Henry Brincat
A new sportswear firm, the French brand Oxbow, are now in Malta opening shop in Sliema (at the Plaza) and Qawra.
It is represented in Malta by Bonello Limited of Bamboo Fashion Stores.
Ever since its creation in 1985, Oxbow has been a unique brand for sportswear garments and accessories that has always stood out by its expression of a peerless attitude.
Since its creation, Oxbow has presented a special sports event every year each time changing location, visiting different exotic spots around the world to stage the events.
One of these activities, which has become very popular is the Last Frontiers eXplorers (LFX) which offered a free ride/free style expression as opposite to normal competitions where participants have to adhere to strict rules. This reflects the idea of ‘Escape’ from the restricting systems to a zone of freedom and fun.
Two such expeditions were completed last year the first of which took the competitors to the north of the Arctic circle, and the second went into an uncharted region of the Maldives. Among the riders present for the Arctic event were Stephan Routin, Ludovic Strohl, Alessandro Boyen, Igor Dominguez, Florent Cuviller and Oskar Norberg, while in the second event, there were Manoa Drollet, Malik Joyeux, Duane Desoto, Taylor Jensen and Nigel Gibb.
The LFX programme has scheduled three expeditions for this year, one for surfing and kiting, another for skiing and snowboarding and a third for mountain-biking. The destinations have not yet been announced.
Another event which has grown in stature over the years is the French Oxbow MX, last year held on September 25 and 26.
It is nowadays considered as the biggest gathering in Europe of motocross riders. For last year’s event, held at the tiny village of Reygades in the Correze (73 inhabitants), some 800 enthusiasts registered to take part around an outstanding circuit in a rural setting on the top of the Dordogne valley. And there were around 10,000 spectators watching the over 100 races in 17 categories!
The event honoured a living legend in the form of Graham Noyce, England’s world champion in the supreme category of motor-cycling in 1979 in his Honda and his magnificent shiny 500 CRM machines. The tradition has been upheld and carried on over the years by other remarkable champions such as Stephane Peterhansel, Jean Michel Bayle, Christian Sarron, Nicolas Vouilloz and the American Jimmy O’Mara.
Yves Demaria was among the stars of the event and Jeremy Rouanet, at the tender age of 18, delighted spectators with Europe’s very first public outdoor Backflip. Amid great suspense and in perfect silence, he performed a perfect figure with remarkable precision. Immediately after his achievement, he was back in the air again, but as a hero, carried by a throng of rejoicing spectators.
In the Elite category, Thierry Bethys won the gold medal with France’s young star and genuine revelation for last year, Christophe Pourcel, hard on his heels in each race. Antoine Letellier was third.
The event was heralded as a great edition and it lived up to all its promises. It confirmed its success both in terms of concept and spirit, and in terms of scope.
The link between Oxbow and such activities is, of course, established on the one hand by leading international figures in sport, who act as genuine ambassadors of its culture, and on the other hand thanks to the dimension and success of the sporting events organised by the brand.
Among the top class performers who make use of Oxbow products are Brazil’s Phil Rajzman, surfing style master, and Eduardo Bage Fortes Brayner, another Brazilian well known in surfing circles.
Oxbow has deliberately opted for a commitment on several outdoor action sports: Surfing, Wakeboarding, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Snowboarding, Skiing, Mountain Biking and Motocross.
The Oxbow sportsmen are genuine technicians in their respective fields. They contribute fully to the development of the brand’s products.
Near the end of last year, Oxbow also scooped a magazine award – Surfwear brand of the year in the Men’s Fitness Active Awards. Their No-Fly boardshort beat off competition from International Surfwear brands to win the award.