Global water instinct brand arena known, for making bold statements with eye catching and podium topping technical racing suits, releases 12 new limited edition Powerskin Carbon Series colors that continue to advance the appearance of elite competitive swimming from a sea of black to an explosion of self-expression and stand-out performances.
Rebecca Soni (courtesy of Arena USA)
arena’s launch of its carbon legacy in 2012 with the Powerskin Carbon-Pro not only ushered in a new realm of high-performance racing suits, it also made an aesthetic statement as color made a welcome return to the competition pool. Released in bold contemporary shades of red, blue and green, it caught the eye, standing out on the blocks with visual dominance. A month before the 2012 London Olympics, a very special “White Hot” Limited Edition raised the stakes with fiery flames etched on a steely grey background – highlighting both the athlete and the unprecedented technology. arena swimmers duly fanned the flames as they topped the podium and shattered records, Rebecca Soni leading the charge with two new world marks and a medal haul of two golds and one silver.
Along with several members of arena’s Elite Team around the world, Soni played a leading role in the development of the groundbreaking POWERSKIN Carbon Pro through extensive prototype testing and feedback. The world took notice as she sliced through the water in London in a flash of color and touched the wall first, cementing the new Carbon legacy with her performance, her attitude, her look – professional, striking, smart.
Following Rebecca’s retirement, arena’s racing colors carried her torch with stylish Italian expression, introducing orange and cyan innovations in full-suit or highlights that accented the 2013 Carbon-Pro MK2’s lines. Anthracite black with vibrant magenta detailing followed in 2014 with the POWERSKIN Carbon-Flex Limited Edition, and then fluorescent green and steel grey color combos in 2015 for the Carbon-Flex World Championship Edition. Launched the same year, the POWERSKIN Carbon-Air featured striking electric blue and fuschia versions, while the Cobra Ultra goggles also got in on the act, brightening the pool scene with its own spectrum ranging from shocking pink to deep blue and lime green.
The arrival of the new POWERSKIN colors marks the fifth anniversary of arena’s debut of color on deck and the milestone performances set by Soni in the competition pool. The new colors offer a palette of striking visual combinations from the past and the future, using a new approach with a balanced yet unconventional touch that explores how interactions between fabric, color, light and the human body affect the swimmer. In this way, color itself is instilled with a new importance and quality that is tangible, physical, and in turn creates captivating sensory experiences for the swimmer.
The new colors will take center stage in Budapest this week during some of the world’s most anticipated Fina World Championships races. Seasoned superstar Sarah Sjöström will be racing in the Carbon Ultra during her 50m and 100m buttlerflies and freestyle races. The ubiquitous champion Katinka Hosszu and sprint-phenom Adam Peaty will unleash their power in the Carbon Flex VX. Meanwhile, the Carbon Air hits the deck on South Africa’s master of butterfly, Chad Le Clos. U.S.A. middle-distance swimmer and rising star Madisyn Cox will be making her World Championship debut also in the Carbon Air. As these athletes prepare for their races against the world’s top swimmers, looking and feeling good, may well tip the balance when the time comes to hand out medals.
About arena
For over 40 years arena has equipped the world’s leading swimmers and lovers of watersports with racing, training, and leisure swimwear and accessories built on a foundation of in-depth research, technical know-how, and an unyielding commitment to quality. With U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore., Arena is the exclusive outfitter of the U.S. National Team, and a proud partner of USA Swimming. www.arenausa.com.
Swimming news courtesy of Arena, a SwimSwam partner.
