Friday, September 22

Strap it on and suck it in

By Jason Kuehn
EXPN

Shuffling through the ASR trade show Saturday morning, pre-Red Bull and post-Modart vodka tonics, I remembered the puffy couches in the Birdhouse booth and ventured over. Nineteen other people had the same a.m. plans so I doubled back and saw three girls sticking plastic tubes up their noses at the Split booth. Thinking it's never too early for a little nitrous, I moved in. Oh yeah, the euphoric expressions on their faces, "Excuse me, is this the end of the line?"

"Fifteen minutes of Oxygen (O²) in essences of citrus, aloe, lime, lemon grass, peppermint, eucalyptus, gingko, lavender, rosemary and sweet basil to enhance your fresh lift experience. ", the sales guy says as I step up to the bar. I had a flashback of the neighbor kid sucking in too much helium and passing out at the block party pig roast in '89 but I've come this far so I strap on the intensive care nose straws and breathe it in. Within a minute of the peppermint scented O² intake, I smile and experience a mental clarity I haven't felt since the "Surfing and your soul" seminar last summer. The company is called Flo2W and as I stood there floating, the sales guy went on to explain how increased Oxygen in one's system aids muscle recovery time, calms nerves, aids in metabolism, and clears thought process. "The aromatherapy soothes and energizes, calms and revitalizes, clarifies and synergizes." he continues. The PCC yoga talk is lost on me as I concentrate on feeling my hangover slowly disappear. I need one of these at home. "We'll be offering home units in the next six months, after FDA approval, and they'll be priced somewhere between $500 and $1000." he offers. Maybe I'll talk my neighbor into buying one. The oxygen I was sucking in is aviator grade (88% O²), not medical grade, and if used for only 10 to 15 minutes by someone without a related medical condition, poses no health risk.

Targeting athletes in the skate, snow, surf, bmx, and motocross industries, Flo2W has oxygen bars set up at many contests and demos. My fifteen minutes being up, I unplugged and floated back into the ASR crowd, energized and hangover free. Could this replace the morning coffee ritual? Is it quicker than the Saturday morning Tylenol and Powerade? Is the Flo2W O² machine the new home appliance that sits between the unused bread maker and juicer? Possibly. It may also go the way of herbal ecstasy and get called out as more hype than hero.