Normally, the first person you meet in a new country is a customs officer. Normally, they ask you questions, you answer and—in my case—hope you’re not detained. What isn’t normal is when something you say, like: “I’ve come to New Zealand to launch the new Dr. Cool and Coolcore brands at the Rotorua Marathon,” sends that normally stoic customs officer into a bubbly 10-minute chat, bringing a three-747s-long line of travelers to a halt…

“Oh, you’re going to Rotorua for the marathon?! I know the bloke that runs the show! Did you know it’s the 50th anniversary? S’posed to be one of the world’s toughest courses. Did you know the whole city smells like sulfur? Yeah, volcanic lake, Rotorua—YOU WAIT YOUR TURN!!!—you’re just going to have the best time…” From that encounter on, Kiwis proved to be some of the most good-natured people on earth, “…Yeah, be sure to tell so-and-so I sent ya! Good on ya, mate… NEXT!”

And they extended the same warm reception I received to our revolutionary new technology! We had an incredible debut, selling out of many of our different accessories and wraps in just two days to the thousands of runners and supporters in attendance over the weekend.

Despite the waning warm weather in the Southern Hemisphere, our Coolcore cooling accessories—especially the headbands and sleeves—helped many runners regulate their temperatures during the race around the lake. And Dr. Cool was there at the finish-line to provide ice and compression to the inescapable injuries associated with endurance racing.

I don’t care which side of the world you are on, runners LOVE our products! That’s because being comfortable and healthy are key to performing at your best, regardless of which side of the equator you are running on.

And you know what? Within minutes of walking into the expo center, the “bloke” the customs officer said he knew found me and introduced himself! There may not be many of them, but kiwis are definitely friendly! And, hopefully, now a little cooler too!

So, next time you are running around down under, be sure to look for us!

Good on ya!

– Zack Tips