Professional triathlete
Nicole DeBoom wanted a functional garment that could help her compete without sacrificing style. It was 2003 the height of the pink-it-and-shrink-it era and she
was tired of sacrificing femininity to work out and race in men’s clothing. “I saw the power [skirts] gave to athletes like Venus and Serena Williams
on the courts,” she says, “I was like, that’s what I want. I want something that’s going to make me feel good, and by feeling good, I’m going to have more confidence.”
DeBoom took matters into her own hands. She began working with the wicking, quick-drying, silky fabrics she knew well from her years of triathlon training and collaborated with a designer and production facility to create a “race-belt skirt” prototype to wear to the 2004 Ironman Wisconsin. “It felt a little bit like a loincloth,” she says, “but the truth is I just wanted something to cover my butt, and this did the trick.” DeBoom won and invested