Kurtis Surf Goggles have had a revolutionary impact on the way surfers view waves. Kurtis USA, LLC aims to put an end to the surfer fried eyes and glare issues of the past. These are the real deal.
Supported by surfing legends and designed with every aspect of surfing in mind. This is just a glimpse of what pro surfers, leading opthamologists and industry veterans are saying about Kurtis USA, LLC
To see more on Kurtis USA, LLC and to see Kurtis Team & Kurtis Surf Goggles action videos go to www.KurtisUSA.com
Brittani Nicholl continues to climb the Pro Jrunior Rankings as she competes all over the world. Jetty Girl Magazine caught up with this 19 year old Australian for an interview and surf session at Trestles Beach, California.
Check out 5 minutes with Brittani Nicholl brought to you by Jettygirl magazine.
Why do surfers, kiteboarders, and wakeboarders need Surf Goggles, Surf Shades, Surf Sunglasses, surfing Eyewear, kitesurfing goggles, kiteboarding sunglasses, kitesurfing sunglasses, wakebaording sunglasses, wakeboarding goggles, goggles for PWC, etc? Learn how to make your own surf sunglasses for FREE at www.KurtisUSA.com NO FRIED EYES.
“This UV exposure is especially damaging during water sports with the double assault of the sun coming from above and the reflection coming from below.”
by David Burroughs
The origins of sunglasses can be traced to early Roman times and 12th century China. Folklore speaks of Chinese judges wearing crystals over their eyes to conceal their thoughts when hearing cases. Modern sunglasses as we know them today are an innovation of the 1900s, and polarized glasses were introduced in 1936. Although the Asian judiciaries may be credited with the invention, I’m sure they never imagined that sunglasses would eventually be worn by wave riding boys and girls of all ages.
Last week I met Kurt Shipcott, of Kurtis USA at un-crowded beach break in Ventura for the last hour of sunlight to surf a small, but clean evening glass-off. I had heard about Kurtis USA’s “No Fried Eyes” campaign and I was intrigued to find out what all the fuss was about. My mission was to road-test “The Duke”, one of three styles of eye protecting sunglasses made for surfers by surfers. I knew very little about surf sun-wear and the last time I saw someone wearing a pair of those bulky goggles I was reminded of what Roy Orbison would look like had he been a surfer.
But before I can breakdown my experience with the extremely light, floatable eye-wear, I have to tell you why they were invented in the first place. About 15 years ago, Shipcott was faced with a painful eye surgery for a debilitating eye condition known as pterygium.
“The pterygium surgery was painful,” said Shipcott a lifelong surfer and Kurtis USA founder and CEO. “The surgery left a scar and my surgeon informed me that because they can grow back I should decide whether surfing was worth it. That wasn’t an option, and after finding no eyewear that truly suited the action-oriented nature of surfing, I decided to develop my own.”
Pterygium is a common condition where a flap of skin grows over the eyeball, causing blindness in extreme cases. It strikes most people in their adult years, but according to doctors, most of the damage is done from birth to age 10 from too much exposure to the sun.
“Everyone is aware of the need for sunscreen on their skin but more and more research has shown the cumulative damaging effects of sunlight on the eyes,” says Dr. John Hovanesian, a leading eye surgeon with Harvard Eye Associates and internationally renowned researcher and speaker on pterygiums and other eye diseases. “This UV exposure is especially damaging during water sports with the double assault of the sun coming from above and the reflection coming from below.”
Although eye injuries caused by exposure to the sun are common in states that see hundreds of days of sunlight each year like Florida and California, surfers seem ill advised about their harmful effects. And who can blame them? From an early age, our brain records the fears associated with a drowning, boards to the head or at worst an attack by some aquatic carnivore. Those are the things as surfers we tend to focus on, but Pterygium, long term sun exposure, not likely.
In fact, a study done on surf related injuries in May 1998 to August 1999 obtained from 1,348 individuals showed that sixty-seven percent of acute surfing injuries are caused by board contact. The same study had no mention of eye injuries due to long term exposure to the sun. As well, Pterygium was not my primary reason for wanting to surf test “The Duke”.
Several weeks ago when Southern California had those extreme off-shore winds, I was surfing a different beach break with local surfer Todd Hartman. “I wish I had a pair of goggles in these winds,” yelled Todd over the noise of the pounding surf. Both of us paid the price for not having such luxuries on that particular day, so it was ironic when a month later I met part-owner and VP of Marketing & Sales of Kurtis USA , Sue Schroeder who then introduced me to Shipcott.
Back to the road test. As I paddled out to the line-up I thought over my list of questions that I had for the California inventor. The first thing I noticed was how extremely light-weight the glasses are and they felt as if they were almost hovering about a half an inch away from my face. Sitting up on my board I looked down the beach at the other dozen or so surfers. Every single surfer had one hand to the sky covering the glare of the sun which was still about an hour from setting. I almost giggled to myself with my new found freedom of improved vision.
The clarity of the lenses were beyond what I expected and I learned later that it is due to Kurtis USA’s patented wave viewing optics technology. Then I noticed how every feature of the “The Duke” was catered to what a surfer would want. The glasses sit off your face to allow water to drain freely. They are flexible, they float and they have an ingenious leash system to keep the glasses attached on those bigger surf days. I did notice that if you breathe heavily the glasses can fog up, but an easy rinse into the ocean will clear the lens of any fog. It was great to finally be able to see the wave sets coming in without getting tired from holding one hand to block the suns glare, and the fact that I was protecting my eyes from the suns damage made it that much more enjoyable.
With the launch of the Duke, the Makaha and the Kaiser Bowls surf glasses, Kurtis USA also launches its “No Fried Eyes” campaign. “No Fried Eyes” is an awareness program designed to educate parents, children, teens and adults who surf about another serious and often ignored hazard of prolonged UV exposure eye damage. Kurtis USA is a local company based in Hermosa Beach and their glasses are 100 percent hand made in the USA. The best way to get a pair of these stylish UV protectors is to go to www.KurtisUSA.com where you can purchase them directly. I am sure they will be popping up in surf shops everywhere and they are a must have for those of you who surf for hours in the late afternoon or early morning.
Currently all of the glasses are designed in the color black, but Kurtis USA will be releasing new styles and colors in the near future. Although the glasses were designed for surfers in mind, they are getting a lot of attention from athletes such as Kayakers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and fishermen. Californians are continually becoming more conscious of their health and this is another great way to protect those eyes so they will be seeing far into the future.
— If you have any information regarding the local surfing scene, e-mail David Burroughs at runemason@yahoo.com. The Surfing Scene appears Tuesdays in The Star.
Mad Mike Hughes will set a New World Record on 01/01/10 by jumping the Colorado River in his SKYCYCLE. Don’t miss history in the making. For more information check out www.MadMikeHughes.com
World Record Jump over Colorado River 01/01/10
ARCHIES ICE CREAM, KURTIS SURF GOGGLES, MAD MIKE HUGHES, SKYSCYCLE, BOSS PRINTING, DUKE SURF GOGGLES, ROCKET CYCLE, CYCLE ROCKET
Brittani Nicholl continues to dominate at the Pro Junior Level of Surfing. This past weekend Brittani slashed and carved her way to an equal 3rd place finish at the Arrive Alive Pro Junior Presented by Dripping Wet. Please follow and support Brittani Nicholl at www. BrittaniNicholl.com
For more on the Arrive Alive Contest click on the link below.
Brett Simpson has been on a role this year, but falls short to 9 Time World Champion Kelly Slater. If you want to see some exciting surfing be sure to check out these heats when the contest resumes.
HURLEY PRO TERSTLES ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 3: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 4: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Rob Machado (USA)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Check out North Shore Footage of Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith, Kaiea Bosgra, Bobby Martinez
KURTIS SURF GOGGLES, SURFING SUNGLASSES, SURF SHADES, SURF EYEWEAR, SAVE SURFERS EYES, GLARE, SUN, DUKE, KAISER BOWLS, MAKAHA
It’s a Bird, A Plane, It’s Glasses MAN - AKA Kaiea Bosgra
12/9/2007 - Yesterday was a who’s who of surfing at Log Cabins sand bar. Everyone from this new kid we called Glasses man to Number one top seller Jordy Smith, and if that’s not enough the rest of the world was there. Meanwhile Shane Beschen destroyed V-land once again on his 5′3” …Lost Rocket. Peter Mendia came down as well as Ian Walsh. After the smoke settled WARDO made his presence with his new …Lost Gull-Wing 5′8”. Some of the photographers had bad etiquette and it seemed like a horse race with everyone jockeying for position. Such Jonzsers huh???? We here at LOST hope all of you guys really got the shot. Once a barney always a barney. Joe Alani once again came through in the clutch, doing overtime with a session at VLAND and a session at LOGS, he realized how Tupat has such mental video and photo discipline. ALL in all the day was a huge success for LOST. Even some dude with a full decked out LOST board with all the bells and whistles was trying big moves, he is a no name until we came up with the name Glasses MAN. Check this dude out he could be the next Vince or even the next Water Man. This kid could actually be the next Mick Fanning. Keep your eyes peeled for this kid in future magazines, videos and any other cool way of showing you’re a full on full blown ripper.
Signing out TUPAT
“GLASSES MAN” - aka Kai Bosgra, rider for Kurtis USA and Lost Enterprises
Surfing Goggles, Surfing Eyewear, Surfing Sunglasses, Water Sunglasses, H20 Sunglasses Learn more at http://www.KurtisUSA.com
Brittini Nicholl talks about her solution to “Surfer Fried Eyes.” The Sun, wind, glare and surface spray cause damage to surfers eyes on a daily basis. Use sunblock to protect your skin and Surf Goggles to protect your eyes. Learn how by watching the video below.
Surf Goggles, Surfing Sunglasses, Surf Shades, Surfing Eyewear, Water Sunglasses. learn more at http://KurtisUSA.com
Kurtis Surf Goggles Team Rider Marissa Shaw is not only an NSSA National Finalist and OC Surfer of the Year Finalist, but now she can add “OC State Lifeguard -Rookie of the Year” - to the list.
She is a 17-year-old national-caliber competitive surfer at San Clemente High School.
He is a 48-year-old veteran marathoner, triathlete, long-distance swimmer and canoeist.
Marissa Shaw and Steve Ayers, who both live in San Clemente, are first-year lifeguards this summer at the area’s three state beaches.
This morning, at an annual awards breakfast, Shaw and Ayers were up for Rookie of the Year honors with Shaw taking the title, polling the most votes from her lifeguard peers.
Shaw was presented with the Dana Ambrose Spirit Award, a rookie-of-the-year honor named for Dana Ambrose, who was Rookie of the Year in 1997 and was remembered as an inspiration following her death in 2000 at age 19 in a traffic accident that wasn’t her fault.
Shaw made the biggest jump this year, going from being a pool lifeguard last summer at San Clemente’s Ole Hanson Beach Club to trying out for an ocean-lifeguard position this spring, up against some 60 applicants, most of them men.
“Oh dude, there was a lot!” she said. “It was crazy. I don’t know how (I did it). It was just step by step. I just like made the swim. Then I made the run-swim-run. Then I made the interview. I took it day by day in training and made it. It was crazy.”
She started out working at Doheny State Beach, with its relatively calm waters, then moved over to San Clemente State Beach and to San Onofre State Beach, where at times she is assigned to a tower on remote beaches known as Trails.
“It’s so huge down there,” she said. “You’re basically alone. For almost the entire day you don’t see any other lifeguards. But it’s fun. I like it.”
Ayers, with an extensive background as a water-based athlete, had never worked in a lifeguard tower until this summer.
“I was making my kids do junior guards,” he said. “I told them that being a junior guard leads to the best job in the world, being a lifeguard. So my daughter said, ‘You know, Dad, it sounds like something you always wanted to do and never did.’ ”
He’s doing it part-time this summer, along with his commercial window-washing business and real estate broker’s license.
“I love it,” Ayers said. “I would actually pay to do this. I live by Riviera. I skateboard to work when I guard there. I’m kind of proud of that.”
Mr. President can body surf at Oahu’s neck breaking “Sandy Beach” with style. If he grew up in Southern California he would have been a Balboa Wedge charger too. Stoked!
At Kurtis USA we just want to save his eyes from the harsh UV’s in and out of the water. With our new presidential inspired Kurtis Surf Goggles even Barak can shout “No Fried Eyes.”
Kurtis Surf Goggles are 100%UV, polarized, flexible and float. Kurtis Surf Goggles are designed for surfing and made in the USA. www.KurtisUSA.com
No Fried Eyes with Kurtis Surf Goggles - Obama Would Go!
Kaiea Bosgra wearing the "Patriot" Kurtis Surf Goggles checking the surf with good friend Kai Kahanamoku at Rocky Point, Oahu
To check out the surf goggles in action click on the link below or go to www.KurtisUSA.com
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