Alaska's new look

Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu said the Aces’ new look brought good luck in their 93-88 win over Petron in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday. Whether the uniforms had really anything to do with moving Alaska a step closer to the playoffs or not is debatable. What isn’t debatable is the Aces’ fresh playing togs made heads turn because they’re fashionable, handsome and state-of-the-art-looking.

Assistant team manager Dickie Bachmann said the uniforms were supplied by 2XU (Two Times You), a leading sports apparel company from Melbourne. The Aces wore the garb for the first time in the game against the Blaze Boosters.

“It’s extremely comfortable, like you’re not wearing anything,” said Bachmann. “They use sublimation, meaning what’s on the uniform is impressed on the fabric without stitching or embroidery so there’s no possibility of skin irritation. It’s like dri-fit only the fabric is different. The jersey is made of lightweight material. It hardly weighs anything so an athlete’s performance is enhanced. All the uniforms were made in Australia.”

2XU was initially tapped by Uytengsu to provide uniforms for Alaska’s youth football camps and company-sponsored triathlon events. When Uytengsu found out that 2XU is being used by 21 NBA teams, he asked about supplying uniforms, jackets, shooting shirts and playing apparel for the Aces.

“This conference, we weren’t able to provide specific sizing so we’re going by general sizes,” said Bachmann. “Next conference, the uniforms will be made to fit. 2XU is our apparel sponsor and I think they spent about P500,000 for our requirements. They’re bringing in compression suits, too, so I estimate the total sponsorship to be around P1 Million.”

Alaska signed a three-year contract with 2XU. “We’re very excited with our partnership with 2XU and the Aces will benefit from the technology they have to offer,” said Uytengsu. “I’m familiar with 2XU from my triathlon training and racing and have no doubt that our players will appreciate the benefits of compression and the quality gear that is sure to be the new standard in the PBA.”

2XU started out in cycling, running and general fitness. But it has branched out into other sports. Among the brand’s endorsers are the New York Giants’ Steve Weatherford, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Derrick Williams (who played in the NBA All-Star series in Manila last July), Ironman Michael Weiss (not the Azkals coach) and stand-up paddleboard champion Jenny Kalmbach. The NBA teams using 2XU’s compression technology include the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2XU was established in 2005 and is fast becoming the most technical sports brand in the world. Brand endorsers said 2XU is heavily into research and development technology with a focus on being innovative to create apparel that is light, flexible, systematic and body-sensitive. “We’re learning from the human form to create zonal applications, moving with the body, not restricting it,” 2XU said. “Balancing the zones in garments, the garments on the body, and considering the way each garment works in unison.”

Compression bandaging has been used by doctors and therapists for over 150 years but only recently has it been confirmed that there are considerable benefits to wearing compression garments during and after exercise. “Compression garments have now been proven to aid numerous facets of everyday life,” said 2XU. “Not only for athletic training and recovery but for those looking to reduce the physiological impact of long-haul flights or even women suffering pregnancy-induced edema.”

2XU’s fabric technology incorporates the use of Xylitol embedded in the yarn to draw heat from the body and inhibits penetration of infrared rays, Swiss-designed aerodynamics for endurance and power, Italian hydrodynamic high-gauge engineering to prevent water penetration and lycra to reduce fatigue by containing the muscles.

Last Friday, the Aces were in their 2XU jerseys but luck ran out on Alaska. B-Meg employed stifling defense to trigger a searing transition attack that led to 24 fastbreak points and scuttled the Aces, 90-75, at the Cuneta Astrodome.

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B-Meg’s Joe De Vance sat out the Alaska game to rest his painful right foot. His condition is plantar fasciitis but luckily, the muscle on his sole isn’t torn. It’s a condition that afflicts athletes with a high arch.

“How soon I come back depends on our results,” said De Vance. “The doctors advise rest so as not to aggravate it. Luckily, no muscle is torn. If we make it to the playoffs with some games to spare, maybe, I can prolong my rest to get ready for the next phase. Right now, I’ll rest and heal it.”

With De Vance in civvies, B-Meg coach Tim Cone picked up free agent Mike Burtscher who played 13 games for Alaska two seasons back. Burtscher, a hard-working forward, played seven minutes in the second quarter of the Alaska game, displaying the kind of defensive intensity that convinced Cone to bring him over. That quarter, Alaska was limited to eight points. Burtscher was born in Switzerland and raised by his Filipina mother. At 16, he was abandoned by his mother and abusive stepfather. Earning travel money by doing odd jobs like bathroom tiling and taking orders at McDonald’s, Burtscher made his way from Baden to Manila and found his mother in a mental asylum in Leyte. He eventually landed on a basketball court and made the sport his ticket to a better life.