WSI
What does WSI stand for? I wish I knew. As an authorized WSI distributor I should call them and ask. But if I did they might wonder why I haven’t placed an order for so long and just close my account. Instead I’m going to go out on a limb to guess that it stands for Wiens Sports Industries. While that might sound like the typical thing I would pull out of a hat, Wiens is in fact the man who started the company, Joel Wiens. Joel originally came up with the idea of combining a jock and compression shorts for football players.

If I were to make up something completely random it would have been, “We Stringently use our Initialials” or “Wandering Shiftlessly on the Ice.” I was considering the possibility of “isconsin Sports Intimates” but the company is based in Minnesota, which more or less killed that one.

Regardless of the name, WSI makes performance underwear for all sorts of sports. If WSI had the marketing genius of Under Armour, Nike would have probably given up on the niche. The wicking qualities of WSI is that good. They might have taken over the world. WSI continues to make innovations in sporting goods underapparel since their inception in 1990.

The Original Jock
While the original WSI hockey jock is still around 15 years after its inception, it isn’t the best on the market. WSI has introduced better jocks themselves and competition has flooded the market with similar knock-off products. Under Armour, Itech, Shock Doctor and other companies have jumped on the band wagon of success. However, WSI was first.

The original Jock combined three items into one. This is a pair of compression shorts, a garter and an athletic supporter all built into one. These innovations save the average hockey player 2 or 3 hours of dressing time before and after a game. Instead of havint to slide on three layers (including one dubious pair of women’s under garments—the garter belt) players now only have to put on a single pair of shorts.

The shorts themselves are made from WSI’s excellent wicking material. They offer compression as well as moisture control. Compression is great to help players keep all their muscles in the right place. While only good health, a little luck and some proper stretching can prevent a groin pull, these do help a little. The wicking factor is excellent at drawing perspiration away from the player’s body. In this case, it specifically lowers instances of “swamp butt” among hockey players.

The cup fits into a pouch on the front of the shorts. This is very convenient because putting the pouch on the back of the shorts would render the cup rather ineffective. It would also make it hard to sit down. Some players have had issues with the cup moving around and no longer protecting important possessions while they were on the ice. I’ve noted that as long as the cup is pushed all the way down into the pocket, this isn’t a problem. I did get dressed in a hurry recently and suffer minor issues with the cup attempting to turn upside down since it wasn’t put in place properly.

Velcro tabs hold the player’s socks in place. These are a pretty easy way to keep up a pair of socks. It eliminates the confusion operation of garter belts. However, Velcro doesn’t work on the superior polyester mesh socks requiring players to either use a garter or staple their socks to their legs. A downside of Velcro with traditional socks is that it does tend to tear them up a little more quickly.

Options
WSI makes the original jock shorts in a number of sizes that will fit almost any player. These range from Youth Extra Small all the way up to Adult XXL.

While the original jock only came in basic black, WSI has expanded that a little. They now offer an upgraded version it in a couple of camouflage colors—an excellent option for hiding in the locker room. The WSI hockey jock comes in three versions, basic, intermediate and pro, each offering a better level of protection. The original is the basic.

WSI also offers a long version of the original hockey jock. They recently added a loose fitting version of the all-in-one jock to their line as well. Lastly, for the mesh sock wearing crowd, they offer a version with garter clips.

Parting thoughts
The original hockey jock is still a decent item for most players. In the last few years the jock short has evolved into a better unit. Newer, upgraded versions by WSI lock the cup in place a little better. This was the product that started it all though and its still the one I use with no painful injuries to date.

When the WSI wears out, I will almost certainly upgrade to a better model. And yes, it will wear out. The Velcro on mine is falling off and slightly worn out. But the shorts are going on three years old. My skates don’t typically last that long, so that’s pretty good.

WSI
What does WSI stand for? I wish I knew. As an authorized WSI distributor I should call them and ask. But if I did they might wonder why I haven’t placed an order for so long and just close my account. Instead I’m going to go out on a limb to guess that it stands for Wiens Sports Industries. While that might sound like the typical thing I would pull out of a hat, Wiens is in fact the man who started the company, Joel Wiens. Joel originally came up with the idea of combining a jock and compression shorts for football players.

If I were to make up something completely random it would have been, “We Stringently use our Initialials” or “Wandering Shiftlessly on the Ice.” I was considering the possibility of “isconsin Sports Intimates” but the company is based in Minnesota, which more or less killed that one.

Regardless of the name, WSI makes performance underwear for all sorts of sports. If WSI had the marketing genius of Under Armour, Nike would have probably given up on the niche. The wicking qualities of WSI is that good. They might have taken over the world. WSI continues to make innovations in sporting goods underapparel since their inception in 1990.

The Original Jock
While the original WSI hockey jock is still around 15 years after its inception, it isn’t the best on the market. WSI has introduced better jocks themselves and competition has flooded the market with similar knock-off products. Under Armour, Itech, Shock Doctor and other companies have jumped on the band wagon of success. However, WSI was first.

The original Jock combined three items into one. This is a pair of compression shorts, a garter and an athletic supporter all built into one. These innovations save the average hockey player 2 or 3 hours of dressing time before and after a game. Instead of havint to slide on three layers (including one dubious pair of women’s under garments—the garter belt) players now only have to put on a single pair of shorts.

The shorts themselves are made from WSI’s excellent wicking material. They offer compression as well as moisture control. Compression is great to help players keep all their muscles in the right place. While only good health, a little luck and some proper stretching can prevent a groin pull, these do help a little. The wicking factor is excellent at drawing perspiration away from the player’s body. In this case, it specifically lowers instances of “swamp butt” among hockey players.

The cup fits into a pouch on the front of the shorts. This is very convenient because putting the pouch on the back of the shorts would render the cup rather ineffective. It would also make it hard to sit down. Some players have had issues with the cup moving around and no longer protecting important possessions while they were on the ice. I’ve noted that as long as the cup is pushed all the way down into the pocket, this isn’t a problem. I did get dressed in a hurry recently and suffer minor issues with the cup attempting to turn upside down since it wasn’t put in place properly.

Velcro tabs hold the player’s socks in place. These are a pretty easy way to keep up a pair of socks. It eliminates the confusion operation of garter belts. However, Velcro doesn’t work on the superior polyester mesh socks requiring players to either use a garter or staple their socks to their legs. A downside of Velcro with traditional socks is that it does tend to tear them up a little more quickly.

Options
WSI makes the original jock shorts in a number of sizes that will fit almost any player. These range from Youth Extra Small all the way up to Adult XXL.

While the original jock only came in basic black, WSI has expanded that a little. They now offer an upgraded version it in a couple of camouflage colors—an excellent option for hiding in the locker room. The WSI hockey jock comes in three versions, basic, intermediate and pro, each offering a better level of protection. The original is the basic.

WSI also offers a long version of the original hockey jock. They recently added a loose fitting version of the all-in-one jock to their line as well. Lastly, for the mesh sock wearing crowd, they offer a version with garter clips.

Parting thoughts
The original hockey jock is still a decent item for most players. In the last few years the jock short has evolved into a better unit. Newer, upgraded versions by WSI lock the cup in place a little better. This was the product that started it all though and its still the one I use with no painful injuries to date.

When the WSI wears out, I will almost certainly upgrade to a better model. And yes, it will wear out. The Velcro on mine is falling off and slightly worn out. But the shorts are going on three years old. My skates don’t typically last that long, so that’s pretty good.

© 2006 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.

You might also enjoy my book on hockey, Hockey for Weekend Warriors. Click here to read the reviews.

A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Itech Jock Garter
CCM Hockey Socks
Under Armour Heat Gear T-Shirt


Recommended: Yes