The mild climes were bad for apparel stores and sporting-goods purveyors, which were stuck with boots, coats and snow-sport equipment.

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The social enterprise, which has two more plants in Zambia and Ghana, uses the widespread popularity of football in the continent to help create jobs and offer disadvantaged children access to sport equipment.

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Pick a sport with low equipment costs like soccer or basketball instead of football or roller hockey.

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The research is one of several pioneering efforts being led by Loughborough's Sports Technology Institute, which works with public and private partners to drive innovation in sport's equipment and training.

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One problem is that the skeleton is an expensive sport, heavy on equipment.

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"You always want your standard equipment being used by the stars of your sport, " says Sugar.

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The problem is whether the sport itself will actually embrace it as part of their standard equipment.

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While the rate of injury for skiing overall has declined over the past 60 years because of better equipment and training, knee injuries remain common in the sport, particularly among women, according to a 2003 study.

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The quadrennial TV spectacle boosts awareness of the sport, which eventually translates into dollars for the firms that sell ski equipment and lift tickets and slope-side condominiums.

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