July 4th, 2014
Dear, My Inventor, Creator, and all involved at Oakley,
I am
writing on behalf of my keeper. She is 24, recently graduated college, with a
biology major, I think, not completely sure she just likes to work with
animals. She is this awesome, girl when I met her, women that seems to always
be helping and meeting new people. She has taken me all over the United States
and I even got to see some of Canada. I love being able to show her the world
though my lens.
I guess I
should explain, my keeper grew up downhill ski racing in Wisconsin and now
coaches for kids of all ages. She had only
three different ways of seeing the slopes while racing and training her whole
life: her own beautiful eyes, grandpa (her first pair of Oakley goggles) as I
call him, and then me! She had Grandpa from five years old till she was I think
12. I call him grandpa because he went
through many different keepers, like her cousin, sister, parents and then she
got him. He was tough. I think that’s
where I learned it from- good old Oakley grandpa. He was bright red and
everlasting. Everyone would comment about how she needed to throw him away, but
she couldn’t give him up. Too comfy and use to the world through his lens,
until one day. Our keeper crashed, I mean crashed bad and somehow managed to
punch herself in the face with a ski pole. This ended Grandpa’s life, he
cracked right through the middle, but surprisingly kept her face safe! That’s
when my story began.
She was
pretty upset not liking to adjust to new equipment. But, her father took her
into the bike shop in town, Wheel and Sprocket, to look for a new pair. She
tried us all on, even brought her helmet to see how we fit in it. Nervously I waited for her to pick me up.
That was my beginning. She was hooked, snug fit, looked great, and fit with the
helmet! I was so happy to have my new keeper though kind of concerned. See, she
was only 12 years old and most kids don’t take great care of us. Her dad made
it clear next time she would need one of us she would be paying for it herself.
For this reason, he bought me a hard case to live in on off days. Little did I know all the adventures I was
about to get into and how well she would cherish me.
I took a
lot of hits for her in slalom and some even in giant slalom, but I held in
there knowing how much grandpa did for her I couldn’t be anything less. See she
still kept grandpa with her mainly as good luck and just in case I didn’t cut
it she’d suffer through the crack. Well I passed the test. I got to accompany
her to the Junior Olympics at Winter Park, CO. Helped her dominate her high
school career winning best female racer in the conference as a 10th
grader, and then she and her team winning state while she took 5th
overall as an 11th grader, not evening counting the three years she
went to High School Eastern National Championship on team Wisconsin! Her best finish
was 9th! I got scared out in New Hampshire because she bought a new
helmet for the first time in 3 years. I didn’t fit that helmet very well. But,
to my surprise, after her first race with the new helmet she sold the new helmet
and not me! Phew, close call. I’m telling you her loyalty is top notch!
She decided
against racing in college to focus on her education and chasing other dreams.
Well, skiing and our partnership definitely didn’t end there. She immediately
got into coaching her old high school ski team plus a few other programs here
and there. She even went and got USSA certified to be a coach! My keeper was an
awesome coach for the last six years! Her teams went onto winning state two
times and placing top five three years in a row! Pretty awesome team!
Still my
keeper kept me even though many years ago I started to get kind of cloudy and
my foam started to wear out. I no longer protect her from wind hitting her eyes
from the top or bottom, but she won’t give me up. She thought about replacing
me but every time someone mentions it to her she laughs and says “I’ve tired but
I can’t find a pair that fits like these.” She still took me further, snowboarding
with friends, sledding, and snowmobiling.
Last year we raced again and she won the
Badger State Games, fastest girl there, I’m so proud of her! Then this year she
was all set up to coach at some big name teams then poof she got a job offer in
Alaska, ALASKA! I had no idea what to think, except that we haven’t missed a
season together in 12 years! My keeper, I tell ya, she rocks. I made it into her bag because turns out we
were going to work with Deedee Jonrowe, Iditarod sled dog musher. Now this is probably
one of the most famous female racers, in the sport, in the world! So now I’ve
spent a winter in Alaska helping my keeper see the trails through my lens and I
even got to meet Sarah Palin! I also met 10 other top Iditarod mushers.
Overall I
am very lucky; 12 years of service to my keeper. I still can’t believe a 12
year old girl protected me and respected me enough to keep me around this long.
I feel awful though because she really should replace me. I want her to see the
world through the most clear and beautiful lens she can and I just no longer
can give her that. I will not let her down though so I will stay strong just
like I learned from grandpa, but my day will come when I will have to show her
she needs to let go and find her next perfectly fitting goggles.
So after
all this story telling, I basically wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you for
designing me, making me, distributing me, marketing me, and selling me. You’ve
made me fit perfectly on her face into her helmet and last her 12 years of
intense use. I couldn’t be more pleased of those who made me. Thank you so
much. I am very certain that my keeper is even more thankful to you all and I’m
pretty positive she will be looking for one of my more present generations of
design one day. Who knows where this girl will end up, but I’ll tell you she
definitely supports you guys by showing me off every season!
Thanks again! You guys rock at your job
For My
Keeper, Liz Millman
 |
| My keeper w/ a race dog, Deedee in pink in the background
with Sarah Palin |
 |
| Here she is kicking butt at Nationals! |
 |
| Dominating the Wisconsin State Meet 2006! |
 |
| I've gotten hazy over the years but she kept on using me.
Love this girl! |
 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| My strap broke years ago, but she never gave me up. I have
nothing left on top, but she won’t let me go. |
 |
| Can you believe I'm 12 years old maybe older!! I can’t |
 |
| Here is Grandpa, this was her
first pair of goggles ever and she had a hard time letting him go. |
 |
| She still has him today safely put
away on display with her awards |
