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UV, VISIBLE LIGHT & INFRARED

Most of us are aware that the sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage the skin and lead to sunburn and skin cancer. It’s why we use sunscreen to block out these harmful rays. Although it is often referred to as UV light, this is a bit misleading as UV is invisible to the human eye so a better way to describe it is ‘UV radiation’.

For the same reasons that skin can be damaged by UV radiation (UV), the eyes can also be damaged by exposure to UV. It’s one of the reasons we wear sunglasses.

And then there’s “visible light” and “infrared light”. These should not be confused with UV. They occupy different places on the electromagnetic spectrum and have different frequencies and energies.

We’re stoked to welcome Philipp Schonger onto the LiP team. You can view Philipp’s team profile here – Philipp Schonger

Philipp is an Austrian national although he lives in the Pacific North West. He’s a familiar figure in the Seattle / Everett region and many will recognise his signature orange rashie – there to alert other kiters and possibly fighter jet pilots that he is about to launch into the stratosphere. He’s currently leader of the North American Woo Big Air leaderboard with a jump height of 28.9m.

Philipp is extremely active in the kiteboarding community. He gives much of his time to the kitesurfing community in the Pacific North West organising events like the Jetty Island Light Wind Olympics. We’re really happy to welcome him to the LiP family of riders and athletes.  🇦🇹

Photo courtesy of Phil Bourillon

We welcome Andy Bubble Chambers onto the LiP team. Check out Andy’s profile here – Andy Bubble Chambers. You can also read about Andy’s long history in the sport in a detailed interview by Windsurfing Mag – Bursting the Bubble

Andy is a familiar figure in the UK windsurf scene. He’s been windsurfing for 29 years! He’s hard to miss with his signature mohawk and friendly character.  He is a Level 5 Windsurfing Instructor, and formerly an IKO / BKSA Kitesurfing Instructor – a man of many talents.  Andy keeps himself busy these days as windsurfing coach, pro rider and brand manager for JP and Neil Pryde UK based down the road from his favourite windsurfing spot near Bournemouth. A passionate waterman with a devotion to his sport and maintaining a strong competitive edge, he’s also eyeing up the British Wave Champion slot. Watch out Pasty!

Welcome onto the team Andy 🇬🇧

We’re stoked to welcome Olivia Mew as a LiP ambassador. Check out Olivia’s ambassador profile.

Olivia, a Canadian national, is currently preparing for the the Tokyo Olympic Games. You can follow her build-up on her blog here – https://oliviakmew.wixsite.com/ollieunfiltered/blog/ 

Welcome to the family Olivia! 🇨🇦

Lewis Crathern qualifies for KOTA finals in South Africa

After an unseasonal Typhoon dented the wind at the weekend, the wind returned on Monday with a vengeance to bring about a superb finish to the inaugural KOTA Taiwan qualifier.

Two of LiP Sunglasses team riders found themselves battling it out in the final – Lewis Crathern (UK) and ‘Yo’ Narapichit Pudla (Thailand) – together with Christian Tio from the Philippines. With winds ranging from 26-35, the local crowd were treated to some classic big air manoeuvres and a strongly contested final.

We hope that this KOTA qualifier has helped to put Taiwan on the map for kiteboarding and future events of this kind.

Congratulations to Lewis for achieving his wild card to South Africa. And big thanks to all the crew at KTA, Tony at SPOT and Libby at Super Duper for their huge efforts to pull this event off at short notice.

Yo battles it out with Lewis

Take extra precautions in overhead surf conditions

The autumn has definitely arrived in Europe with strong winds and big sea conditions. With gnarly conditions set to continue for much of October, some of the best days of the year are still ahead of us.

Recently, LiP were in Saunton on the UK North Devon coast to experience some great kitesurfing conditions. The wind was clean, the swell was huge, but it was the wipe-outs that were the most memorable.

After several epic wipeouts in overhead conditions, we wanted to bring attention to some essential tips for wearing your watershades when the surf conditions get big.

For our new FLO watershades, we have added the option of non-polarized lenses.

We are aware that there are some riders out there that are looking for non-polarized lenses for watersports, especially for those foiling or riding waves.

We’ve been out on the water in a variety of weather and surf conditions, and it’s been an interesting exercise.  Our research is clear. There are some conditions where polarization can be detrimental to performance. However, there is often a trade-off with comfort as without polarization, glare can lead to eye fatigue.

Sam Medysky sunset session in Cape Town