What are RANGS, you ask? Well, I’ll get to that in a minute….first, lets talk about famous customers! Being the only competitive swim shop in Arkansas, I occasionally get a local celebrity come in the door and it’s always a treat for me! Today, a retired Arkansas politician came in to pick up his RANGS. He had been waiting for them for about a month….I finally got my shipment in and he was excited to get them!

You know, you watch these important figures on TV and they are always serious and business-like and bigger than life. Especially, those that make decisions that impact all of us. But…when they are here, they are just regular people….Often they show up on their way home from the pool and they may have on workout clothes or have wet hair. They may need help choosing their goggles or swimsuit and they often want advice on equipment or even stroke technique or workouts. All of sudden, I feel pretty important!

Not bad for a small business owner!

Most of these celebrities are pretty down to earth, but I do have one customer who insists on being called by his title. He is a nationally recognized politician and when he calls the store he always refers to himself by his title and complete name. In this day of casualness, it sounds so odd! But, he is a really nice guy and I love visiting with him. Occasionally, he will send his assistant to pick things up for him and it ALWAYS freaks them out when I hand them a Speedo brief. They are obviously not swimmers! I guess they just can’t imagine their boss in a teeny tiny Speedo!

Seeing these local political figures, I often wonder if I should just keep the conversation to swimming, or can I ask about the issues? I usually, just keep it to swimming…..I assume they need time off too. It must be hard to live in a fishbowl all of the time.

Okay, so I said I would tell you about RANGS. They are a great American made product! They are pull buoys that you attach to your leg instead of holding a pull buoy between your legs. The inventor, Steve Freiderang (hence the name RANGS) is a coach and swim product inventor in California. He is constantly looking for ways to make swimmers work better and go faster. He has tons of inventions and Splashwear is his premier dealer….not bad for a little tiny swim shop in Arkansas! Anyway, here is a brief description of his RANGS in his words:

“This is a new type of pull buoy system that is easy to use and does not fall off. They are great for all strokes and fasten with Velcro. You can develop upper body strength without worrying about sacrificing rhythm or your technique. You can focus on pulling and not on keeping your legs squeezed together. They encourage long-axis rotation and develop proper swimming angles and balance of stroke.”

Steve also has many other swimming inventions and is dedicated to helping all swimmers perform at their peak. Working with Steve is like dealing with a whirling dervish….all energy!

If you have any questions about RANGS just call me at the store…I’ll be happy to help!

Come in and see me….You can be a famous customer, or at least I’ll treat you like one!

Happy Swimming!

Jeannie