the ophthalmic frame market achieved the highest volume and value sales since March 2009, but returned to decline in June with sales falling 10.6 per cent in comparison to those of June 2009.

GfK also reported that in May frames selling at less than £45 and above £220 experienced the most significant growth, 55.8 and 48.5 per cent respectively. In June it reported that the less than £45 and more than £220 price segments proved more resilient than the rest of the market and actually recorded year-on-year growth rates of 60.4 and 26.3 per cent.

It said that this polarisation of the market emphasised long-term trends. Compared to the same period two years ago when the less than £45 price point accounted for 26.9 per cent, GfK said it now represented 35.9 per cent of all glasses sold in the UK. In the above £220 category which accounted for sales of 37,400 pairs during the quarter, GfK disclosed that one in four sales were full frame women's models while unisex rimless frames accounted for 17.4 per cent of this category.

A True Ironman

COULD OR WOULD YOU DO THIS ???

  Make sure you have a box of tissues with you when you watch the video
 

  
  Words actually can't describe this!!

 
  The Story 
A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' 
The father who, despite having a heart condition said 'yes.'
They went on to complete the marathon together. 
Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'yes' to his son's request   of going through the race together. 
  One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'yes' too. 
 

For those who don't know, the Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 
  2.4 mile (3.86 kilometers) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometers) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometers) marathon along the coast of the Big Island. The father and son went on to complete the race together. 

  NOW WATCH THIS VIDEO and view this race:

         

Sweden To Germany By Kayak Adventure

Follow Marc Shoepka's Kayaking adventure from Sweden to Germany with the help of Kontrol in aid of Weforest, re-forestastion for the environment.

Outdoor Discovery

San Jose Cycling Expedition 2010

This coming summer a team of 3 slightly stupid yet courageous students from Oxford Uni decided they needed a challenge. After frankly not much thought and some alcohol-induced bravery it was decided that we should cycle a very, very long way. But where?

We needed something catchy, and to go somewhere a long way from home whilst exploring countries we'd barely even heard of. With a bit of help from Google Maps we decided upon our mission: to cycle from San Jose, California to San Jose, Costa Rica. 4000 miles(ish). Americans. Mexicans. Vast lawless deserts controlled by bandits. Arid mountain ranges. Tropical Jungles. Ancient Mayan temples. Insects and diseases of all kinds. Hurricanes (hopefully not) and lots and lots of tacos...We will therefore be looking to complete the 4000 miles purely by pedal power over the months of July, August and September 2010. We have just recently received full backing from the Oxford University Expeditions Council, making this an official Oxford University Expedition. The team which will be taking on the challenge consists of Anton Hunt, expedition leader, Oliver Smith, medical officer, and Ian Mainwaring, treasurer. We are all current engineering undergraduates at the university.

Throughout our crazy endeavours we will also be looking at raising loads of money for charity through sponsorship. Our chosen charity for the expedition is Casa Alianza, a fantastic organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation and defence of over 12000 street children across Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. We hope to raise as much money as possible to help them continue to support vulnerable children and give them an escape from things such as hunger, drugs, poverty and prostitution.

Kontrolsports is a sponsor, the above is shared from: http://www.sanjosecycle2010.com/

If you wish to donate to their cause please do so via Donations

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Flickr Photos

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Nail Gun Shooting

Walking On Water Sport

Walking on water, or learning to run before you can walk.... on water!  Real or Spoof? Make up your own mind.

Portfolio Of A Model

Rachael Barton Del Mundo, The woman who first concieved Kontrol Sports Sunglasses

America's Got Talent 1944

This is a video of an act from 1944 - a sister act called the Ross Sisters.

I had never heard of them.  The song they sing is about 45 seconds long (nothing special) but what they do next is...!

Can you imagine these girls on  Australia 's Got , America  Got Talent and/or England Got Talent?

I don't think I have ever seen a human being do some of the stunts they did!

Hope you enjoy it!

(Watch past the first 60 seconds or so, then Whoa! Look Out!)