The Rocky Mountain Nationals wrestling tournament was set to begin weigh-ins. Around 10,000 competitors and spectators from across the country arrived in Colorado. Trophies were on display and mats were laid ready to go.
On the day the tournament was set to start, Gov. Polis banned gatherings of more than 250 people to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The tournament was canceled.
The Gutierrez brothers, organizers of the event, were devastated. “It was like a gut punch,” said Adam Gutierrez. They tore down their preparations and went home to hunker down.
As they watched the news, they wondered if there must be something they could do. The brothers also own Xtreme Pro Apparel that makes wrestling singlets and athletic gear. Masks, they thought, we could make masks. Within a day they had a prototype, within a week and a half they’d produced three thousand masks.
The masks, which are double layered and made of 90% polyester and 10% spandex, have not been certified as medical grade. There is no definitive evidence backing up the effectiveness of cloth masks in general, and it is uncertain what protection Xtreme Pro Apparel’s masks offer — if any. A filter can be added to the masks, but it is also unknown how much of a safeguard an insert would provide.
“Our take on it right now is a mask is better than no mask,” Adam Gutierrez said.
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