Griffore’s Ignite Gear Taking Off

A new fitness and hockey apparel company has hit the ground running in Chatham-Kent, as Ignite Gear, founded by Pain Court’s Jeremy Griffore, has garnered a lot of attention recently from athletes and sports enthusiasts alike.

Although the idea for Ignite Gear originally came to be in 2008, Griffore only recently released his company’s first two products; a pair of catchy t-shirts dubbed the “Wheeler” and “Five-Hole.”

“Sporting apparel peaked my interest because I have always loved sports,” says Griffore, a former Chatham-Kent Cyclones and Dresden Jr. Kings hockey player, who also played on both the Provincial and National inline teams. “My love for sports and design really came together when we needed t-shirts for sporting events. I had friends asking me to design t-shirts anywhere from weekend tournaments to bodybuilding competitions. I realized that not only did I have a love for what I was doing but I could really make a go of it. I would see other sporting apparel and think to myself, I could do this and I could add my own unique touch.”

With the help of family and friends behind the scenes. Griffore now has a number of Ignite Athletes representing his line including NHL prospects Dane Fox and Connor Brown, as well as Windsor Lancers and former Chatham Maroons forward Blake Blondeel, and OHL draft pick Levi Tetrault.

With two catchy Ignite t-shirts already released, the company has plans to produce hats, summer shirts, womens tees, and soon, fitness apparel.

“We really wanted to launch with a couple catchy shirts to capture the attention of hockey players and get our name out there,” says Griffore of their current offering. “What will eventually set us apart is that we will be strongly promoting a healthy lifestyle – a fitness lifestyle. Other companies focus on the party aspect of sports. We know that to make it to the highest level of hockey you need fitness and training. We really want to engage our athletes and stress the importance of dedication and healthy living.”

As a part of the company’s launch, they will be offering a special promo code “CKSN” on their website, www.IngiteGear.ca, to offer shoppers a 15% discount. As well, CKSN will be running a giveaway for a free t-shirt of each design in the coming days. Continue to follow our Facebook and Twitter prowp-content/uploads for your chance to win. Shirts are also available at Authentic Sports in Chatham.