from flickr

Is the human eye flawed? No, of course not, but like any biological system it could utilise a little bit of enhancement and protection at times. That’s where sunglasses come into the mix. Sunglasses were first used in 12th Century China but didn’t win real fame until the early 1900’s . Film stars would wear sunglasses, not as a disguise or because they believed they were fashionable but to protect their eyes from the lights used in film production. In 1929 a progressive entrepreneur saw the mass market appeal of sunglasses and began selling them on the beach in New Jersey.
Sunglasses are beneficial for any outdoor activity but added protection is required during sports, specially extreme sports. According to Wikipedia: “In outdoor activities like riding, skiing and flying, the eye can receive a lot of light than usual. It’s been suggested to wear these kind of glasses whenever outside to protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which could lead to the growing of a cataract.”
Everybody agrees that a few degree of protection from UV rays is important and it would be tough to find someone who didn’t believe that sunglasses are great asset but what about polarized lenses. Polarized lenses have been around for decades but first found an audience with boaters and others who spent time on the water. They reduce glare by restricting the wavelengths of light which are allowed to pass through the lens. Polarization essentially uses small tubes that simply allow the narrowest bands of light to pass.
According to All About Vision: “Besides boaters, outdoor enthusiasts who profit the most from polarized sunglasses include skiers, golfers, bikers, and joggers, who enjoy a clearer view along with elimination of glare. These sunglasses could be utilised for driving and, as a matter of fact, could reduce glare from a long, flat surface such as the hood of the car or the road’s surface.”

Whether you go with polarized or standard UV lenses, durability is important for outdoor sports. You require a couple of sunglasses that can take a beating and continue to operate. Bikers and climbers frequently take on injury spills and expect their equipment, including glasses to survive also. Leave it to the Europeans to meet the challenge. In 2002, a Swiss athlete who had broken too many pairs of sunglasses began his search for a super-lightweight, flexible-yet-sturdy fiber which could be utilised to make a sunglass frame that could withstand use and abuse by a sporting, rough individual. He found what he was searching in a lab in his native Switzerland, gathered a team of top optical engineers and makers and produced a new line of super-tough, high-quality sunglasses.
The “hardest eyewear out there” was soon found by the Swiss military, and has since become standard issue for Swiss Police SWAT teams. Over the past three years, since these super sturdy sunglasses were produced the product has been field-tested by Swiss SWAT as well as countless skiers, extreme sportsmen and outdoorsmen. In the summer of 2005, the Swiss group recruited a former Israeli Recon Sniper-Scout and an American product development group to develop a tactical and sportsman’s line called Numa Tactical.
These sunglasses are revolutionizing the field and providing a degree of eye security that exceeds anything else on the market. Everybody requires some security but extreme athletes need a bit more. The good news is that they can now focus on protecting themselves and their eyes. Their sunglasses no more need protection.

Tags: sunglasses