OMEGA Opens Boutique In Vancouver For The Olympic Winter Games

OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, celebrated the opening of its Boutique in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver today. The breakfast event and ribbon cutting ceremony featured Caroline Faivet, CEO of Swatch Group North America, OMEGA Brand Manager North America Gregory Swift, Dave Cobb, Executive Vice-President and Deputy CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), 1980 Bronze Medallist Olympian Steve Podborski, and six time Paralympian medallist Karolina Wisniewska.


The OMEGA Boutique will remain open throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and will host all of the events featuring the brand’s family of ambassadors scheduled to take place throughout the Games. The Boutique occupies a space of nearly 50 square metres on the ground floor of the Fairmont and showcases a full range of OMEGA’s timepieces, including the Olympic Games-themed Timeless Collection and the Seamaster Diver 300M “Vancouver 2010” Limited Edition watch created to commemorate the 24th time that OMEGA has served as Official Timekeeper for the Olympic Games.

The Boutique is the first retailer in Canada to offer OMEGA’s completely redesigned Constellation line. The popular, instantly recognizable Constellation will be presented with the brand’s three other main watch families, De Ville, Seamaster and Speedmaster. In addition to the timepieces on which OMEGA has built its reputation since 1848, the Boutique at the Fairmont will feature OMEGA’s Fine Leather Collections as well as the new Aqua Terra Eau de Toilette pour Homme, OMEGA’s first fragrance.

The OMEGA Boutique’s façade has been designed around the themes of the sun, water, the earth and, of course, time. Brilliant lighting illuminating the products in the show window represents the sun’s energetic light rays.

A stroke pattern above the displays casts shadows and reflects light – a perfect depiction of clouds, which gather water to generate the rain. Vertical tracks express rainfall. The rain, in turn, symbolizes time which is never still and which never returns in exactly the same form.

Finally, below the displays, chiselled and silvered glass represents an exposed cross section of the earth intended to convey a history of time.

The OMEGA Boutique has a multilingual international staff selected from the brand’s headquarters in Switzerland and from other OMEGA Boutiques around the world. The staff will also include a watchmaker who will have a fully outfitted bench in the Boutique, allowing visitors a chance to see how the horologists do their detailed, precision work on OMEGA’s legendary watches.

The Vancouver Boutique is one of just four exclusive OMEGA Boutiques in North America. The other three are located in Beverley Hills, Mexico City and New York City, which opened in April of this year.
About OMEGA and the Olympic Games

OMEGA, as the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, is not only responsible for timing every Olympic event, but also for data handling, the display of the results at the venues, and the distribution of the results to the world's media.

At OMEGA’s first timekeeping assignment for the Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 1936, a lone OMEGA technician brought 27 stopwatches that were used to time each event at the Games.

Seventy years later in Turin, OMEGA deployed 208 professionals – 127 timekeepers and 81 data handlers – armed with 220 tons of equipment.

Those numbers will be exceeded at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games as OMEGA mobilizes the largest timekeeping contingent in the history of winter sport.

OMEGA began its Olympic Games timekeeping tradition at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. In addition to its prominent role at the Olympic Games, OMEGA has been behind many of the most important technological developments in all of sports timekeeping.

The Games in Vancouver will take place over a 17-day period beginning on the 12th of February. More than 5,500 athletes and officials from more than 80 countries will make it the largest Olympic Winter Games ever. The Paralympic Winter Games, for which OMEGA is also Official Timekeeper, start on the 12th of March and will continue for ten days. The Games’ organizers anticipate that the Paralympic Winter Games will attract 1,350 athletes and officials from more than forty countries.

Innergize your work place while supporting the future of the Thai sports industry

In conjunction with the Asia Fitness Convention (AFC 2009), taking place 27-29 November at CentralWorld, Jess Gronholm, National Yoga Director of Crunch, will be giving private Yoga sessions to various organizations around Bangkok from 3-12 November 2009.

"Innergy" is a combination of "inner" and "energy". It is a concept based on the Sanskrit word "Prana" which means "vital life force".

Book a special corporate yoga class and allow busy staff members to increase their internal energy levels, resulting in more vitality and focus, and reduced stress and anxiety, ultimately leading to optimal health and an illness free body.

All you need is 10 (stressed) employees and a quiet comfortable space (boardroom, spare office, lunch room), comfortable clothing, music/computer (optional) and of course a yoga mat (great holiday gift for your employees).

Whatever you contribute to Innergize your workplace, AFC 2009 will match. All contributions will go to a Scholarship Fund for Sports College Students.

Puma profit plummets

       German sportswear company Puma AG said yesterday its net income fell 24% in the third quarter due to a drop in sales, especially for footwear and in its American markets.
       Puma, based in Herzogenaurach, said net income amounted to 68 million ($101 million) in the July-September period, down from 89 million in the third quarter of 2008.
       Revenue for the period was 6% lower at 673 million from 713 million in the third quarter of 2008.
       Puma is the world's third-largest sportswear company after crosstown rival Adidas AG and Nike Inc of the US.
       "The business environment has continued to be as challenging as we had expected, which resulted in a decrease in sales and profits," Jochen Zeitz, Puma's chief executive said in the company's report.
       "Despite this most difficult market,we generated a profit in all three quarters so far and we expect to be profitable in fourth quarter again. We hope to see first signs of an improving business environment in the run up to the World Cup in South Africa, where Puma -through its strong ties with African football - has a home field advantage."
       The world soccer championship in South Africa next year is expected to add significantly to the company's revenue and earnings in coming months as fans snap up jerseys, balls and even cleats in the run-up and during the monthlong tournament which starts June 11. It is the first such tournament ever to be held in Africa, and Puma supplies 11 African national teams, including Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal - the most of any sportswear company.
       Puma said its revenue fell 10.4% on a basis in the Americas, while Europe,the Middle East and Africa saw a 5.6%decline. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region saw a 1.2% increase in revenue.
       The footwear division saw a 13% decline in revenue and apparel saw a 3%decline during the quarter. Revenue for accessories rose 40.4%.
       For the first nine months of the year,Puma reported a 50% decline in net income to 112 million on revenue of 2billion, which was nearly unchanged.
       Puma is majority held by French luxury goods company PPR.

Puma opens product development centre in Vietnam

       German sporting goods company Puma AG opened a new product development centre in Vietnam yesterday, part of an effort to streamline the creation of new apparel and reduce costs.
       Puma said the centre in Ho Chi Minh City pulled together suppliers, researchers and developers under one roof.
       The concept "will increase Puma's speed to market, reduces our cost base and makes sure that our products are of excellent quality," chief executive Jochen Zeitz said in a statement.
       Footwear and apparel will be developed at the new complex.
       Herzogenaurach, Germany-based Puma is the world's third-largest sporting goods company after crosstown rival Adidas AG and Nike Inc of the United States.

New Converse CEO

       The athletic footwear and apparel maker Nike Inc said on Monday that the CEO of its Converse brand would leave at the end of the year.
       Michael Spillane will replace Jack Boys.Spillane joined Converse in 2007 as president of North American footwear before becoming president of North America and global products. He was previously chief executive at Polartec and Malden Mills.
       Boys had been CEO since 2001.

In the rough at ST Andrews, Bangkok

       Two hackers discover the joys of playing one of the world's most popular golf courses, in air-conditioned comfort It was an amateur player's dream come true - a round at the home of golf, the famous St Andrews course in Scotland. But as my playing partner and I teed up on the first hole, there was none of that chilly wind the area is famous for, no waiting for another group to hit off, and most importantly for two not very confident mug amateurs, no spectators to giggle when we fluffed our shots.
       FOUR: A player hits a drive at the ‘Pebble Beach’ course.
       As I took a practice swing and looked down the intimidating fairway to see which part of the rough or the water my ball would probably land in, the only sound was the gentle purr of the air-conditioning. We may have been hitting off on the iconic old course at St Andrews, but we were actually in the basement of a new office tower in the heart of Bangkok.
       We were trying to improve our game by taking a lesson and playing a round at the Wilding Golf Performance Center, which opened in August at the Interchange Building on the corner of Asoke and Sukhumvit roads. We were teed up in front of Asia's first 3D SimSurround Simulator, which was set up in a mini amphitheatre, with three huge screens - one directly in front of us and one on both sides. Our instructor, experienced Australian professional coach Koray Safak, wanted to see us hit a few balls before he started giving us some tips on how to improve our games, and we'd chosen to play the old course at St Andrews.
       My playing partner, a colleague called the Wombat (a stocky, hairy, burrowing Australian marsupial with short limbs), did his best to get an edge as I prepared to tee off: "If this technology is accurate, your ball should land in the long grass in the rough," he said reassuringly.
       ON A ROLL: A putting instructor with a student.
       After a couple of practice swings in a vain attempt to loosen up, I teed up my ball and belted it - straight into the long grass in the rough on the right side of the fairway. The Wombat cheered. Then it was his turn.
       "Watch out for that deep bunker on the left," I said as he sized up the long hole in front of us. My advice was enough to put him off - he topped his tee shot and while it did go straight, it covered only about 100 metres. After only one poor shot each, coach Koray stepped in.
       In no time at all, he had us both hitting longer and straighter.
       Thanks to the many cameras set up in the amphitheatre which are connected to the main computer and which record every stroke, he was able to replay our shots in slow motion (even comparing them side by side with a video of PGA pro Stuart Appleby), point out when our arms should have been straight or bent, and see just what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong. The "wrongs" were in the majority.
       The beauty of playing a realistic round of golf controlled by a computer is that not only can you play some of the best courses in the world, you can also replay each shot to see why your ball ended up buried in one of those diabolical Scottish bunkers or plunged into the water faster than a bird of prey after a fish. And if you're not taking things too seriously, like us, with the click of a mouse you can also delete that wayward tee shot that bounced off the Rolls Royce in the car park or the one which went through the window of the clubhouse and emptied the 19th hole bar in record time.
       FINE TUNING: A technician helps a player adjust her swing.
       Another great thing we noted was we could play a round really quickly as there was no walking involved - after four holes neither of us had raised a sweat. We didn't have to walk to our next shot - the computer took us there automatically. We were sipping cool drinks, the air-conditioning was perfect, and the old course at St Andrews stretched out before us. The only thing that wasn't perfect was our game, but it was improving, thanks to our coach.
       The most challenging hole we played was the notorious "Road Hole" at St Andrews made famous by Japanese golfer Tommy Nakajima in 1978, who took four shots to get out of the deep pot bunker next to the green when in contention for the British Open. Since then the bunker's been dubbed the "Sands of Nakajima" and St Andrews' 17th - a dog-leg to the right, very close to the beautiful stone building on the course which houses a hotel - is considered the hardest par-4 in the world.
       By this stage our confidence was growing, thanks to some helpful hints from our mentor Koray, and we both chose to tee off with an oversized driver - a mean looking weapon by golfing standards.
       CUSTOMISED: Clubs are made to fit.
       I gave my tee shot everything I had - which admittedly wasn't much - and it took off like a rocket, straight over the fence and into the grounds of the hotel. "You just killed a gardener," the Wombat sniggered.
       Then it was his turn. His shot started well, then mid-flight it took a right turn, sailed over the fence into the hotel grounds and bounced off a window. "They sure do make tough glass in Scotland," I said. With the click of the mouse we deleted both shots and tried again, this time with a three-wood. We realised we weren't quite ready to wield heavy weapons.
       At the end of our very enjoyable round, we were both over the moon. Not only had we played some of the most famous holes in golf, we had also had some first-class coaching and our games had improved, all without walking anywhere or raising a sweat.
       The centre is the brainchild of Shane Wilding, who has more than 15 years of top level teaching and coaching experience in the US, Australia and Asia. Wilding, who coached on the PGA seniors tour from 2003-2006 with renowned players such as Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, David Eger and Graham Marsh, as well as Australian PGA players including Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling and Paul Gow, now puts his efforts into lifting the standards of young Thai golfers.
       THE CROWD GOES WILD: This player had his cheer squad along.
       One of Wilding's success stories is Suchaya Tangkamolprasert, who was recently crowned the world's top junior for girls aged 13-14 at the World Junior Championship in San Diego. "The Thai juniors we train are a very talented group," said Wilding. "It's important to train them young and here we have the equipment and technology that's not available anywhere else in this part of the world."
       The Wilding Golf Performance Center uses an impressive array of equipment and technology which includes 12 swing bays using the high-tech AboutGolf Simulators, two putting studios and a VIP Corporate Suite complete with Asia's first 3D SimSurround Simulator, all set up in a mini amphitheatre.
       The Performance Center is staffed by a team of professional, multi-lingual instructors and utilises an exclusive array of multiple-angle video cameras, swing and putting-analysis software, motion sensors and launch monitors.
       Also available are custom club-fitting facilities in the Equipment Performance Lab that uses the world's top radar tracking system to match a golfer's particular swing and body type to the equipment best suited to his or her game.
       TECHNICAL HELP: Young players study their swings.
       "Soon we will have another big centre opening up in Thong Lor and it's a monster with 25 bays," said Wilding. "We also have a center up and running in Ratchadamri and we're searching for a suitable site in either Sathon or Silom roads."
       Now that the Wombat and I had conquered - sorry, played - St Andrews, and came away with a renewed confidence in our games after some very helpful tips, we have set our sites on demolishing another tough course - Pebble Beach.
       Relate Search: Wilding Golf Performance Center, PGA pro Stuart Appleby, Rolls Royce, Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, David Eger, Graham Marsh, Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Paul Gow

GRAND SPORT ANNOUNCES FIRST ANTI-PIRACY BUDGET

       Grand Sport Group has set a budget for the first time to prevent pirating of its sportswear, as the problem has grown serious.
       "Without the preventive measures, we might lose 20 per cent of our sales or about Bt20 million to Bt30 million a year," president Suchada Nimakorn said yesterday.
       The company has spent about Bt10 million to set up an investigation team to monitor sellers nationwide and hire lawyers to help push legal cases against pirates.
       The company planned to grow 20 per cent this year to Bt800 million, but the surge in counterfeit products from last year until early this year is pulling down its sales target.
       The company's sales should be enjoying growth of more than 30 per cent, she said.
       The problem of pirated products is more serious than the economic slowdown, she said.
       The slump did not spill over to the sportswear business much because of government support for sports and the public's fever for the Thai Premier League.
       Grand Sport is the first local company to join with the Commerce Ministry in informing apparel makers and sellers nationwide about the Copyrights Act and Trademark Act, she said.
       "We have to protect Thai brands' rights before it's too late. This is also our preparation to serve the rising demand from sports-related persons because they have to prepare teams for the coming season's tournaments," she said.
       Grand Sport plans to increase production capacity by 20-30 per cent in response to the move, while 10 apparel factories are interested in producing sportswear for the company.
       "After holding a seminar to educate our sellers about pirated products, we'll start talking with the apparel makers to produce sportswear," she said.
       Sportswear accounts for 80 per cent of Grand Sport's sales and athletic equipment 20 per cent.
       The company targets 20 per cent in sales growth next year.