Eyeshades!
I’ve never been into sunglasses. But I need to get some before my eyes get even worse. In TSP13 I mentioned that athlete 703 on one of the postcards was maybe wearing Oakley Factory Pilot sunglasses.
A keen listener, Doug, picked me up on my use of the word sunglasses. He was right. Oakley stated in their magazine ads that sunglasses were good for nightclubs and press conferences. But for triathlon you need eyeshades.
The Factory Pilot Eyeshades were released in 1984. Based on the design of their motocross goggles. Jim Jannard had started the company in 1975 to market his sticky rubber motocross handlebar grips.
The French ad below is quite funny. “Today the majority of sunglasses are designed for La Frime. Posing! And sadly too many manufacturers tend to neglect the most important thing. Your eyes!”
And check out Gregoire Millet’s hat. Bottom of the page on the right.
Image: Tri-Athlete (FR) Juni 1987.
