Diving In

Huntington Beach-based TYR Sport, Inc., (www.tyr.com) is gearing up for a major fight. The company, which is located at 15391 Springdale St., designs and sells swimwear for competitive athletes. Only now, they are facing some crippling competition of their own from rival vendor, Speedo. Those who watched the Olympic games last year might well remember the unique, Speedo-designed, LZR Racer swimsuits that many of the athletes (including U.S. champion Michael Phelps) wore while setting numerous world records. But when swimmers like Erik Vendt began breaking their contracts to wear TYR’s suits (like their Tracer Light™ line) in favor of the LZR Racer, TYR cried foul in regard to what appeared to be an exclusive endorsement deal between Speedo, US head coach Mark Schubert, and Vendt. Citing an unlawful restraint of trade, TYR filed a lawsuit last year claiming that it had lost more than a half-million dollars. In a recent, 26-page ruling, U.S. District Judge James Selna upheld the validity of the suit and refused to dismiss it. The case is scheduled to be heard in March 2010. Meanwhile, TYR is pushing forward and is set to release its newest technologically advanced racing suit this month. Might it be worn by Danish Olympic swimmer Jeanette Otteson, who signed a multi-year contract with TYR last month? Repeated calls to the company’s representatives went unreturned.