Did you know that part of our Research and Development is not only to make a swimsuit look pretty, but to test it to death?
The industry is full of “pretty bathing suits” that are not made for any function whatsoever.
If you wanted something different, where would you find it? Yes … we couldn’t think of anywhere either …
Enter our athlete founder Stephanie Havelka. A dowdy athletic swimsuit was not okay with her.
She wanted the perfect swimsuit.
First and foremost, it HAD to FUNCTION.
And then, like a cherry on top, it had to FLATTER the female curves–both in design lines and in how the colors laid on the body.
There is a lot that goes into making a swimsuit, it is VERY TECHNICAL.
The picture above is of a swimsuit we tested for both fabric durability in salt water and chlorine and sewing construction. We needed to ensure our new product was rugged for sports and long-lasting.
[Note: The marks on the inside were to keep count of how many times the suit had been worn.]It was worn by the open water marathon swimmer Lynn Kubasek who was relentless in her daily grind (over six months!) training for her Catalina Channel Crossing. Stephanie trusted that Lynn would give GREAT feedback, and she did! She completed her Channel Swim in 15 hours and 53 minutes, and she wore her SportKini the whole time. Afterwards, she called to let Stephanie know that she experienced no chafe and no swimsuit malfunctions which gave her the peace of mind to focus on completing the 22 miles.
WOW! Talk about putting our swimsuit to the test! This was fantastic to hear, and we were honored to be part of her epic accomplishment.
Our R&D helped us formulate the real “why” we make swimsuits. We had to understand who would be wearing our gear, how it would be worn, and how it would be used. We wanted to make the best performance swimsuit, and all the testing helped us raise the bar for ourselves, and ultimately for you, too. It pushed us, and that’s how we know that what we create is far above the rest.
Thank you for always being with us!
