Skate Helmets & Protection SS17 Trend Report

While falling over is all part and parcel for all action sports, skateboarding undoubtedly has the hardest landings. And hence calls for appropriate protection. Anna Langer takes a look at trends and new products for the segment in Spring/Summer 2017.

REKD

HELMETS
Protecting yourself is always a good idea and if the odds are bone against concrete, it should be a no-brainer. And customers are using their brains increasingly to learn more about the product they’re seeking, according to Koroyd: “Consumers are paying more attention to the impact performance of helmets before purchasing. They have a wider range of protective materials to select from and are well informed as to which technologies are marketing based and which are offering innovative solutions.” And while EPS is still standard for most helmets, Bern feel it’s time for an update in quality: “We are giving a higher quality product, with thinner engineered EPS and more modern design lines to recognize that the skateboard community is not only a lot more picky on styling – but realistically have increased their skill level to the point that they truly are requiring real technical advancement – and retailers as well want to have more of a story and increase their average sales price.” Nutcase add a new flexible EPS system called FlexForm in their new model The Zone™ and many brands incorporate MIPS for added rotational impact protection.

Bern work with “hybrid foams, that combine hard and soft materials to increase the levels of protection,” in a scientific approach. Koroyd add that “the traditional hard vs soft discussion is moving more towards a total performance requirement from the consumer, lightweight, breathable, flexible and with clearly defined impact performance – these attributes are not mutually exclusive anymore.” TSG also prefer to mix “both materials. The contact with concrete is so close and unavoidable that a hard shell on the outside is a must.” Pro-Tec see that their team prefers “soft traditional skate style helmets because they fit so well,” but are still looking for the perfect ingredient “to make certified versions that feel the same or very close.”

The product’s fit plays a vital role too, for purchasing and safety alike, which is a priority for most brands. “Comfort is always up on the list for important features in a helmet; if it doesn’t fit right, it doesn’t protect you right,” say Rekd and Bern agree: “Fit has been a major focus for us, all of our skate helmets now use a new formula of die-cut padding” that “provides a more comfortable fit as well as reduces the overall weight of the helmet.”

Pro-Tec

DESIGN
“In protection, black is the new black,” TSG report tongue in cheek, since black is the best seller. Bern also see “earth brights” coming back, “with a move to satin finishes that offer the impression of matte with the bonus of anti-scratch surface,” which is also a big trend for Nutcase, who feature solid colours and matte finishes for next year.

There are also some brighter options like red, aqua and a rich, deep pink from Nutcase or four different semi-transparent models from Rekd, who also feature “junior colours to cater for our younger customers.” Pro-Tec take “inspiration from the American car and motorcycle culture. Fades, flakes and other things that add a special customized look,” while TSG teamed up with skateboard artist Jimbo Philips and continue to work with Tanner Goldbeck.

And we also see a little nod back to the past with a re-release of Pro-Tec’s “retro pads” in bright red, yellow and blue as well as an old-school design mixing red, blue and yellow as a tribute to the first TSG pad designs in the 80ies.

PADS
Knee pads also get a slight material update. TSG add “an extra layer of PU like D3O or Arti-lage to the EVA foam,” to increase shock absorbing performance and improve the wearing comfort. “Arti-Lage mimics the property of human cartilage. Soft and flexible at normal use but building a hard protective shell at impact,” they explain. Amplifi have teamed up with Swiss high performance fabric supplier Schoeller to introduce their game changing new fabric Ceraspace™, a unique composition of special ceramic particles anchored in a polymer matrix as a 3-dimensional coating for their kneepads: “super low friction for easy sliding on even the roughest asphalt and rocks, with extremely high abrasion resistance to keep your pads in one piece (not to mention your knees!)”

TSG – Photo by Erik from band Millencolin