Heidi Rowsell, Sunice Marketing Director

As a golfer, you’re often battling your fragile psyche … and Mother Nature.  I’ll address the former in future interviews but for the latter, you’ve come to the right place.  Sunice is a Canadian outerwear company that prides itself on keeping golfers warm and dry.  And they do it in a stylish fashion with colorful, state-of-the-art fabrics that make you look like a player.  At the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Sunice’s Marketing Director, Heidi Rowsell, gave me a tour of her company’s “technical outerwear.”

Sunice, by the way, is outfitting the U.S. Solheim Cup team in 2011 and 2013. They were also kind enough to  supply me with some of their Gore-Tex duds for my trip this week to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.  I’ll be in the MetLife Blimp Friday morning, snug as an otter in Carmel Bay wrapped in kelp.

Golf Conversations: How do you pronounce the name of your company?

Heidi Rowsell: Sun-Ice.  It’s like the two words melted together.

GC: Sun-Ice.  Got it. How did the name come about?

HR: The company was founded in the ski industry in Alberta, Canada in 1976.  The name reflects the concept of being comfortable and warm in icy, cold country.

Then it branched out into different areas within sportswear.  In the early 90s it branched out into the golf world.  Then it licensed the brand to its current owners, Fletcher Leisure Group.  And Fletcher bought the brand in 2004 so now we own Sunice outright.

We own multiple golf brands in Canada.  And we distribute certain brands, such as Adams golf equipment, in Canada.  We own Sunice brand, AUR which is a golf fashion apparel line for men and women … and the Sunice brand is still available in the ski industry as well.  So we have a ski business and a golf business.

GC: And the golf business, you said, started in the early 90s?

HR: Yes.

GC: And how would you describe your golf apparel?

HR: It’s technical outerwear.

GC: Technical outerwear?  Explain to me what that means.

HR: We’re designing outerwear to protect you from the elements.  “Technical” because in order to develop a garment that’s going to be waterproof and breathable, there are technical features and designs to that.

How are you going to achieve that?  Well, you have to have a laminate that is sealed against the fabric.  It’s very technical – there’s a real science to developing these laminations that are bonded to fabrics.

GC: Is Gore-Tex an example of a technical fabric?

HR: Gore-Tex is the Sunice high-end category.  It offers a lifetime waterproof guarantee.  It’s the most recognized fabric in the world.

GC: Yes.

HR: It’s the only fabric actually asked for by name.  It has a 98% repeat purchase ….

GC: I ask for it but I never get it.

(laughter)

HR: It’s very high-end.  It’s an expensive construction.  We have that in our Hurricane category.  That’s for your avid golfer, somebody who’s really investing in outerwear that’s going to function and perform.  It’s not going to impede their swing or affect their score on the golf course.

Also, for somebody who’s interested in “Destination Golf.”  If you’re going to play St. Andrews, for example, you know the weather can be very iffy.  You don’t want rain to stand in your way.  And, of course, professional golfers as well.

GC: Did you see the Ryder Cup last year, what happened with the US team’s rain suits?

HR: Yes, it was very unfortunate.  They had leakage issues.  I can’t comment exactly on what happened with their product.

GC: Of course not.

HR: But I can tell you that would never happen with Sunice, with our Gore-Tex apparel.  It would not happen.  Gore-Tex is waterproof.  It’s 100% waterproof with a lifetime guarantee.  Not a lot of brands will throw that on to their product as a tag line but it is exactly that.

Another thing that’s very important in waterproof outerwear is being sure that it’s seam-sealed.

GC: For our seam-sealed-challenged readers, please explain.

HR: Obviously, stitching on a garment creates small holes.  Minute as they may be, water can seep through those holes, especially if you’re outside playing in the rain…

GC: And the wind is blowing…

HR: The wind is blowing, you’re carrying a bag, maybe straps on your shoulders … a lot of vigorous action with your body – you’re working that water down into the garment and it could go through.  Your seams need to be sealed.  That’s vital.  We do not have an item in our collection that we would label “waterproof” if it is not seam sealed.

We have water repellant items.  And I can tell you right now that they’re not seam sealed … and they are not positioned as “waterproof.”

We have different levels of waterproofness:  We have a 3-year waterproof guarantee, a 4-year waterproof guarantee in our stretch category, which is a proprietary fabric to Sunice known as “FlexVent.”  And then we have a lifetime waterproof guarantee which is the Gore-Tex in the Hurricane category.

GC: And that’s the one I want.  Lifetime!

(laughter)

HR: Of course, your price points vary within those different levels of protection. Depending on the type of golfer you are … if you’re really an avid golfer and you play in a lot of bad weather conditions, then you want Gore-Tex.

GC: That’s what I want!  I’m an avid, lousy golfer who wants to stay dry.

(laughter)

HR: If it’s just going to be occasional … you might be in a climate where you might not have as much rain and wind, you can go a little lower on your protection level.  But it’s really about the golfer and what they’re looking for.

GC: Is Gore-Tex the only one that is seam sealed?

HR: Within our collection?

GC: Yes.

HR: No.  If we are labeling an item as “waterproof,” it’s seam sealed.  Every single item.

GC: Why is Gore-Tex so expensive?  I think the average person doesn’t understand that.

HR: It’s more expensive because of the attention, the time it takes to develop these laminates.  The process involved in bonding that laminate to the actual fabric … the testing that you have to go through with fabrics to make sure they’re up to par…

GC: So to speak.

HR: Yes.  Exactly.

GC: I’ll make the bad puns here, Heidi.

(laughter)

HR: Yes, very funny.

(laughter)

So yeah, it’s a higher-end garment.  There are more steps involved in making sure that you’re getting the best of the best when you’re creating a fabric at that level.  So obviously, it’s going to cost more.

GC: I see you have all these different styles and brands.  Do you want to walk me through your different categories?

HR: Sure.  Sunice – right now, within the Canadian market, we own roughly 60% market share within the golf outerwear business.

GC: Are you still in Alberta?

HR: No.  We are now located in Montreal, Canada.  That’s where the Fletcher Leisure Group is.  We know weather in Canada.  We have a very short golf season, so we’re all about making sure that we can extend it as much as we can.

So here our different categories:  we’ve got Hurricane with Gore-Tex – that’s the crème de la crème.  Lifetime waterproof guarantee.  We have a full-stretch category that offers a 4-year waterproof guarantee.  It’s fully seam-sealed with FlexVent, a proprietary fabric owned by Sunice.  It’s been on the market for two years now.  It’s been extremely successful for us.  The biggest benefit is freedom of movement; it’s comfortable and quiet.

GC: When you say “stretch,” do you mean it’s kind of a clingy fabric?

HR: I wouldn’t say “clingy.”  No.  That’s a negative to me.  It’s full-stretch – it’s soft, it’s supple. When you touch that garment, you think there’s no way that it’s waterproof.  But it’s fully waterproof and highly breathable.  Breathability is also extremely important.  You can wear a garbage bag and remain dry but you’ll sweat.

GC: Why are you looking at my sport jacket when you say that?

HR: No.  Not all.

(laughter)

GC: But I know what you’re talking about.  You get that clammy feeling.

HR: You need to let the moisture escape from your body.  This is a highly breathable laminate that we’ve applied to our fabric.  This is what’s called FlexVent.  And you can see how the seams are sealed.

GC: Do they seal that with a machine or is it sealed by hand?

HR: I haven’t been to the factory that does the tape sealing, but it’s a heat-transfer process.

GC: Tell your boss you need to go to that factory!

HR: That’s ok, I don’t need to go to Asia right now.

GC: You’re right.  That’s a long trip.  Ok, let me get this straight: you sell tops and bottoms, right?

HR: Yes.

GC: Forgive me, I don’t have the garment-o lingo down.

(laughter)

HR: That’s ok.  This is a full-zip jacket.  And this is a quarter-zip pullover.

GC: Now I would have said that that’s a half-zip.

HR: You’re right, it’s not exactly a quarter zip …

GC: Ok, now we’re getting somewhere!  Alright, half zip.  What’s this?

HR: Here we have another technology: this is WindStopper, another fabric from the Gore family that’s part of our Pro Sport category.  But let me sum up our categories for you…

Hurricane:  Gore-Tex.  Lifetime Waterproof Guarantee.

Tornado:  FlexVent.  4-year waterproof guarantee.

Typhoon:  A fabric that we call “zephal.” 3-year waterproof guarantee.  Very lightweight garment.

And then we have two brands that reside in our wind and water repellency categories, known as Pro Sport and Sport.  Pro Sport is the higher-end garment which houses our WindStopper from Gore.  100% windproof and highly breathable.  So the wind cannot penetrate but the microscopic pores will allow the air to escape.

GC: So this would be good on a windy day when it’s not necessarily going to rain.

HR: Exactly.  But you could still wear it in a light drizzle.  It’s highly, highly, highly water repellant.  But we do not say it’s waterproof  because…?

GC: You didn’t seal the seams.

HR: Exactly.

GC: You’re a good teacher, Heidi.  Ok, this is a full zipper?

HR: Yes, this is a full zip.

GC: And this little zipper on the pocket … this is a midget zipper?

(laughter)

What do you call this?

HR: This is a decorative chest pocket detail.

GC: You could put your iPhone in there.

HR: You could put your iPhone in there.  You could put your iPod in there.

GC: Yes.  You could also put your tees in there.  It’s good-looking stuff, Heidi.  So let me recap: you’re selling technical outerwear?

HR: Performance technical outerwear that will protect you from the elements.

GC: So it’s going to be a jacket and/or pants?

HR: Jackets and pants … wind shirts, layering pieces as well – lightweight, full- sleeve-length layering pieces.  Which we have for women as well.  We have vests.  We have an extensive collection.  It’s a very thick catalog.

GC: Yes.  And I see you’ve got these garments here with the Solheim Cup logos.

HR: We’re dressing the U.S. team; we’re the official supplier for the 2011 and 2013 Solheim Cup teams.

GC: Are you going to Ireland this year to see the matches?

HR: I am.

GC: Take me with you?

(laughter)

HR: They are wearing Gore-Tex.

GC: Of course.  Captain Rosie Jones would accept nothing less for her team!

HR: They will need protection from the elements and we guarantee they will be dry.

GC: If not, you’ll be on the first flight back to Canada!

(laughter)

HR: And I’ll be looking for a job!

GC: No, no, no.  The Sunice rain suits have Gore-Tex and they’re seam sealed.  The U.S. ladies will be dryer than Vegas in August.

HR: No worries.

GC: What are these?

HR: These are some of the hot, new colors that we just launched for Fall.  Sunice is very much known in the industry for bringing a little more fashion, a little more color, a little more interesting detail to what is often boring outerwear.

GC: I agree that golf rain suits are pretty boring.  Nice of you guys to add a little pizazz to a category that needs it.  If I’m going to three-putt in a downpour, dammit, I want to at least look good doing it!

(laughter)

Let me use a non-technical term to describe your technical outerwear: Sunice is gorgeous! Thanks for showing it to me, Heidi.

HR: You’re welcome.

********************************

In a GolfConversations exclusive, I’ll be traveling to Pebble Beach this week to gaze down on the Monterey Peninsula from the MetLife Blimp.

When Sunice learned that I was headed to Pebble – where “Crosby” weather of high winds and cold rain can suddenly appear – they graciously offered me protection from the elements.  Specifically, they sent me a jacket and pants from their Hurricane Gore-Tex collection.

I really like the cool microfiber cloth that’s attached to a strap within one of the jacket’s pockets.  Of course, this is for drying your golf ball while playing in the rain … or removing the morning dew from your orb.  And the full-length sleeves can be zipped off to create half sleeves, another cool feature.

When I see this kind of attention to detail in a product, I know that someone was using their noodle when it was designed.  And that speaks to me of “quality.”

Thank you, Sunice!