Selling: Hockey
Kookaburra flying high
Kookaburra claims its 2011 collection is putting it at the front of the field ahead of the 2012 Olympics. David Pittman reports
S
ports equipment brand Kookaburra claims its 2011 collection of hockey equipment is set to keep it at the forefront of the market for the rest of this year and throughout 2012, with ‘expert technology and imposing design’ intended to maximise the shelf life of its products.
For instance, it is to be the sole supplier of balls to the 2012 London Olympic Games, a job it has fulfilled at every Olympics since 1956, and claims to have the world’s only ball with full International Hockey Federation approval for use in international competitions.
It has also increased its promotional endorsements, saying that it now has ‘more hockey players than ever before’ choosing to play with its products.
Its main push though is understandably on sticks, the primary equipment needed to take to the hockey field. This includes updates to its existing L-Bow and M-Bow rages, as well as the new i-Bow family.
L-Bow Obscene sticks are available as the Freak and the Addict, carrying suggested retail prices of £130 and £180 respectively. The Freak is described as a stick ‘designed to perfect the art of drag flicking without compromising hitting prowess and close control’, while the Addict offers ‘awesome power potential’.
Kookaburra says M-Bow hockey sticks come at a range of price points, from the low-end full composite Illusion to the £230 Midas, with a Texalium reinforced precision edge combining added durability with maximum carbon power. The i-Bow family includes the Vendetta, Venom and Vortex sticks, and uses Kookaburra’s own multidirectional braided carbon (KMD). The i- Bow design places the optimum point of the shaft between the M- Bow and L-Bow to give the ‘best of both worlds’.
Other technical elements of
Kookaburra’s 2011 stick range, alongside KMD, include: anti-tremor technology, to reduce vibrations while striking the ball; soft fell resin,
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to promote ball control without affecting power; precision edges, to assist back hand hitting via a reinforced flattened edge; and a skill zone, which helps develop close control and drag flicking.
Kookaburra’s hockey equipment extends to clothing, protection equipment and luggage also. In clothing, Kookaburra offers both an off-the-hook teamwear range as well as a made-to-order service through Kookaburra M2O, offering a bespoke design service. There are also Kookaburra playing shoes in the form of the all-new Inca and Aztec. Both have a multidirectional outsole, a cushioning EVA midsole and a thermal injection heel counter.
The shinguard range has been added to with the Phoenix and Dragon joining the Eclipse and Nemesis, themselves updated with a new ergonomic shell and colourways. Phoenix and Dragon shinguards have been designed to offer a lightweight product, with an asymmetric design to maximise protection and closer fit. For handguards, Kookaburra has introduced Pittards leather across its range to enhance comfort and grip, while maintaining ‘ergonomic and functional’ protection.
Its luggage line has been updated to include room to carry all of this additional equipment alongside sticks, such as the Aspect bag, with room for three sticks and accessories, or the Phoenix, with room for six sticks plus kit. Kookaburra hockey product manager Ed Baldock said: “Kookaburra Hockey has achieved exceptional growth in recent years. This is testament to the quality of the products, the vibrancy of design and the appeal that the brand has to players at all levels.”
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