There is only one thing that we at NRC are even more proud of than our sunglasses: our Ambassadors . Determined, courageous… sometimes even a little crazy athletes, who constantly put themselves on the line to improve themselves and to push their boundaries a little further.
We choose these testimonials carefully and create a personal relationship with them, based on continuous exchanges. This is because for us Ambassadors are not a whim, nor a simple marketing issue.
Cyclists, sailors, kite surfers, triathletes from all over the world : these extraordinary athletes are, in fact, an integral part of the creative process behind NRC sunglasses.
First, we ask our athletes to reveal to us what the specific needs are related to each individual sport discipline. What are those little tricks that are not found in any sunglasses, but that could potentially change your life… at least on the field or track .
Paolo Fiacchi , a triathlete, has very clear ideas on the subject: “When I go out running, I look for protection and comfort in sunglasses. The latter is very important because when running, and especially when trail running, it is normal to make sudden and unexpected movements. Another feature that glasses must have is scratch resistance”.
Irene Murru , a kite surfing champion, instead opts for “ lightness, comfort, a large mirrored lens , a bit like a mask, to protect from splashes and the sun”.
Alessandro Marolli , a young sailing promise, when he is on a boat needs first of all “perfect visibility of the water surface, because the greater the clarity, the better you can interpret the wind and weather conditions. But equally important, he tells us, are “stability during maneuvers, to avoid the risk of losing your glasses (even if the NRC Watersport ones have a frame made of floating material!) and a high-performance lens that is able to protect from the strongest sun on the water and from splashes”.
José Sabao instead meticulously summarizes the fundamentals of cycling glasses: “A good field of vision, a quality lens, impact resistance, lightness, comfort and good ventilation”.
Before we put our sunglasses on the market, we entrust them to our Ambassadors, asking them to test them intensively in the field, so as to identify all the strengths, but also the weaknesses of our models. Based on these opinions and views, we perfect our models and are able to make them the best available for each individual sport.
Alessandro Marolli says: “I try to use the glasses they give me to test in the most variable conditions, from a light breeze with sun to strong winds with high waves. The same goes for the hours of the day, for different situations - for example, there is a difference between sailing on a lake or at sea - and even in distant geographical locations”. Only in this way is it possible to verify that the Watersport glasses perform at their best in all situations.
Alessandro continues about his role as Ambassador/tester : “I have been using their glasses for a long time: the first ones were different and over the years they have really evolved a lot. For example, stability has improved and they have become very light, I almost don’t realize I’m wearing them. I think these improvements also have to do with my feedback”.
“The fact that NRC reposts my stories and posts on the Instagram profile shows that it is interested in product feedback from its Ambassadors and in picking up any ideas for improving the products,” explains Paolo Fiacchi.
This refinement work, however, does not stop at the pre-production stage. Even once a pair of glasses is on the market, we continue to collect feedback from our athletes to be able to create, where necessary, “upgrades” to existing models, in a process of continuous improvement that will only stop when we reach absolute perfection.
It is also very useful for us to know directly from our Ambassadors what differentiates NRC glasses from the competition .
José Sabao has no doubts: “When I try NRC glasses I am always surprised by their lightness . The other important thing is the comfort you feel when the frame touches your skin: the fit is excellent and thanks to the ventilation, sweat is never a problem”.
Depending on the sport they practice, each Ambassador ultimately has different ideas about their favorite NRC models.
Irene Murru, who as mentioned when kite surfing prefers wraparound glasses that protect from splashes, chooses the “mask-type” ones and wears LUXE.65.ORO .
For “everyday life”, Alessandro Marolli loves the P-RIDE.HOCO “because they have incredible colors”. But when he goes out on the laser he chooses the X5.TPX.BKME.POL , “because they are perfect for the boat: they have an amazing lens and are very enveloping even laterally, so as to protect the eyes from the sun from every angle”.
Paolo Fiacchi chooses the P-RIDE.HCG : “They are perfect for trail running , they are enveloping and very light. The comfort and visual comfort are two of the aspects that I appreciate the most, in addition to the fact that I also find them aesthetically beautiful”.
José Sabao goes further and does not limit himself to a single model: “The ALMATT® and ALMATT+® lenses are the strong point of NRC, with their excellent visual quality, contrast and color adjustment and the perception of surfaces. And then there is the style, which is truly unique”. However, having to indicate a particular pair of glasses, he does not hold back and focuses on the LUXE.65.ZAFFIRO .
In short, everyone has their own tastes, but above all, everyone, depending on the discipline they practice, has their own needs. But everyone, with their contribution, is an integral part of the work of constant improvement carried out by NRC to provide its customers with the best sports sunglasses ever.