By Philip Dance
Love is in the air this Valentine season, but holding hands with your special someone in freezing temperatures is not the most comfortable experience.
But it could be.
GregMar Enterprises has solved the age-old dilemma of holding hands in cold weather with the introduction of the 'Comitten.'
'The Comitten is designed to allow couples to hold hands in even the most severe conditions,' said Greg Hosford, developer of the Comitten.
The Comitten resembles a large mitten without the thumb. The mitten is large enough for two people to comfortably hold hands and at the same time small enough to keep them warm.
After many years in the upper Midwest, an area known for long, cold winters, Hosford and his wife were walking hand-in-hand one chilly night and they came up with the idea, he said.
Hosford was once a student at Brigham Young University and remembers the cold nights experienced in Utah.
Understanding the difficulties of holding hands during the cold intermountain winters, Hosford thought the Comitten would be of use to students.
Some students brave the cold weather to show their commitment to loved ones.
'I show my ''commitment'' by wearing the ''Comitten,''' said John Brooks, 25, a graduate student from Santa Ana, Calif.
Other students did not know what to make of the Comitten.
Maleah Woodward, 23, a senior from Richland, Wash., majoring in engineering, seemed to be a bit confused when approached with the idea.
'I have always had a problem holding hands when it is freezing outside,' she said.
Woodward said she finds the idea of the Comitten interesting, but will probably never own one.
Students think the idea of the Comitten is catchy, but most students believe it will take a while before people actually discover this product.
'You know when the Mercury is dropping well below freezing, nothing would increase winter interdigitation among students more than this product,' said Thomas Wheatley, 23, a senior, from Draper, Utah Co., majoring in information systems.
Hosford said sales of the Comitten have been slow, but once the idea catches on he believes sales will pick up.
If cold winter evenings are putting an end to the display of commitment, students interested in purchasing a Comitten or learning more about it can visit www.comitten.com.