Olympic champion and world record holder Ashton Eaton has been working with Nike to find new ways to help athletes feel refreshed and recharged. When Eaton competes in the decathlon he has to perform his best across 10 events over 2 days. To maximize his performance, he ideally would like to start each event feeling like it was his first; that involves reducing both mental and physical attrition. Eaton noticed he performed better after pouring water over his head and wondered if there was a more efficient (and less damp) way to gain the same results. Turns out Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL) was already investigating the effects of facial cooling, finding out the face is 2 to 5 times more aware of surface temperature than elsewhere on our body. It was at this point that the Nike Apparel Innovation Team was brought onboard and a prototype was developed.
The end result of the collaboration is a fabric hood that covers the scalp, neck, and around the eyes. According to Sandy Bodecker, VP of Special Projects, Nike Innovation, the so-called Ice Hat utilizes layers of leak-proof material which “concentrates a cold mass out of an icebox, covering the face, head and neck, and allows a gradual and effective cooling of the head.” The device is designed to have a close fit to keep cold portions securely in place. While still in the prototype stage, the team at Nike is working with Eaton to find the correct balance between fabric weight and cooling duration. The hope is to perfect the concept over the next 18 months of elite track and field competition, after which it would not be surprising to see it being worn on the sidelines of your favorite sport. It should be noted that this is not Nike’s first foray into cooling outerwear; the company also developed a cooling vest in 2004 called Pre-Cool (redesigned in 2008) that was basically a wearable, flexible ice pack.
