By ALISA WOLFSON
Last updated: 11:54 pm
January 9, 2009
Posted: 12:00 am
January 10, 2009
BRRR! It's cold out there - there must be some football in the atmosphere. Looking to survive the icy temps at the stadium this season? For "Survivor: Exile Island" winner Aras Baskauskas, the key to keeping warm is one of his Russian ushankas (which is, basically, just a fancy word for a warm hat).
After winning "Survivor" and paying off his parents' mortgage, Baskauskas used his remaining loot to fund a concept inspired by his father's company, Baltic Rim. "My father started Baltic Rim, and he came up with an idea that I thought was unique," says Baskauskas, a former college athlete.
"He was putting officially licensed college logos on Russian hats, and because the hats are warm, I thought the one place kids try to look cool and stay warm is outside at college stadiums."
While his father's hats are more reminiscent of Russian paraphernalia, his styles are geared toward a sporty crowd, and include logos for the NHL, NFL and college teams in cold climates such as Iowa, Michigan and Syracuse.
After buying his father's company, which used real fur, Baskauskas decided to donate the remaining hats to PETA, where they were distributed to homeless people. Tundra Gear is cruelty-free, uses only faux fur and now donates a portion of every sale to the Cheshire Project, an organization that celebrates the creative arts for people with disabilities.
Visit tundragear.com to customize your own warm, fuzzy hat.
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