Kick-EEZ Products
By John Steinhorst
Two good friends, Willard Latimer and Bob Pierce, were playing golf one day in 1985 at their local course in the small town of Chehalis, Washington. Bob pulled a piece of shock-absorbing material, called Sorbothane, out of his back pocket and asked Willard if he could think of anything it could be used for. Willard took it from him, felt it for a few seconds, then immediately said, “It sure would make a good gun pad.”
Willard had been an avid hunter all his life and always wished someone would invent a better recoil pad to make his shooting experiences more enjoyable. The pair of entrepre’neurs instantly recognized the benefits of such an amazing product to the hunting and shooting sports, and this important moment launched the beginning of KICK-EEZ Products.
The revolutionary material that inspired the idea, Sorbothane, is a proprietary, visco-elastic polymer, which basically means that it exhibits properties of both liquids (viscous solutions) and solids (elastic materials). The thermoset, poly-ether-based, polyurethane material combines many beneficial characteristics, such as shock and vibration damping, isolation, shock absorption, and 100% memory. In addition, the closed-cell material is a very effective acoustic damper and absorber. While many substances exhibit one of these characteristics, Sorbothane combines all of them in a stable material with a long fatigue life.
“Sorbothane is a material that was designed by its nature to absorb shock and impact,” says Ray Zozwiak, co-owner of Sorbothane Inc. and vice president of industrial sales and marketing. “It has a wide variety of industrial uses for absorbing vibrations and is utilized by NASA and the Air Force as a dampening material.”
Introduced in 1982, Sorbothane’s primary applications included shock-absorbing insoles for athletic and orthopedic markets. The unique material has a low creep rate compared to other polymers, as well as a superior damping coefficient (“bounce back”) over a wide temperature range. Unlike fluid-based shock absorbers or foam products, it absorbs shock efficiently for millions of cycles and eliminates the need for metal springs to return the system to its equilibrium position after absorbing impact. When Wilson Sporting Goods needed a superior shock absorber for its high-tech baseball gloves, it utilized Sorbothane.
Since its inception, Sorbothane has been used in many varied energy-dissipating product categories, from sports and medical to industrial and electronic fields. For example, its engineers supplied leading NASA scientists with a uniquely designed isolator to protect cameras from the violent forces thrust upon them during the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. The component shock absorber attenuated vibration damage to the highly sensitive cameras strategically placed to provide NASA with vital information to verify the integrity of the shuttle’s heat tiles. The material has also been used to isolate battery packs in satellites during launch and in the international space station’s exercise area. In addition, the Liberty Bell was transported safely using specially designed Sorbothane isolators. Most recently, engineers have devised a series of colossal “ball-in-box” Sorbothane dampers designed to dissipate wind energy in the new Air Force memorial.
So it seemed natural for two clever sportsmen like Willard and Bob to use the innovative material to absorb the unpleasant shoulder recoil caused by firearms. The major obstacle that the duo encountered while trying to get the company started was creating a mold to make a product that not only looked good but also was made in the right durometers (measure of hardness). The very first pads made were way too soft, so they continued to work with Sorbothane engineers until they got the feel just right. This would take several more tries and a few more years to perfect. Toward the end of 1989, it became clear that the company would be successful.
KICK-EEZ key employees Bob and his wife Star Pierce were instrumental in getting the company up and running, as well as causing it to grow from a literally unknown name to a major player in the recoil market. Bob Boyd, the president of Sorbothane, remains a key player in the success of the business as well. At 87 years young, Willard, the founder and president of KICK-EEZ, continues to oversee the daily operation of the company and its continued rise to the top of the shooting industry.
The company sells a wide selection of shooting supplies and recoil pads that provide shock absorption and reduce gun recoil effectively and quickly. Less recoil reduces flinching and eases sore shoulders and cheeks in all shooting conditions. Designed to help eliminate the rebound effect of the first shot, the recoil pads allow for faster and more accurate second shots. From shoulder to fingers, KICK-EEZ offers something to help stop flinching and soreness while helping to adjust your line of sight. People with arthritis, bursitis, separated shoulders, back and arm problems, and other injuries find Sorbothane a joy to use. All of KICK-EEZ’s quality products are quickly gathering interest from serious shotgun hunters as well as recreational and competitive clays shooters.
“The venues of sporting clays and trapshooting have had a major impact on the growth of KICK-EEZ,” states Willard. “These are the shooters who make up the largest percentage of our customer base. Our employees have been involved in sporting clays and shooting clubs in our local areas, and we have sponsored kids’ shooting groups for several years. We are absolutely committed to helping children learn to love the sport so they will grow up to be adults who love the sport. We share the same commitment to the women’s shooting groups as they continue to grow and expand all across America.
“We support several gunsmiths as they travel around the US representing KICK-EEZ by advertising, selling, and installing our recoil pads at hundreds of shoots—both large and small…. KICK-EEZ is very selective when choosing where to advertise our products…. Each year, when we discuss our advertising budget and begin making a list of where we should advertise for the year, Sporting Clays is always the first name on our list.”
Now the successful company is marketing a complete line of recoil pads in Grind-To-Fit, Pre-Fit, and Slip-On models for convenience in various sizes, colors, and thickness. Other gun accessories include popular Palm Swells, Cheek EEZ, Spacers, Shoulder EEZ, Pitch Spacers, and Slick EEZ to improve shooting performance for nearly all shotgun models, all comprehensively outlined on its online store.
Also recently released, the Sorbothane KICK-EEZ Ultra Sportsman is a premium replacement insole designed specifically for the hunting and shooting enthusiast. This insole combines lightweight polyurethane foam for structural support with Sorbothane forefoot and heel inlays for cushioning comfort and maximum foot-strike protection. Sorbothane absorbs up to 94.7% of impact shock and performs under any condition. Durable and comfortable, these insoles retain their shock-absorbing benefits month after month. Lightweight and anti-fungal, Sorbothane insoles have been highly recommended by doctors, sports medicine specialists, and professional trainers for decades. The insoles have proven to be an effective defense against foot pain, back pain, and impact-related injuries such as Achilles tendinitis, runner’s knee, and shin splints.
“KICK-EEZ growth continues to soar with each passing year,” assures Willard. “But even more important than that, our reputation as the makers of the ‘best recoil pad on the market today’ is no longer confined to the boundaries of our own country. The ever-increasing number of foreign customers attests to the fact that our reputation is growing and expanding our company into the global marketplace. This is very exciting for a company that got started on a golf course in small-town Chehalis, Washington.
” KICK-EEZ Products, 1819 Schurman Way, Suite 106, Dept. SC, Woodland, WA 98674; (877) KICKEEZ or (877) 542-5339; www.kickeezproducts.com
May 2009
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