High Visibility features companies, products and collections that are raising brand awareness through strategic partnerships, sponsorships, consumer advertising campaigns and tie-ins to prominent events, etc. To be considered for inclusion please contact senior editors, Deirdre Carroll or John Sailer.

This edition of Hi Vis shows how the category of sport performance sunwear lives up to both the “sport” and “performance” parts of its name with three different performance sunglass companies signing up athletes in three different sports.

Revo has partnered with SUP (stand up paddle) athlete Gillian Gibree, who will be wearing the Revo Water lens during the 2012 competitive season. Gibree has consistently been a top five finisher at both the Battle of the Paddle Hawaii and California as well as a member of the winning relay team in Hawaii. She was also a SUP Athlete of the Year nominee by SUP Magazine in 2011. While wearing Revo sunglasses this year she will be competing in the ISA World SUP and Paddle Championships as a member of Team USA in Lima, Peru. Revo’s high contrast polarization and protection will reduce the level of stress on her vision coming from both the glare off the water and the sunlight exposure from above. Tailored to the specific light-absorbance profile of ocean water, the Revo Water lens eliminates glare while adjusting for the blues that are reflected in and around water, allowing the wearer to see more naturally balanced colors.



“The first time I tried Revo sunglasses was at the Catalina SUP Festival, and I was amazed by the quality,” said Gibree. “As an on-water athlete you need to have the best lenses to protect your eyes. Clarity is also important so that you have the most accurate possible vision while competing. The clarity during the entire race was perfect, even with the wind and chop. Spending that much time in your glasses, in varied conditions, they need to be comfortable too—and Revo nailed it.”


Rudy Project is now sponsoring Ironman Champions Hillary Biscay and Meredith Kessler, who have not only completed almost 100 Ironmans combined, but who were both college athletes and best friends who can finish each other’s sentences. After competing in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, Biscay turned to triathlon, competing as an amateur during her first four years. During the past 11 years, she’s raked in 52 Ironman finishes, including a win at Ironman Wisconsin in 2008.

Kessler didn’t start as a professional triathlete but instead spent almost a decade racing as an amateur. In November 2010, she turned pro, and in her first season, she won Ironman Canada and placed second in both Ironman St. George and Ironman Coeur D’Alene. About Rudy Project’s sunglasses, Kessler said, “This is the first sunglass I’ve worn that I don’t have to switch between the bike and the run.”

“We are honored to have such a dynamic duo in the world of triathlon, wearing Rudy Project’s award-winning sunglasses,” said Paul Craig, president and co-founder of Rudy Project North America. “Hillary and Meredith bring integrity, grit, fun and class to our sponsorship and the sport we love so dearly.”



Zeal Optics has welcomed professional snowboarder Austen Sweetin to its team. A self-proclaimed coffee addict who hails from the state of Washington, Sweetin said, “I’m stoked to be part of the Zeal team. This is our first season and so far I love it! One of my favorite things about Zeal Optics is that their sunglasses and their goggles are polarized. They’re organically made from the castor bean, so they’re doing it right. I think everyone is going to be hyped about the new goggles coming out. I know I am.” Every Zeal sunglass frame is made from Z-resin, a bio-based plastic made from castor bean oil instead of crude oil. Zeal Optics has launched an entirely re-branded goggle collection for 2013. Three new tech-specific goggles showcase the Z3 GPS technology and have the ability to download data from the goggles to digitally track and share experiences. All have an enlarged, polarized, in-molded anti-fog lens set into a flexible, medium-to-large frame that retains its malleability in cold temperatures. Most Zeal goggles now feature a version of the company’s new, proprietary anti-fog, high-density, impact-resistant lens that results in clear views, edge to edge.

Zeal introduced the Z3 GPS goggle this year and will soon be introducing the iON goggle, a revolutionary goggle with built in HD video and photo. Stay tuned to Zeal Optic’s Facebook page for more updates.