Sport Chek Brings Fitness Technology Firsts to Canada

Athletes of All Skill Levels Using Smart Technology to Find Their Better

Retailer Commits to Offering Widest Selection of Fitness and Sport Technology Products to Canadians

CALGARY, June 3, 2014 /CNW/ - Sport Chek today announced its commitment to bringing more first-time innovations from top vendors around the world to Canada in 2014 and beyond. With wearable technology that tracks every step, caloric intake and sleep patterns, and the integration of technology into sports gear like tennis racquets, baseball bats and hockey sticks, Canadians are using technology more than ever to improve their game.

"Over the past several years, we've established Sport Chek as the authority in sports through leading the industry in digitizing the shopping experience and aligning our brands with some of the world's top athletes. Now we're taking that commitment to the next level," said Chad McKinnon, Chief Operating Officer, FGL Sports. "Our customers use and interact with technology countless times a day – it's part of who they are – so we are working with our top vendors to be the first Canadian retailer to bring these innovative and cutting-edge products to market."

Whether it's on the field, the court, the ice or the slopes, next generation technologies are being introduced to enhance the experience and performance of Canadian athletes. Examples of ground-breaking sport and fitness technology products that Sport Chek is bringing to Canada this year include: 

• Babolat 'Pure Drive Play' Tennis Racquet – The 'first ever' tennis racquet to digitally monitor performance during a match or practice including a player's strike position, backhand, forehand, serves, volleys, angles, spin and more. Click here for more information.   
• Oakley Airwave 1.5 with  Recon Technology – These Oakley ski and snowboard goggles include a heads-up display – which the eye views as a 14-inch screen when worn – that enables you to track your speed, performance stats, jump analytics, navigation and buddy tracking as well as text messages as you ski and board down the mountain. Click here for more information.   
• Quattriuum FWD PowerShot – The world's most advanced sensor for hockey sticks, the FWD Powershot allows you to measure the power and speed of your shot and the amplitude and execution speed of your shooting motion. The product is supported by both the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, putting real-time hockey data in the palm of your hand. Click here for more information.   
• Reebok Checklight – Designed to measure the force of a head impact trauma, Checklight alerts athletes, coaches, athletic trainers and parents to the severity of the contact. An award winning device that fits inside a helmet, the skull-cap is equipped with sensors that are directly coupled to the head. Click here for more information.   
• Easton Power Sensor – The first ever baseball bat sensor instantly delivers valuable swing analysis directly to the power sensor app on your mobile device. The sensor records bat speed, swing plane, swing time, bat whip and overall blast factor of each hit. Athletes can share results, compete with friends and track progress. Click here for more information.   
• Activity Trackers – Sport Chek carries a wide selection of activity trackers that monitor and display metrics such as number of steps taken, distance travelled, stairs climbed, hours slept and calories burned, providing an overall 'active score.' Top products include Fitbit Flex, Garmin Vivofit HR, Jawbone UP24, Nike Sport Watch GPS, Polar Loop Activity Tracker, Samsung GearFit, Misfit Shine, and ibitz Powerkey Kids Pedspoometer. Click here for more information.

Sport Chek strives to help Canadians reach their better. Whether they are training for their first half-marathon or practicing their wrist shot at the rink, the retailer offers a wide selection of sport and fitness technology to empower Canadians to live a healthy, active lifestyle.

For more information about Sport Chek or products available online or in-store, please visit sportchek.ca.

About FGL Sports: 
Part of the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, FGL Sports Ltd. is Canada's largest national retailer of sporting goods. Offering a comprehensive assortment of brand-name and private-brand products and operating more than 400 stores from coast-to-coast, FGL Sports includes the following corporate and franchise banners: Sport Chek, Sports Experts, Atmosphere, Pro Hockey Life, National Sports, Intersport, Nevada Bob's Golf, Hockey Experts, the Tech Shop, and S3. FGL Sports also has websites for several of its corporate and franchise banners which can be accessed through its main website at www.FGLSports.com.

SOURCE: FGL Sports Ltd.

For further information: Brendon Arnold, Sport Chek, 403-831-2381, Brendon.Arnold@fglsports.com; Chelsea Smyth, North Strategic, 403-616-4956, chelsea.smyth@northstrategic.com