Watersports blog

Olympian Mark Foster has joined in the call of Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and world record titlist Liam Tancock in the implementation of new swimsuit regulations, which involves getting rid of advanced swimsuits and going back to traditional ones during competitions.

The wearing of Speedo LZR since February 2008 resulted to more than 200 world records being set which included the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. There have been complaints that these swimsuits are performance enhancers.

FINA, the international governing body on aquatic sports, have decided that starting January 1, 2010 all swimsuits used in competitions should be made out of textile only.

Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman threatened to withdraw the 14-time Olympic champion from competitions if changes were not established.

This forced FINA to act ruling that from January1, 2010 all suits will be textile only with far less coverage of the body.

Foster said that this is a great welcome for everyone since it no longer about the swimsuits anymore but the swimmers, which should be the point of the competitions in the first place.

Canada’s swimming governing body has decided to implement its own guidelines in terms of men’s swimwear that should be used by athletes during competitions.

Swimming Canada stated that effective September 1, 2009, the men’s swimwear to be worn by swimmers should conform to the approval guidelines by FINA, the world’s governing body on aquatic sports. These guidelines were supposed to start by January 1, 2010 but the Canadian governing body decided to jumpstart and began implementing the rules in order to let their athletes easily adjust.

National coach and Swimming Canada Chief Executive Officer Pierre Lafontaine said that they want the athletes to start adjusting to the new swimsuit guidelines this season. This way, the swimmers can easily adjust with having to compete without wearing the advanced swimwear which they used to wear in meets. However, Lafontaine added that the rule will not be implemented on Canadian swimmers competing abroad since this will take place on January 1 next year.

Men’s swimwears are becoming a rage these days following the world-record breaking performances made by top swimmers since the Beijing Olympics last year. Multiple Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who wore a bodysuit swimwear, gained worldwide attention following his eight gold-medal haul at that time, making him the athlete with the most number of Olympic gold medals.

At this point, Phelps said that the controversy caused by the men’s swimwear calls for a much needed change in swimwear rules. According to reports, these new men’s swimwear suits have polyurethane content which boosts the swimmers’ speeds.

Several new world records have been set in this week’s World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy which left the spectators and players stunned in disbelief.

Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist, said that it may be time to revert back to usual men’s swimwear or “banana hammocks” (tight fitting men’s swimwear).

FINA, a global policymaker on swimming competitions, is now back on the discussion tables as officials debate on what should be done next to resolve the controversy involving high-tech swimwear.

Critics from all over said that these swimwear trap air which adds buoyancy to the swimmer.

Popular swimwear designer Monica Wise got in the prestigious “Mercedes-Benz Presents” designers list following her great achievements in the field of fashion, specifically on designer swimwear that flatter a woman’s curves via sexy silhouettes.

Wise is the owner of swimwear line L*Space and she will unveil her 2010 collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim event in Miami, Florida this coming July 17, Friday at The Raleigh Hotel. The new swimwear line will be in competition with Speedo, Billabong and Panache.

The creator and owner of the fashion line is now in the league of in demand designers such as Yigal Azrouel, Red Carter, Badgley Mischka and Monique Lhuillier who also made it to the prestigious list. The Mercedes-Benz program recognizes designers that have flair for innovative and quality design.

In a press release, Wise revealed that aside from the swimwear line, she will also present a collection that was borne out of a lucrative partnership with humanitarian fashion brand OmniPeace. Part of the proceeds from the sales of the collection will go to a good cause.

The talented designer said that she’s honored to be part of the designer list, adding that being an active supporter of the philanthropic activities of OmniPeace only made it even more thrilling.

A report from Jacksonville Business Journal revealed that a swimwear company based in Jacksonville and Dexter, Florida may soon start retrenching its workers due to the ongoing global financial crisis.

Venus Swimwear, with manufacturing centers in the aforementioned cities, has reportedly filed a notice in the Florida State late last week that it needs to let go of up to 240 people. This is due to American Capital Bank’s decision to pull out its financing in the company.

The workers in Dexter revealed that the company officials have already informed them that their jobs are already on the line because of this development. However, Venus officials stressed that the manufacturing plant remains open for the time being. The question remains as to how long this will continue without the swimwear company getting the much needed financing.

Venus is known for selling high quality swimwear, lingerie, bridal lingerie and women’s wear via retail stores, catalog sales and online.

The global financial crisis has affected major and minor business all over the world. The clothing industry is one of those who were hit heavily with this occurrence since consumers nowadays are tightening their belts when it comes to buying commodities.

The Israel Tax Authority has reportedly filed a case against Gottex Models, Ltd., makers of mens and womens swimwear, at the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court. Included in the complaint are two of the company’s top ranking officers.

According to media reports, officers Meir Goer and Eti Levy have evaded about 6 million sheqels or $1.47 million on import duties. Goer, who was the company’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Executive officer, currently serves as a Director while Levy is the Export Procurement Manager.

Court documents revealed that from the period 2003 to 2006, the company imported mens and womens swimwear from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The clothes were reportedly bought in several countries and then sent to their factories.

Based on the country’s trade agreements with the aforementioned countries, swimwear items are exempted from customs duties provided that these were manufactured from clothes produced from an exporting country. The falsifications were allegedly discovered from the statements submitted by the factories.

Gottex was founded in 1949 by Leah and Ermine Gottleib in Hungary. In 1997, Africa-Israel group acquired the company and expanded the business from producing raincoats to manufacturing mens and womens swimwear line.

The Customs and Immigration Marine Unit and the police force in Cayman Islands will start apprehending jet ski users who are violating the law. This move was announced after the authorities reported increase number of complaints from residents stating that jet skis are being part close to the shore or disturbing the nearby residents due to noises.

Courtney Myles, the Maine Unit Chief Inspector, said that a number of jet skis are being modified by owners in order to emanate more notice and power. He stressed that these already powerful machines should be used within the law in order to ensure safety of the users, the living things under the water and the residents. He said jet skis should not be used on areas designated as swimming zones and should not have a speed of more than five knots when the craft is within two hundred yards from shore.

Safety tips are also being shared to the residents on how to use the jet skis. Here are the following:

• Wear a life vest at all times
• Don’t use the jet ski under the influence of alcohol
• Must learn how to use the jet ski
• Inform someone about where you are intending to go and the estimated time of return.

The international swimming federation FINA has decides that swimmers can no longer wear two swimsuits. Therese Alshammar was recently told that her world record on the 50-meter butterfly was not valid. The Swedish swimmer was wearing two swimsuits; a training suit under a body suit. The FINA said that that’s no longer allowed, swimmers must only wear one suit. Swimmers wear extra layers to increase their buoyancy.

These are the new rules:

• It is not allowed to wear swimsuits that cover the neck or extend past the ankles or shoulders.

• The material the swimsuit is made of can be not more than 0.04 inches thick.

• It’s not allowed to wear more than one suit and that suit must follow the shape of the body

• The buoyancy effect of a swimsuits may not be more that one Newton (this means they cannot support more than 3.5 ounces).

Alshammar says the new rules are sexist, “Man en woman are allowed to wear small Speedo-like underpants under their suit, but women are not allowed to use extra cover for their breasts”.

Water sports have always been adventurous and fun especially for kids however, safety should always be the first priority. When taking your kids to the beach or the pool to do water sports, you have to make sure that the location has the complete safety facilities. Your children should also compulsorarily wear their life jackets, even if they know how to swim.

Life jackets, lifebuoys and whistle are the very important things that you should check before allowing your kid to do water sports. He should also be accompanied by an adult or an attentive lifeguard. Your kid should also be lectured with the first things to do when there is an emergency. Remember that you should only allow your kid to do water sports when the weather or climate is pleasant.

There are many different kinds of water sports for your kid. There are some that are done for pleasure and there are some for adventure and excitement. Your child can engage in boating, rafting, canoeing, sailing, scuba diving, surfing and of course swimming but remember, no matter what your kid chose to engage and participate in; excitement, fun and adventure are useless when his safety is at stake.

Kitesurfing is one of the latest and most popular extreme sports. It has captured the attention of adrenaline seekers everywhere and has become an international sensation. This year, Chile will host the final leg of the Kitesurfing World Cup. The competition will showcase the talents of great kitesurfers from all over the world including Dutch Kevin Langeree and Aaron Hadlow of the UK.

The Chilean event will be the 10th and final leg of the world cup. The thirty best kitesurfers in the world will be vying for the top spot in this year’s competition. The Kitesurfing World Cup will be held from October 4 – 11, 2008 in Matanzas Beach Resort some kilometers out of Santiago. This is the second time for the competition to take place in Chile.

The competition judges are Martin Vari from Argentina, Dreu Bebaisa of Australia and Guilly Brandao from Brazil.

Kitesurfing is an extreme water sport where the rider rides a surfboard while he or she is surfing on the water. It is extremely dangerous because a strong gust of wind could pull a surfer up and into the face of an oncoming wave. The parachute lines also add to the sports ‘extreme’ reputation.