ROKA Sports, Inc. today announced the release of the Maverick X wetsuit, a breakthrough in performance technology that represents both an evolution in innovation and a revolution in design. ROKA set out to create the freest, fastest wetsuit ever built, and the company achieved a new milestone that liberates swimmers from restriction like no other wetsuit.
Rob Canales, Co-Founder and CEO of ROKA said, “We have engineered a new wetsuit design with technologies that translate to faster swimming with better mechanics, less effort and no shoulder strain. With more than three decades of elite swimming experience, the ROKA development team has an obsession with flexibility. It led to a unique patent-pending innovation called Revolution X that allows the Maverick X wetsuit to offer unrivaled mobility by virtually eliminating restriction.”
A key breakthrough came in defying the conventional design paradigm of setting the upper limbs in the arms-down position, an approach to patternmaking that restricts movement during the critical “catch phase” of the freestyle swim stroke. ROKA developed the Maverick X by starting with the arms up, and continued prototyping to pinpoint a golden ratio in the interplay between arm position and patterning.
Seven-time triathlon World Champion Javier Gómez Noya told ROKA, “It was hard to believe you could improve the ‘old’ Maverick but you did. The arms-up pattern is a revolution in wetsuits and finally gives the shoulder the freedom that swimmers want.”
With RSX Body Positioning Technology, the Maverick X utilizes smart buoyancy to put the swimmer in the fastest body position possible. Engineered zones optimize swim mechanics and power generation, enhancing buoyancy where human physiology needs it most, and reducing buoyancy where it gets in the way of speed.
Every panel is strategically designed to improve overall performance and help athletes swim faster with less effort. A proprietary liner grid is engineered with eight strategic neoprene/liner combinations, and each is purpose-built for compression, flexibility, form enhancement, thermodynamics, core connection, and transition.
In addition to unrestrained shoulder mobility and the benefits of tuned buoyancy, the Maverick X features additional advances in design, construction and materials. Its Revolution X pattern takes advantage of new independent neck paneling and suspension for better comfort, fit and seal. To help swimmers maintain speed and proper mechanics as they fatigue, the new wetsuit offers enhanced power transfer and core connection without restricting breathing. The forearms are crafted with an Italian stretch-woven textile that minimizes the boundary between the arm and water to maximize proprioception, speed and hydrodynamics. The Maverick X is made with premium Yamamoto neoprene, a durable nano-coated material that makes the wetsuit ultra-fast in water.
Canales continued, “No wetsuit in history enhanced swimming performance like the Maverick Pro, and the new Maverick X takes ROKA innovations in mobility, speed, fit and comfort to a new level. We are proud to offer this breakthrough wetsuit design to those who share our passion for performance and the uncompromising standards of excellence that drive athletes to achieve their best and beyond.”
Eliminating the middlemen, ROKA is able to reduce margins and make its premium wetsuits available to athletes at a significantly reduced cost. This direct-to-consumer focus also helps ROKA better control the quality of its products, as well as the quality of its relationships with customers. The new Maverick X wetsuit is available at the company’s website.
Visit www.rokasports.com to learn more about the Maverick X and the company’s expanding lines of premium performance apparel and equipment. Follow ROKA on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About ROKA Sports, Inc.
ROKA is a premium multisport brand dedicated to empowering athletes with the performance technologies they need to realize and redefine their potential. Like the athletes it serves, ROKA believes reaching one’s best is not a destination but the first step on the next journey of greatness, and the company continually strives to achieve the most innovative, premium products available for those who demand the best.
ROKA was founded by two former Stanford All-American swimmers who, after being frustrated by the offerings on the market, set out to make the fastest wetsuits on the planet. After launching in 2013, ROKA has seen tremendous growth, and its products are now relied upon by numerous world-class athletes including ITU World Champions, IRONMAN® Champions and Olympic medalists. Today, ROKA continues to make a difference for athletes who share its passion for excellence, and the company is building on its reputation for quality, performance and unsurpassed customer experience as it expands into new product categories. For more information, visit www.rokasports.com.
Swimming News is courtesy of ROKA Sports, a SwimSwam partner.