The Yellow Bastard 4 banger returns at Watsonville Speedway where I had a blast wheeling and some decent battles. Grabbed a 2nd place finish for Heat Wave on my second ever roundy-round dirt race.
Getting up and going to events is how we made our first sale and more importantly was the key to exposing our brand to the world. It showed everyone who we really were and that we werenāt just talking about it, we were really about it. Grassroots events are a huge part of what makes Heat Wave what it is and will always be part of our DNA. This Founders Friday weāre talking about all the latest moves in events, with the addition of the East Coast team doubling our reach, SNS 3 at the HQ June 13th, CAD May 14th (next week) Racing the NASCAR race cars at Velocity at the end of the month, and sponsoring our local dirt track and wheeling our new 4 banginā yellow bastard.
For this episode of Founderās Friday, itās time to do a product developer reveal. Spoiler alert - Donāt read any further!
One of my absolute favorite things to do is develop products. Play with ideas, what ifs, and problem-solve. Whether itās listening to feedback and fine-tuning existing products or making big jumps with something entirely new.
The LPF system with the Skynet is our first product from what I am calling our āSpecial Projects Division,ā where we can explore new tech with potential rollout to our core products. Whether that be in manufacturing, materials, or processes and application.
The LPF system with the Skynet frame represents several instances of exploration from this Special Project Division, with the most obvious being the LPF. Never has a production piece of eyewear been sold with any type of lens protection applied from the factory. We are already working on further developments within the LPF line to offer more options in styles, tints, and even ease of application. This is literally just the beginning.
The LPF system aside, there are tons of other cool things we rolled out in the Skynet frame, such as a profile lens built specifically for the Skynet with a molded-in structure that allows us to remove the entire center of the frame. This provides an infinite vertical FOV with zero obstructions. The side shields and hinges, along with the nose piece, are permanently fused to the back side of the lens, giving a look that is nothing but lens, reducing overall weight, making these our lightest frames ever. The hinges feature enhanced quality, fit, and feel, with a satisfying cam snap design. These are truly just packed full of features, and Iām proud to say it was done while still keeping the glasses themselves and the entire kit with films affordable.
Your support and feedback for the past 12+ years mean the world to me and everyone at Heat Wave. It allows us to continue pushing the envelope and investing in unique projects and features that aim to give back, elevating your experience and satisfaction with the brand and product. Thank you.
Merely a business expense š«° The new 65 Continental makes the perfect chariot for Tomcat purchases. Photos by @briiiiizy for the Amber aviator release.
With the Mint 400 just one week away, it made perfect sense to dig into what the Mint is for Heat Wave. Most brands seem to have a defining moment or thing that put them on the map. It never felt like we really had anything that stood out as our āITā but after sitting down and going thru the years on this episode it made me realize that our āITā wasnāt a moment, but many combined and they all revolved around the The Mint 400.
The Mint was far from our fist show. We got the brand off the ground on the backs of grassroots events. But this may have been the first time someone took us seriously, and maybe even the first time we took ourselves seriously. From outsider, we fell in love. We hit our first year in 2014 on Fremont Street as nobodies with not even a pop-up tent to the official eyewear sponsor by 2016. 10 years later has been Heat Wave history in the making. At this event we have connected with so many of you and created relationships that will last a lifetime. We are forever grateful for the support that the off-road racers and fans have showed us, and of course the Mint 400 and the Martelli brothers for welcoming us to be part of The Great American Off-Road Race legacy. For some itās a race, but for Heat Wave itās become part of our DNA.
