What Will Be the # 1 Sports Product of 2001?

One of these 30 semi-finalists will become the Nasdaq Sports Product of the Year winner at The Super Show. The following are the 30 semi-finalists:



XCLR8
This baseball bat has adjustable weights inside. This creates maximum and minimum resistance training. The bat also features an electronic device to display actual swing speed in M.P.H.
Website: www.beabetterhitter.com.




Insta-Bed (By America Recreation Products St. Louis, MO)
Flocked-top airbed with built-in battery operated pump for full and fast inflation and deflation within 90 seconds.
Website: www.wenzelco.com.




Buddy Cycle (By BuddySports.com Phoenix, AZ)
This dual recumbent side-by-side bicycle is designed for comfort, and also includes an electric option. This bicycle brings new meaning to "tandem riding."
Website: www.buddysports.com.




The Expandable Duffle Plus (By California Innovations, Inc. Willowdale, Ontario)
A full-size duffel bag that holds sports gear and attached is a 12 can cooler to carry your after workout thirst quenchers. The Cooler Gear Bag collapses to a portable flat pack with carrying handle and shoulder strap.
Website: www.ca-innovations.com.




Chameleon Gym (By Chameleon Fitness Systems, Inc. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)
A professional weight stack gym that emerges from an elegant 7.8 square feet corner closet providing 150 exercises including adjustable crossover, smith machine and a treadmill. Website is currently unavailable.




Surf Bomber (By Chammyz Encinitas, CA)
Manufactured out of "All Natural" fibers designed to provide warmth, comfort and dryness after water-sports and outdoor activities.
Website: www.chammzy.com.




Stabilizer (By Dahan Enterprises Potomac, MD)
A hybrid skate that incorporates the style of in-line skating and the safety of roller-skating. Website is currently unavailable.




DSX-II Tennis Racquet (By DSX-II Redondo Beach, CA)
This double-sided/double-strung frameless racquet incorporates grooves instead of holes to create a three-dimensional, two-sided design for optimal power, precision and extraordinary shots to any player's game. Website is currently unavailable.




i.SI8 ChipSystem (By Head/Penn Racquet Sports Phoenix, AZ)
The world's first chip-powered and electronically dampened racquet. HEAD Intellifibers transform the ball's mechanical energy into an electrical impulse, which, along with the integrated ChipSystem, stiffen the racquet and dampen vibration for explosive power and ultimate comfort.
Website: www.head.com.




Heelys (By Heeling Sports LTD. Plano, TX)
A high-performance shoe with a stealth-like wheel in the heel that can take you from a walk, to a run, to a roll in no time flat. It brings speed, function and style to alternative sidewalk transportation.
Website:www.heelys.com.




Hydra-Rib Power Forward (By Huffy Sports Milwaukee, WI)
The world's first battery-powered basketball backboard adjustment system, allowing the consumer to raise and lower their backboard with the push of a button.
Website: www.hydra-rib.com




HydroSport (By HydroSport Los Angeles, CA)
This wrist water bottle system holds 8 ounces of water to keep you hydrated throughout your workout.
Website: www.hydrosport2000.com.




Illuminate ACV "All Condition Visibility" (By Illuminite Corp. Bedford, MA)
Night or day, the illumiNITE ACV DRY jersey offers runners optimal silhouette visibility with the wicking magic of Coolmax Alta. Manage your safety and comfort with this ultimate 24/365 product.





Smart Gloves (By Impact Inovative Products, Inc. Manor, PA)
Protective gloves for football or baseball. These gloves offer conformal support, flexibility, and cushioning under normal activity, however they react to dissipate energy upon impact.
Website: www.zoombang.com.




Workout Builder Personal Edition (By Kinetic Sports Interactive, Missoula, MT)
Workout Builder on CD-ROM utilizes cutting edge training technology to create personalized fitness programs for serious athletes, no matter what sports they participate in.
Website: www.kineticsi.com.




Shoot Case-Mini-Basketball Set (By Lifetime Products, Inc. Clearfield, UT)
A complete junior basketball system that folds into an easy-to-carry case. Modeled after a full-size system with a true breakaway rim and steel poles.
Website: www.lifetime.com.




MBS MountainBoard Scooter (By MBS MountainBoards Colorado Springs, CO)
This scooter is designed for grass, bumpy dirt, and pavement. Remove the detachable handle, and young riders quickly grasp mountain boarding on hilly terrain.
Website: www.mountainboard.com




MetalWood Bat (By MetalWood Bats, INC. Eleanor, WV)
A revolutionary new bat that combines the strength and durability of aluminum with the exit speed and performance of a wood barrel.
Website: www.metalwoodbats.com.




The Original Magnetic Golf Glove (By MagMedx. Dunellen, NJ)
This patented magnetic golf glove contains two rare-earth neodymium magnets inside the Velcro back strap to help fight fatigue and discomfort. The glove comes with Tour Cabretta Leather and synthetic, worn by PGA professionals and amateurs worldwide.
Website: www.tourpower.com




Arctic Blast (By Misty Mate, Inc.)
The closest thing to a personal air conditioner ever invented, with variable speed fan and on-demand mist injection. The temperature drops to 30 degree's farenheight.
Website: www.mistymate.com.




NeoFin Fitness Fin (By NeoFin, Inc. Waguna Beach, CA)
The first design and materials change in competitive training recreational fitness fins made in more than 20 years. The computer-designed blade is made of lightweight co-polymers and the soft, neoprene foot pockets have adjustable heels and instep straps. Licensed by USA swimming to train by the US Olympic Swim Team.
Website: www.neofin.com.




J200 Folding Home Trainer (Z BIKE) (By Pro Gym Co. Int'l. Taichung, Taiwan)
The most compact magnetic cycle on the market. Its unique auto-fold system is easy to fold and store.
Website: www.infinitifit.com.




The Infusion Basketball (By Spalding Sports Worldwide Chicopee, MA)
The first ever basketball with a built-in Micro Pump that adds air pressure anytime, anywhere. The performance of this basketball is otherwise not affected.
Website: www.spalding.com.




SportBrain Personal Fitness Assistant (By SportBrain Sunnyvale, CA)
The first personal fitness assistant that automatically tracks and analyzes your physical activity and displays your results on your personal web pages at www.sportbrain.com.




KickSpots (By SPORTIME International Atlanta, GA)
Soccer development tool for youth which is easily strapped to your shoes, offering positive audible feedback when the ball is kicked properly on the color-coded spots.
Website: www.sportime.com.




Sports - PC (By SportWall Int. Carpinteria, CA)
An electronically responding backboard that engages the thrill and motivation of interactive computer games. Players achieve a total body workout and superior performance skills using a ball to capture targets and rack up score.
Website: www.sportwall.com.




Fit-Stik (By Stroops Clearfield, VT)
This body sculpting system works every muscle group with single bar and dumbbell style exercises yet weighs less than 2 pounds and fits in a brief case. The patented Safety Sleeve resistor not only goes the extra mile in safety protection but also provides resistance from 0 to 60+ pounds. Website is currently unavailable.




Time Out Bench (By TimeOutBench, LLC Lexington, KY)
Children's time out sports novelty bench that promotes a relationship between the athlete's time-out - rethinking of actions and how this principle applies to positive instruction of children.
Website: www.timeoutbench.com.




Reaction Volleyball (By Wilson Sporting Goods Company Chicago, IL)
-An indoor volleyball that combines softness and control while maximizing the speed after contact. "Floating Cover Technology" adds an additional layer of latex placed strategically inside the volleyball referred to as the "Latex Power Lining" providing more control for accurate passing and greater velocity on spikes.
Website: www.wilsonsport.com/volleyball.




Swimmy (By Zapworld.com Sebastopol, CA)
A fun new water sport for the whole family. Just grab onto the handles, pull the switch, and glide effortlessly through the water with an electric assist. Swim with it to move faster or just hold on for the ride. Now you're flying underwater. Also works great on the surface for snorkeling or a great assist for fitness swimming.
Website:www.zapworld.com.

After the Super Show, a videotape featuring the five finalists will be sent to over 1,500 members of the trade, consumer and electronic media, who will then pick the Nasdaq Sports Product of the Year. After all the tabulations are in, the winner will be announced at a press conference in New York City.

For the first time in the program's history, the five finalists will receive a purchase award. The Super Show will buy $1,000 worth of five finalists' products, which will be distributed to a U.S. school's physical education program. Also, the overall winner of the Nasdaq Sports Product of the Year will receive an additional purchase award of $5,000, which will also be distributed to school physical education programs.

The previous winners of this national award are:

2000 - Twilight Basketball (Huffy Sports, Sussex, WI)





1999 - The Stroke Coach (The Stroke Coach Company, Statesboro, GA)





1998 - Radar Ball (Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, St. Louis, MO)




The Super Show is the largest sports product and apparel trade show and marketing event in the world, with more than 2,500 exhibitors and 80,000 attendees. The Super Show/20-01 will be held at the Sands Expo Center, Venetian Convention Complex and Bally's Convention Complex in Las Vegas, NV, January 21-24, 2001.

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), owner of The Super Show, is the trade association of North American manufacturers, producers and distributors of sports apparel, athletic footwear, fitness, and sporting goods equipment. SGMA represents and supports its members through programs and strategies for sports participation, market intelligence and public policy.

For conference registration or show information, contact The Super Show at 800-327-3736, 305-893-8771, or www.thesupershow.com.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.

Congratulations to our own Health /Fitness Expert Stephanie Oakes. Stephanie now represents BestStuff.com as the new Fitness columnist for USA Today's Weekend Magazine. USA Weekend is in 560 newspapers with more than 42 million readers every Sunday.