I need something to get me through the week.

Tell me about your Oakley Passion and I'll share mine.

Let's talk about how it's affected our lives, or changed our hobbies, focus etc. Cut loose - let's hear it.

Share/swap some stories etc...

It's been dead around here - let's fire it back up and carry it into a 3-day weekend.

Whatcha say?

There are so many facets to the O passion and how it manifests itself - I may just mention bits here and there as I'm not sure I can encapsulate it all in one post.

What kind of cracks me up is how the O passion is received by those around me. Somehow it becomes acceptable to be a fanatic about something. I think it actually a welcome diversion to those that might be fanatic about religion or politics ... people sort of gravitate towards a brand passion. I think people can relate to me better and feel like they know me a whole lot better through my passion for oakley.

It is suddenly OK that I would go off the deep end should anything happen to a pair. I have a 4 year old son, but I have already made it very clear that my display towers are only going to be in imminent danger. I just know as this boy grows older and has some turbulent teenage years, there will come a moment where he is so angry at Dad and wants to strike where it hurts. I've already said many times over that the repercussions of ever going after my oakleys would be so great that he does not EVER want to go there.

All in all, it's just fun. It's great to have something tangible to help identify with. It's fun to know something inside and out - even if your general public can't imagine dropping more than $6 on a pair of sunglasses. And, I get to talk about all of you guys like old college buds.

Great thread Nik!

I found my first pair in April 1989. By August 1989 I was painting OAKLEY on my dorm room wall. I was hooked from the first time I realized what I had. I then upgraded to Razor Blades that Christmas. I worked for two weeks at Christmas to earn $105 for them, then had to ask my folks for spending money back at college. I missed out on Zeros, due to the lack of funds as a poor college student.

Even though I don't have the collections that most of you do on here, my passion has always been strong. Most of my friends have told me they lean towards Oakley so they don't have to take crap from me if they were to purchase something else.

I have turned my kids into zealots as well. My kids (7, 4, and 4) will point out people wearing the O. This summer we are vacationing in San Diego, and the kids are most excited about Legoland and the trip to Oakley HQ. My 7 year old son complains to me that he has only 2 pair of Oakleys while I have about 30. Talk about underprivileged!

Sounds like you're raising those kids right.

My passion for the O started with a pair that to this day is still my favorite: the Titanium/Ice Penny. We have a bunch of rare and cool items, but I think if something ever happened to that one pair, I'd go absolutely mad.

Even though I built up steam for Oakley on my own, it was through Dawn that I really became a true fanatic. Before meeting her, I had owned about ohh, 10-12 pairs, give or take. But once I got her into the brand, that's when the floodgates opened. And if it wasn't for her enthusiasm feeding my own, I would have probably never made my way to the O-R. She's the one who came up with the idea of getting a list of every pair Oakley ever made, which ended up in her being directed here after a call to Oakley customer support.

And now, almost 4 years later, I can easily say that this place has become the mainstay of my passion. Through the wealth of knowledge, the awesome threads, the fun of being a PW and most of all, the wonderful connections I've made. My passion still burns strong for the O, but it's having people to share it with that makes it the most worthwhile.


~Yukio

I had a plodding on kind of passion, picking glasses up here and there. Simply to wear. I loved the quality of the brand foremost.
Then the first great “wow” moment was when I damaged my Zero 0.1’s. A friend said to send them back to Oakley UK. I thought the best I’d get was a repair bill.

Oakley UK sent me a brand spanking new pair. That was me hooked to the brand.
A company, that not only cared about the products, but the customer too.

The second great “Wow “moment was discovering the OR.
A website, which fuelled and fired that burgeoning passion.

And it does manifest in the oddest of ways. I work at Heathrow airport, and as a team we are responsible for the silly things like changing the security key pad codes.
This months code changes are the serial # of my Juliets.
If you’re ever at Heathrow rest assured “1242” will get you access somewhere.

Haha perfect!

I use 1242 in many things myself.
So if anybody steals my phone I guess you can get in...

Awesome guys!

I've never stuck to a hobby for as long as I've stuck to this! It's truly a passion and has affected every aspect of my life. Mainly I blame Dann.

Most recently - my wife was mad and yelling at me about my lackluster attitude about going to Vegas.

She yelled "Just because it's not an Oakley Vacation - You don't wanna go!"

All I could think was - 'Well yeah it is - they have Oakley stores in Vegas'.

2 days til' the weekend. Step up fella's.

I know you're here - I know you're reading this. Step up.

The OR is about sharing your passion - not just your new purchases.

When I was a Junior in high school in 1996-97, there was a guy in my English class that had a pair of Straight Jackets. They were white and black. I wanted them badly. That summer, between my junior and senior year, I got a job. With my first paycheck from my first job, my first purchase was my first pair of Oakleys. Straight Jackets in Pearl with Black Iridium. (Later on, I figured out the pair the guy in my class was wearing were fake, as my authentic pair had gray icons and earsocks, and his had black.) Ever since, the first purchase I make from the first paycheck from a new job is a pair of Oakleys. My first purchase when I had graduated from boot camp in December of 1998 was an A-Wire Thick, Brushed with Black Iridium. My first purchase when I received my first overaward of scholarship money at college in 2005 was a Whisker in Pewter with Black Iridium Polarized.

I found this site when I was looking desperately for a pair of my original Straight Jackets. I tried every combination of words I could think of to find them, and every search brought me right here. When I discovered this site, I had 8 pairs, and people thought I was obsessed because I had more than one. In the year and a half since I joined, the database on this site helped me to focus my passion, and now I have 105 pairs, 4 cases, lots of really cool rare stuff, and best of all, made some really awesome friends.

With that said, people who have been directly influenced by my passion include my wife, her two best friends, 3 of my friends, my mother and father, my brother, 4 of my current coworkers, 4 guys from when I was in the Marines, 6 guys in my unit in the Army, and who knows how many more that I've talked to just in passing. These are all people who now wear and have the love of Oakley that might never have been converted without my obsession to lead the way.

By the way @DisturbedEarth,
I've been wanting to get the 10th Mountain Skull tattooed across my back, wings spanning my shoulder blades. The only reason I haven't got it was because you already have it on your arm. :(

Oh well. Your taste in body art kicks ass.

As I am doing speedskating, you always see guys wearing Oakleys. I just thought they were way too awesome and wanted a pair badly, but I was never able to pay it.
I know that I was always drooling over the electric blue/ ice iridium scars at a shop called Zwerfkei. They still have that pair laying there, but the frame has pretty some signs. A electric blue scar is one that still really has to come.

When about two years ago I was really looking for new glasses, I couldn't get my eyes off the polished/ fire iridium polarized Juliets. I got them from my parents for my Birthday, since then it has gone fast. I thought I needed some O's for sporting, then I needed other lens tints for different conditions. And after that I didn't look for any excuse anymore just because I need the glasses with their awesome design (which is what makes Oakley really stand out). And of course their quality.

My brother had some Ray Bans, but he is also over to the O, just because it is way better looking through their glasses the through other. My mom always thought I was crazy, but now she actually likes it everytime I get a new pair.

waar ligt de zwerfkei ?

In Woerden, but they were an Oakley dealer in the past. And don't have much Oakley stuff anymore. I already inquired for display items, but none were left.

The glasses they still have are one pair of Scars (the electric blue ones), and two pairs of fours.

It is I think the biggest outdoor sports shop in the Netherlands. I also remember drooling over the eye jacket 2.0 there :) Also a pair that isn't in my possession yet...

Good stuff fellas!

Ian - go for it man. I'm pretty sure there are mutliple versions of it. For what it's worth - my next one will probably be the Monster Dog and I know thats been done before.

I have pretty much always worn Oakley sun glasses.

When I was a kid, I hardly ever wore sunglasses. I didn't have any light sensitivity, and just never took to wearing them.

When I got into my teen years, I started looking into sunglasses more, and my first real pair of sunglasses was from a little mom and pop type sunglass shop. The owner pushed me towards the M-Frame, as it was light, was impact resistant, fit my face, and fit inside my helmet. (I wanted a pair for racing, was easier than switching to a tinted visor in quick changing light conditions). They sponsored me, and gave me some heavily discounted pricing on a pair per year. My first ever pair was a fingerprint m frame with a sweep black iridium lens (I think it was sweep, might have been hybrid?) Recently I re-acquired that frame , thanks to Josh!

As time went by, I got some more m-frames, pro m frames, zero's and a couple of wires. Then I picked up an x-metal and was hooked. Unfortunately, my brother lost my romeo (titanium / gold iridium) and I have never replaced that one. I then went to the Juliet, as it fit me better, and wore that for several years.

I did sway from Oakley for about a year, when I picked up a pair of ray-bans. They were ok, but they just didn't have the look that I wanted. For a brief time I also wore prescription sunglasses, and that worked ok, but I ended up getting laser eye surgery, and the best part was being free to choose any sunglasses I wanted again!

I also liked looking at Maui Jim lenses. They had some nice combos available, but being glass, I stayed away from them. I did get a pair of Revo glasses eventually as well, but had them cut the lenses to fit into a pair of x-metal xx (I know, some might consider that blasphemy, but they are actually a nice lens.)

It wasn't until I had two pairs of glasses stolen from me, a Juliet from my car, and another juliet from the san francisco airport tsa, that I realized just how much I loved Oakley. It was only a couple of years ago, and having them stolen in such a short timespan, and me noticing just how much I missed having them, that I realized I'd forever more be in Oakley.

I forgot to mention that it was about 8 years ago or so, that I suffered a severe concussion. It left me pretty much useless for 3 months. Although I did recover from it, I still have some light sensitivity, and I notice that if I am out in sunlight too long without sunglasses, I end up getting migraines (something I never had before) , so I pretty much always have a pair of glasses with me. Even with the overcast weather here in the PNW, I still find a need to wear glasses. It might not look really bright out with the clouds, but it still affects me. That's where emerald slate and slate lenses come in so perfectly.

I also have to say, that the small group of people here on this forum are incredibly nice, and very friendly and encouraging. It's nice to see so many excellent representatives of this brand. If you all weren't so great, I really don't think I'd have as much of a collection as I do now.

Mike

Back in the early 90's I started doing a lot of pistol shooting. I was wearing the old R**B** Aviator style shades. While those in the know used to torment me to purchase the Oakley M Frame to get better coverage, I ignored them. When you shoot pistols, the ejected brass goes in many directions. On one fine day, I got a piece of ejected 45acp brass stuck behind my glasses on my cheek. That's a couple of hundred degrees of hot. I had a scab to prove it the next week. THAT was my "ah-ha" moment. I remembered how someone told me that the MFrame sealed across the forehead so that brass couldn't get in. That the heater lens offered superior face coverage to fight off bullet splatter at steel matches...oh and then there was that thing called comfort. I drove right down to my local retailer and bought an array with heater lenses. I can remember thinking...what the hell have I been waiting for...these are HEAVEN!. Then I won a new set up at a match. Yellow Pro M Frame with Ice Iridium, Persimmon, and Clear. I've still got them both. From there my wife and kids each got their own set ups...I wasn't going to let the same thing happen to them. From then on it was mix and match with frame and lens colors. It was some time later that I had a complete understanding of tints and the benefits of adjusting them to the ambient light. When things broke, Oakley helped us out. I have to admit, their warranty early on sold our family. With freebie replacements and discounts...we bought more and more and referred more and more. Today, my "kids" wear them daily. Son #2 showed up today in White Black Iridium Monster Doggles and son #1 was home last weekend in his Matte Black Canteen's. Tshirts, board shorts, golf, ski goggles, outerwear, and dozens of shades...we can always count on Oakley to protect us from the elements. Last week I sent my son and his college roommate to a week long shooting school. Oakley protection gifts went with them. My son got an MFrame array of Ice, Persimmon, and Clear. I set up his roommate with a Radar (Slate I think) and Clear. My passion is the shooting sports...and my old school M Frames that always go with me.

Jesus Ken - How's about spacing paragraphs? Just kidding! (Don't shoot me!)

Thanks all for sharing. I knew you guys would step up. It's tough to really talk about your O passion verbally unless you are in the presence of others that share the same affliction.

That's why we have the OR! It's much more than a place to share your latest purchase.

Fair play to you Nik you had me thinking on this one.

The best way I can explain my passion as it stands now;
is to give Oakley away, sounds odd, but I believe so deeply the brand is the best, it’s the only way to prove it.

I can talk HDO, ANSI Z 87.1, three point fit, XYZ optics ‘till the cows come home. But it’s only by wearing Oakley, can you actually see, fully for yourself the difference.

And there are few greater joys in collecting, than converting someone to your particular obsession.

And I’m by far from the only person here on the OR to give stuff away, or to pass on a great deal. It’s what we here do.

Like Paul said

There are so many facets to the O passion and how it manifests itself - I may just mention bits here and there as I'm not sure I can encapsulate it all in one post.

So true, I hope this thread lasts longer than the weekend.

The most amazing thing about Ken's post is that Son #2 showed up today in the white/black iridium Monster Doggles?!? LOL

God bless the Doggles, but they just are not the most universally appealing glasses in the world. I love to try from time to time since I dig on the ruby clear that I have in my doggle ... but I question myself on what the hell am I thinking each and every time.

Ruby clear in a doggle? WANT.

@Ken:
Two summers ago, I was doing an internship at a Family Camp on the backside of a mountain. On a pretty gusty day, the wind blew a hornet inside the Flak Jackets that I was wearing. It stung my eye, and it became swollen shut for the next two days. It's kinda like hot brass, I guess. Damnedest thing....

Paul...yep, he loves those Doggles. Big, white, and perfect for a 6'2" blond ripped college kid. They were mine, but I passed them on because I never wore them...way too big for me. His current favorite, as evidenced by what he wears most often, is the Eyepatch.

Ian...ghastly story about the wasp. I don't think I'll tell son #1 because his current favorites are his Matte Black VR28 Polarized Flaks!

And I’m by far from the only person here on the OR to give stuff away, or to pass on a great deal. It’s what we here do.

Huh? You truly are a King my friend. but the only? Slicker than greased weasel piss this one. Good at heart indeed.

My story somewhat mirrors what Yukio stated. For me, it also started with a single pair. From the moment I saw the Romeo in Mission Impossible 2 I was hooked. I HAD to own that pair of sunglasses. To this day, they are my favorite pair of glasses and I too wouldn't know what to do if I lost them. Then from there the madness snowballed and went from just appreciating how cool the glasses looked, but down to the very technology and core values of the company. I've now converted my girlfriend, who used to think that $10 gas station specials were "good enough". Now, she has numerous pairs she'd like and loves the Twitch I gave her (save the jokes lol).

Once I found this place, I knew I had stumbled across my new home away from home. The people here are without amazing and some of the greatest I've ever had the honor of sharing opinions and stories, both Oakley and non-Oakley related. I like to consider everyone on here a friend of mine. This place keeps the fire of the passion burning for me, and I always know even if I just wanna chat about this and that, I can always count on this place.

But, I'm getting off track here. I guess for me now, it's not only the Oakley product that keeps me hooked, but a fusion of Oakley and the people here at the O Review that make it just that much better. It's a relationship I hope will be around for many more years!

Amazing stories fellas! Indeed where else could you share this type of stuff with people that would understand but here?

I too, indeed hope that we can keep this moving beyond the Holiday weekend. There are many more of you logged in, reading this, that haven't shared yet.

Yes - I see you all. C'mon man - bring it. You can share with family and friends - but this is the place that people will truly understand and more importantly relate! Let's do it!