The Eyes Have It - Cindi Lux Tests Innovative Maxsight Contact Lenses for Nike

ALOHA, Ore. September 26, 2006 � Nike's pursuit of excellence in all areas of sport is well documented. So, it was no surprise when the athletic-wear giant called upon fellow Northwesterners Cindi Lux (Aloha Ore.) and NayKid Racing to help develop products for motorsports. When the relationship began several years ago, few would have envisioned that the program would eventually turn to vision. Through connections with Nike, Lux's optometrist, Dr. Lance Anderson at Accent Eyewear, made Dr. Alan W. Reichow and Dr. Fraser Horn of Pacific University College of Optometry aware of the multi-time Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Division champion. They returned with an interesting proposition to explore the use of tinted contact lenses in auto racing applications. Always in search of an advantage on the track, Lux agreed to begin wearing the tinted Nike Vision Maxsight contact lenses throughout the 2006 SCCA Touring One (T1) class season. Now, very much like the development path of the No. 78 KUMHO Tires/Dodge Motorsports/SRT/Nike/MOMO USA/Forgeline Viper SRT10 that Lux has raced to six victories in 11 races this season, the development of the Nike Maxsight lenses have reached the pinnacle of their 2006 performance entering the final race of the season. “Anything that Nike and Bausch & Lomb work on is first class,” said Lux. “I have been wearing contacts since I was 15 years old and without them, I am blind as a bat! I met up with Dr. Horn and he filled me on what Dr. Reichow has been developing and then I was really intrigued. This unique approach of not just building-in sunglasses into the contacts but to really try to make our vision enhanced regardless of the light. Anytime you don't have to wear glasses in a race car is a huge advantage. I have to admit, it took a while to get used to them on track but its getting better. At times the biggest decision is which color of contact to put in�sunny or cloudy. It's kind of like making the call of rain tires for the race cars�rains or dries!! It can be agonizing. It's been a great project so far and will only get better with more time. I think other drivers would be crazy not to try them out.”The Maxsight lenses were first developed eight years ago by Dr. Reichow for sport purposes to reduce glare, enhance contrast with an eye towards helping performance. Like special tint sunglasses, the Maxsight lens provides enhanced visual aid to Lux and the other athletes involved in the Nike research. However, as is the advantage of contact lenses over standard eye glasses, the contacts allow the wearer greater range of motion and remove the worry of the glasses falling off at key moments of performance. They also remove the natural gaps of coverage that glasses have and distortion caused by the curvature of the eyeglass lens. Lux herself used Nike sunglasses in the race car for years to overcome glare and highlight contrasts of the track. The lenses have allowed her to leave the additional piece of equipment in the trailer when she races therefore freeing her of the discomfort of the frames in the tight confines of the helmet.“Motorsports is guided by the driver's eyes and vision. So, any time their vision is distracted by bright light or glare, it can have very detrimental effects,” offered Dr. Horn. “The use of a tinted visor helps, but can give some distortion to the driver's view. Since the Maxsight is on the front part of the eye, it should match the shape of the eye and reduce the chances for distortion and still provide relief from bright light and glare. Therefore, the driver should be able to concentrate on what they do best; drive.”Dr. Horn has been directly involved in the development of the Maxsight lenses with Lux. Dr. Reichow and Dr. Horn have used Nike's extensive network of athletes to study the advantages of the lenses in a variety of professional sports including baseball, football and soccer. Long-term benefits to not only professional athletes but to the average consumer are limitless. Each sport has required its own unique criteria and presented its own problems to overcome for Reichow and Horn. For Lux, the only athlete in the motorsports arena testing the Maxsight lens, the primary issue has been overcoming changing conditions throughout an event and discerning color differences in the flags that warn the driver of danger (yellow), notify of the last lap (white) or the need to make a required pit stop (red).“Right now there are two different colors of lenses,” continued Lux. “These contacts are incredible. Recently in a rain race, I wore the amber (red) lenses and thought it was a sunny day. Everything was so sharp and crisp. I was able to really seperate the dry line and wet line with no problems and at some tracks this can be a tad bit tricky. The development team realizes the need for a third color of contacts for motorsports and they are working on them. We really need something that will help separate colors more. At one point, I couldn't tell the difference of white and yellow flags. But when I do wear these contacts around the paddock, I sure get some strange looks. They just think I am early with my Halloween outfit. But, overall, they are probably one of the coolest things I have tried in a long time.”Lux will utilize the latest iteration of a motorsports tint to the Maxsight lenses at the season championship event, the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. The event will run at Heartland Park Topeka from October 5-14 for Lux and teammate Scotty B. White (Puyallup, Wash.). The winner-takes-all event will be the ideal test bed for the lenses and provide Maxsight and Nike a comprehensive study of the use of the tinted lens in driving applications. Like so many things in motorsports and with Nike, these results may one day provide the average motorist a safety advantage on their way to the grocery store. “In racing, I would say that the biggest advantage to the Maxsight lens would be for reducing glare and enhancing the contrast of the track,” continued Horn. “The lenses reduce the amount of light getting into the eye; therefore they reduce the intensity of the sun and glare. They are also designed for enhancing the contrast of the roadway, making it easier to respond to the conditions. Though these lenses were initially marketed for sports that utilize a ball or target, the possibilities are endless. Ideally for motorsports, if the need is great enough, there could be a racing tint in the future. This will all be influenced by the feedback we receive from Cindi.”To see more of this innovative Nike product, please visit www.Nike.comMore on the Nike Vision Maxsight lenses can be found at www.NikeVision.comFor more on NayKid Racing please see www.NayKidRacing.comInformation on Cindi Lux is at www.CindiLux.com