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You think Eddie Bauer ever worried himself about the mothers and fathers of the world getting cold and damp while cheering on their kids from the bleachers during a brisk September night?
No way.
Sometimes, it takes a soccer mom to know a soccer mom.
Gaynor Drablos, mother of four, and her best friend Susan Hudson, mother of three, want to make life a little easier for families on the go with the help of a magic word: neoprene. Where others had taken the synthetic foam rubber and transformed it into wet suits for water sports or maybe a fan belt for a car, this Bedford County pair decided it would make a great purse . . . and a mat for sitting in the bleachers . . . and a bag for carrying wine . . .and blankets for the back of an SUV . . . and lunch bags . . . and a dozen other stylish products.
They call their line of gear Aqua-Pruff. "It's not just water proof. It's Aqua-Pruff," said Drablos' 13-year-old son Josh in the voice of a television announcer introducing the newest superhero.
Their product is so unique, Drablos said, sometimes customers seem a little befuddled by it.
"People will look at a bag and want to feel it and smell it and then ask what to do with it," she said.
Judging from sales (in their first year of business the pair grossed just under $200,000 according to Hudson), plenty of people have managed to figure out Aqua-Pruff, proving there is lots of parents are out there whose children always seem to be soaking wet and prone to spilling strawberry yogurt all over the new beige carpet.
Fans of the Aqua-Pruff line include:
-Kids on swim teams who toss their suits and soggy towels into Aqua-Pruff carry-all totes without worrying about mildew or leaving soggy water stains in the family minivan.
- Dads who avoid vacuuming animal-cracker crumbs off the living room rug after snack time by setting their toddler on Aqua-Pruff snack mats.
- Moms who want a soft but not bulky Pilates mat to take to the gym.
-Pug, beagle, upon the dignified Aqua-Pruff place mat (and whose owners want to avoid messy water and food spills on their clean floors).
Drablos and Hudson say life experiences have served as a major source of inspiration for creating the product line. For instance:
- Each winter both women had to mop up wet messes where the kids shed their boots inside the foyer. Hence, the snow-feet mat.
-Drablos used to buy a new tote bag every year to haul towels and snacks to the pool. By the end of that summer, the bag would get so nasty with mildew and spills and regular wear and tear that she'd have to throw it out. Hence, the Aqua-Pruff carry-all tote which she's toted for two summers and it still looks like new.
- The Aqua-Pruff Hunting Harness? That came about because both women spend a week each year hunting moose in Minnesota. (OK, not really. Drablos and Hudson both have family members who hunt and they knew there was a market for upscale hunting gear.)2003, retailers from about two dozen states and Puerto Rico have picked up their products, which can also be found in a shop in Antigua. The Aqua-Pruff bench mat and snow mat have also been featured in Plow & Hearth magazine.
One day in May or early June, Drablos and Hudson will fulfill the dream of most any entrepreneur: They'll be hawking their blue, medium zippered carry-all totes on QVC.
Drablos, who talks fast and has a natural gift of gab, was selected to be Aqua-Pruff's official spokeswoman. Hudson plans to stand behind the camera and make faces.
"I know I'm going to be a deer in headlights," Drablos said of her upcoming TV appearance.
Some caveats about Aqua-Pruff gear: Though the seams of the carry- all zippered tote are waterproof, items will stay dry only as long as the zipper, which isn't waterproof, is not submersed; bags also cost considerably more than a $7.50 nylon tote from Kmart. A medium Aqua-Pruff tote rings in at $38.99.
Ironically, there was time when Drablos and Hudson could have purchased neoprene from the now-closed Bedford Rubatex plant. Aqua- Pruff neoprene comes from Taiwan, although the company's warehouse and call center are both located in Forest.
But then, Provisions Gourmet in Roanoke doesn't stock Aqua-Pruff just to support local entrepreneurs. They stock it because it sells.
"It was a product that really took off immediately," said store buyer Debra Cunningham.
She added, "They've really done their homework, dotted their i's and crossed their t's about what people need.'"' she saidcqq on dot i's and crossed t's.
ABOUT AQUA-PRUFF PRODUCTS
-Waterproof with waterproof seaming, except for zippered products which are watertight.
-Tote bags float
- Lightweight
- Neoprene works as an insulator (keeping cool that can of Diet Coke you're saving for after your yoga class)
-Fade resistant
- Mildew resistant
-Padded neoprene straps don't dig into your shoulder.
-Neoprene stretches so it's difficult to overstuff.
- Machine washable
Where to buy:
Provisions Gourmet Inc.
Piccadilly Square, Roanoke
Countryside Classics
120 E. Main St., Salem
www.aquapruff.com ILLUSTRATION PHOTO Photo-1 Lunch bag
Internal pocket holds a cool pack. Can also be used as a camera bag. Converts to a fanny pack. Available in pink, red, blue and black. $24.99. Photo-2 Medium / Large Carryall open tote.
Can be used for a dozen different purposes from a pool tote to a diaper bag. Fold it into a small
square and tuck it in your suitcase on vacation. On the return trip you'll have a carry-on bag for
holding souvenirs. Keeps baby food and bottles cold. Available in pink, red, blue and black.
Medium - $38.99 Large - $43.99. Photo-3 Medium / Large Zippered Totes
Versatile like the carryall tote, only with a zipper. Available in pink, red, blue and black.
Medium - $44.99 Large - $48.99. Photo-4 Water bottle bag Two cool packs tuck into two inside pockets
Available in pink, red, blue and black. $25.99. Photo-5 Aqua- Pruff designs promotional products, like accessory bags marked with the Virginia Tech logo or, say, tote bags for the Virginia Garlic Festival.Price varies. Photo-6 Hunter's backpack Two side zippered pockets Two nylon netting pouches, including one for holding game or fowl
Small - $54.99, Medium - $71.99, Large - $86.99. Photo-7Beach / tailgating blanket Folds into a small square. Dries in minutes Wet or dry sand doesn't stick on it. Fits in the back of a car or SUV. Available in red, blue and pink
$53.99 Also shown: water bottle bag and tote bags
