Saturday, February 23, 2013

Beaver Sports

Beaver Sports 3480 College Rd
   

 It’s 10 degrees below zero.  I am cross-country skiing and I am basically wearing a sheep. I have four layers of wool on top, two layers on bottom, a wool neck warmer, wool socks and a wool hat. My eyelashes are freezing together. It is a crystal-clear day, I am gliding through a birch forest in the subarctic, and I am not cold. I feel like bleating.
    I have been an adherent to the wool movement since ibex and Icebreaker started selling their wool products here in Fairbanks in the last decade. They are light, warm and durable. They are hugely versatile and I wear them year-round--- winter workouts, spring skis or summer camping.
   The only drawback is they are pricey. A top and pair of long johns will run you about $175.  I’ve hawked sale racks, bought them in off colors and weird sizes. I imagine if my house were on fire, I would stop and grab my tote of workout clothes before the computer.
    Still, my affair with wool had yet to extend to the most intimate of layers: undies and bra.  I’ve been curious, but they seemed too extravagant. Also, I think wool underwear suffers a bit of an image problem. To me the words conjure some monk in the Middle Ages pulling on a pair of thick, scratchy skivvies under his robe as he preps for a day of deprivation and suffering.
     But I am all for new experiences and new clothes. I was elated to try out ibex’s Balance Bralette ($55) and Balance Briefs ($25), both from Beaver Sports. Seeing that I’ve never spent more than $10 on a pair of underwear, I ventured into new territory.
     First, both pieces are super soft---no itchy-wool-sweater feeling. In fact, I forgot I was wearing them until midway through my ski when I felt a flush of warmth come up from my chest and remembered, ‘Ah yes, the wool bra.” Baaaaa.
    The briefs did their job remarkably: no cold cheeks after an hour-plus of skiing. Like my northern sisters, I am almost always a little cold in the derriere at the end of a winter workout so I was pleasantly surprised to finish with a toasty bum.
    Both pieces come in bright, fun colors. (I chose the “parsley,” because they looked so cheerful and it was an amusing name to be associated with underwear and bras.) They were both so comfortable that I didn’t want to take them off when I was done.
    Being a buxom gal, I would need to make some adjustments to run in this bra. It does not have enough support to keep the sisters from roaming and will need to add another bra on top. It’s fine for skiing and other low impact sports, though. Ibex does sell a more substantial workout bra for those interested in warmth and extra support.
    In the extreme cold, I would recommend ditching the briefs and going hardcore with ibex’s long shorts. They are like boxers and have a little thicker material than the briefs and really keep you warm. Alas, they don’t come in parsley.
    Bottom line, I highly recommend both products because they definitely kept me warm and happy. If you are going to be out in the elements for a long time, they are worth the investment.
     Baaaaa.








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