“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.

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