Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for May 17, 2004

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, May 17, 2004 | 8:17 a.m.

Safe and sunned

Summer or at least its unofficial start, marked by the long Memorial Day weekend is almost here. Time to take the pool floaties out of the mothballs; hose a year's worth of grime off the patio furniture; and break a sweat trying to scrape the charred remains of last season's cookouts off the barbecue grill.

However you chose to spend your time outdoors, don't forget to first slather on a healthy layer of sunscreen. This reminder comes courtesy of sun-care product maker Coppertone, which has declared May as Sun Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of sun exposure and skin cancer.

The company reports that, last year, almost 1.3 million people were diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease. Meanwhile, it says the results of a recent survey show 90 percent of Americans fail to apply sunscreen daily; and the number of "sunscreen users" age 25 and younger has dropped from 49 percent in 1996 to only 34 percent last year.

How should one protect themselves from the sun's damaging rays? Among the suggestions being offered by the Coppertone folks:

Back to business

As anyone who has ever attempted to rub sunscreen on their own back knows, the task is nearly impossible (unless you list "circus sideshow performer" on your resume).

The days of twisting and turning yourself into a sand-covered pretzel are over: Enter the Back Valet, developed by an online company called Joy Unlimited. Apply sunscreen (or any type of lotion) to the 30-inch-long piece of soft, stretchy cotton/spandex-fabric applicator; grab the attached handles and pull it across the middle of your back.

The Back Valet ($19.95) can be machine washed and dried. It's available in several unusual colors eggplant, pumpkin, mustard and lime and includes a carrying case. The Signature Back Valet ($24.95) comes in khaki, charcoal and heather gray hues. Both can be purchased at wwwjoyunlimitedonline.biz.

Blown away

Getting back to umbrellas, it's tough to enjoy a day at the beach without one. Then again, it can be equally as difficult to lug one with a cooler, a radio and folding chair in tow across the skin-searing sand and toward the shore without knocking at least one sunbather in the noggin with the long pole.

The makers of Windthingy hope to change that. The folding-fan-shaped device (7 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet tall) is made of lightweight nylon, and features a retractable pole and plastic stakes that are buried in the sand for stability. It was designed by WesArt Productions in Irvine, Calif., to deflect winds that whisk off the water and kick up sand that inevitably sticks to Coppertone-covered bodies.

Like the Back Valet, Windthingy ($39) comes in plenty of interesting colors cobalt blue, harvest gold, hunter green and royal purple among them and is available at www.windthingy.com.