HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here we are on the eve of 2015, barely able to believe another year has gone by. But we’re not bemoaning the past–rather, we’re eager as can be for what lies ahead. We’re antsy with anticipation for what’s around the corner–another year of awesome experiences and accomplishments. Here’s a look at 15 things we’re especially fired up about as we festively ring in ’15:

1. New styles! We can’t wait to introduce some new apparel styles this year. First up will be our run tights, so stay tuned! 

   

   A preview of our Barcelona Nights Run Tight.

2. New designs! We showed you teasers in a previous blog post of our four new 2015 designs–Sunset Cliffs, Barcelona Nights, Varsity and Team Race 2015. The countdown is on until they hit the shelves! 
3. Our SOAS Racing Ambassador Team. Each year our team has grown and evolved and we can honestly say our 2015 group of ladies will be the best bunch to date! 
4. Our SOAS Racing Ambassador Team. Whoops, we repeated that one–but only because we are so gosh darn excited about these incredible ladies! 

   

   Look for our SOAS Racing athletes in this cool custom 2015 team design.

5. The races. From Ironman to Challenge to XTERRA and every wonderful local race, big and small, there are more and more start lines popping up around the world every year, and we love watching all the action unfold!
6. Jam-packed gyms in January. Just kidding! But we are excited to see so many people out and about (or indoors at the gym) getting active with renewed resolve. 
7. An end to the holiday treats. Willpower? What willpower? We love chocolate and cookies as much as (or more than) the next person, and we firmly believe in indulging our decadent desires from time to time. But we’ve just about reached our sugar-saturated max. Kale salad, anyone?
8. Being another year older and another year wiser, business-wise. Each year of experience better educates us for the year ahead, and we’re deeply appreciative of the lessons we’ve learned to date. That’s not to say we won’t make mistakes going forward, but hey–there’s always wine to soothe the growing pains!
9. The next big thing in social media. From Twitter and Facebook to Instagram and Pinterest, we’re certainly hooked–and who’s not? So where’s it going next? Will 2015 find us all Twonking and Fosting and Unigramming? Whatever it is, count us in on the next great craze! 
10. Awards season. Who doesn’t love red carpet fashions and slightly drunk celebs? And with the biting wit of BFF duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler kicking things off at the Golden Globes on January 11^th, there’s at least one popcorn and wine fueled girls’ night in our near future. 
11. Summer. Oh come on, isn’t everyone everywhere always looking forward to summer?
12. The places we’ll go...
13. ...and the people we’ll meet! 
14. The glasses we’ll raise–starting tonight, and all year long. Because really, if you look hard enough there’s always something to celebrate! 
    
15. The great unknowns. Those big, bold, beautiful things that happen when we open our minds and our hearts to adventure and embrace the wild, wonderful world at our feet. 

Are you ready? 2015, here we come! 

- The SOAS Crew

THE WAY WE ROLL

Say what? New designs? 

Is it just us, or do you all kind of feel like: WHAM, BAM, suddenly it’s NOVEMBER! Which of course means it’s almost December, and therefore nearly January and the start to a whole new year. Time is whipping past like a whirlwind and life can sure feel chaotic, but we’re embracing the momentum with open arms and fearless excitement because so many great things are a part of that crazy storm. It's a wild time for sure, but that's the way we roll.

Sunset Cliffs

Barcelona Nights

Team Race 2015

 

Varsity

For the girls…we introduced bras in late 2014.

A sneak peek of tights-in-progress

Barcelona Nights cycling ensemble

One reason our SOAS bikini bottoms are all in a bunch is the anticipation of our 2015 line. Not only do we have four all-new knock-em-dead designs (if we may say so ourselves), we also have plans to expand beyond our current tri, bike and run basics to introduce some new sport styles as well as a few SOAS lifestyle pieces. We’re dreaming big, driven by our aim to always deliver a perfect trifecta of FASHION, FIT and FUNCTION in everything we do. And, we’re so happy to have you–our loyal and amazing customers–along for the ride! 

SOAS ambassadors at Ironman Arizona. Note SOAS founder Steph's  fancy new tights!

Another thing that has us giddy beyond belief is our SOAS Racing Ambassador Team. In 2014 we pulled together our most impressive team to date–a bevvy of brave and talented beauties (inside and out) from around the globe. These gals grabbed onto the meaning of “team” and sprinted away with it, forming bonds of friendship, fun and support beyond our wildest dreams. They’ve been outright outstanding ambassadors for the brand–women we’re extremely proud to have on board as part of our SOAS family. And now, as we head into 2015, we’re gearing up for an even bigger, better, badder-ass (yes, we take liberties with the English language as well as with sports apparel styling here at SOAS) team than ever before. The number of applications we received for the 2015 team was overwhelming (yep, we read every single one), flattering (we’re humbled at how many of you expressed interest) and a testament to our current team members (because their enthusiasm is highly contagious). There’s a lot to look forward to next year, for sure!

Our team members went wild with signage at IM AZ!

So that’s what we’ve been up to. What about you? We do love hearing from you–so anytime you have a comment, a question, a quip or, heck–even a haiku–to share, post away on our Facebook page or shoot us a personal message (info@soasracing.com).

Meanwhile, enjoy your own whirlwind of activity–whatever it may be and wherever it takes you! 

- The SOAS Crew

MAHALO, KONA!

Somebody pinch us! Kona 2014 has come and gone. Really, our time on the island was like a dream–a whirling dervish dream of awesomeness, full of incredible people, places, performances and non-stop fun. We’re still hanging onto the aloha spirit that infused our week in Hawaii, so before we officially call Kona 2014 a wrap, we want to take you on a photographic recap of the good times that were had by all, SOAS-style.

This was our virgin venture into expo-ing in Kona, and WOW was it a success! Sure, we were thrilled to sell quite a lot of product, but even more important were the connections we made. We met so many women–and men–from around the world, from diehard SOAS fans to folks newly introduced to our products. It was a fantastic experience to meet everyone, to learn about their journeys to Kona, to “talk shop” about the passion behind the brand and to have on-the-spot fashion shows as we helped a number of women find their perfect sizes and styles of SOAS gear.

 

A major focus of our expo booth was our custom Kona gear–limited edition kits, trucker hats and visors that really POPPED with color on race day!

For the second year running we had the honor of outfitting the Triathlete Magazine crew for race week. Maybe you saw them cruising around the course in this custom gear?

Who doesn’t love a party–especially one with a backdrop like this? On Thursday evening of race week we teamed up with the Triathlete crew to host a sunset get together for our industry friends, ambassador athletes and anyone else ready to celebrate at Triathlete’s Ali’i Drive rental house. Between the NUUN cocktails, the Kona Brewing Company beer and the stellar company, it was one heck of a night!

Where do we even begin when talking about our ambassador athletes? These ladies rise to the occasion of representing the SOAS brand, and then some! They are the spunkiest, sparkliest, sassiest, sweetest group of girls we could ask for, and having so many of them together in paradise was the highlight of our week. Six of our athlete ambassadors raced the Ironman World Champs–Gina Crawford, Lectie Altman, Maria Simone, Julie Hunziker, Marie Sorrell & Lori Sherlock–and several others were in town to enjoy the race festivities and cheer (special thanks to ambassador Jen Garcia for many of these awesome race day images).

Spending time with these gals really underscored the importance of our team. We LOVE these ladies! (And a special shout out to Lori Sherlock’s husband Brian–an honorary SOAS athlete–for making the hottest expo day much more bearable with a special delivery of otter pops!)

The SOAS ladies rocked the Kona Underpants Run in our bright color-block bikinis! 

A special surprise awaited all of our Kona-qualified athletes–custom kits for race day! And really, is there anything more badass than having your name emblazoned across your bum?

Then, of course, there’s Gina–make that 8^th PLACE PRO FINISHER GINA CRAWFORD! We’ve enjoyed working with Gina throughout her first year as an official SOAS athlete, so spending time with her on the Big Island was a perfect way to cap the season. Her phenomenal race day performance–where she battled through a stomach bug and managed to work her way through the field with a killer marathon to make her mark in the top ten–gave us all a reason to raise a glass. Congrats Gina! 

Early in race week Gina spent some time doing a Q&A session and meet and greet that we co-hosted with Rudy Project (watch for video from the event coming soon). Then we kitted her out with her own custom race gear, including a one-of-a-kind speed jersey. What do you think–a future in-line product, perhaps?

What else went into Kona race week? In no particular order, there were plenty of mai tais and vino, late night strategy sessions and girl talk, early morning runs, acai bowls and sweet potato fries, and–when all the work was said and done–some fun in the sun. We’re all jazzed up and inspired by the experience, and already plotting an even better Big Island presence next year. Meet us there for mai tais?

Mahalo!

- The SOAS Crew

ENDLESS SUMMER

Yeah, we know Monday was Labor Day and thus the official end to summer. But so what? Fall schmall, autumn schmautumn, winter schminter–we’re just not ready to say buh-bye to the sunshiney-warmth, beach cruiser rides, weekend wave splashing and oh-so-many other things that signify our favorite season.

At SOAS HQ, we’re actually busy extending our summer with some special pieces we’re creating for Kona. That’s right–we’re heading to the Big Island in October to celebrate the Ironman World Championship, and to spread some SOAS love aloha-style. Stay tuned for details on our expo plans and the unique items we’ll create for the event.

But if you can’t jet off to Kona or some other exotic locale to extend the sweet warmth of summer, there are still ways to feel beachy and balmy year-round. An easy trick involves a summery scent–for example, try Bath & Body Works’ Coconut Lime Breeze lotion and you’ll be temporarily transported to the tropics even in the thick of winter. Or, ditch the chill of an early morning run, opting instead to sweat it out at lunchtime, making the most of peak midday sunshine before the seasons truly shift.

Of course, one of the best ways to be sure you sizzle throughout the year is to add a YOWZA burst of bright color to every outfit. We’re talking well beyond white–though we absolutely endorse wearing it past Labor Day. Oomph up your wardrobe with inspired colors like the aqua and orange tones ones you’ll find in our Coral Lummi kit, or the fuchsia that accents our Houndstooth 2.0 ensemble. Sure, wear them while working out–but also give your everyday wear a light, bright boost with lively layers and accents. Let a long tangerine tank peek out from under wooly winter neutrals, or try a neon lime scarf over dark fall thermals.

Use colors, scents and pockets of precious sunshine to push back against the encroaching cold and you’ll be amazed at how well you can hang onto a sparkly, sun-kissed attitude!

- The SOAS Crew