Obit of the Day: He Hadn’t the Foggiest
Bob Smith was an orthodontist with a passion for skiiing. But he was frustrated by inevitable fog that would cover his goggles as he swooshed down the powdery slopes. For most active skiiers, fog was so intense inside the mask that they were skiing virtually blind.
Smith thought he had a solution. Creating a prototype that used two lenses, foam, glue, and, of course, dental floss, Smith would trade his new goggle for lift tickets in Idaho (where he would eventually move his goggle company) or give it away to ski patrols for feedback. Leaving orthodontics, he would found Smith Optics and paved the way for the now-standard double-lens fog-free ski goggle.
Bob Smith died at the age of 78.
(Image of Bob Smith wearing an early pair of his goggles is courtesy of FoxSports.com. I apologize for the blurry image but it was the only one available that showed Mr. Smith wearing his product.)
