S1 HELMETS 2023 SKATE HELMETS & PROTECTION BRAND PREVIEW

BoardSport Sounce (European Surf, Skate, Snow Business Magazine) 

Interview with Dan McCashin (Co-Founder of S1 Helmets & Pads)  

How’re you navigating the current hardwoods overstocking issues?

To protect Brick N Mortar specialty retail stores, we strictly enforce our MAP policy to not allow any online vendor to sell S1 under MSRP. We value every one of our specialty store partners and we want to drive sales to them and create a selling environment for them where they do not have to compete with online price gauging.

We make smaller runs of S1 Products to monitor quality and satisfy just the demand of our core accounts with careful forecasting. We also batch test every run we make to ensure the quality of S1 Products are consistent with what our customers are accustomed to with S1. S1 makes super high quality, specialized and thoughtfully designed products that are only available through specialty retailers.

What are your main price points for next season in helmets, pads, protectors?

The S1 Lifer Helmets rage in price starting at $79.99 all the way up to $154.99

How is skate participation developing and how important is protection to new riders?

Our Industry is special in that it will always have ebbs and flows with regards to participation but in the end, no matter how you roll S1 has a product to help protect you. When you are starting out with anything new it is always important to protect yourself from injury, especially potentially life altering injuries like TBI’s or concussions. Your brain is your hard drive, and you wouldn’t want to drop your hard drive would you? Committing to protecting your dome is huge when you are learning a new discipline or whether you’re a proven vet because no matter what stage you’re at living to ride another day and keep rolling is what being a Lifer is all about.

What are your main stories in terms of protective technologies for 2023?

Fusion foam is our proprietary foam technology that is used in all S1 Lifer Helmets. Fusion foam is designed by blending low, medium and high-density foam beads together to achieve a foam that is soft enough to absorb multiple impacts and pass multiple impact certifications and dense enough to absorb shock in single high impacts and pass all the high impacts certifications.

How are you communicating safety certification and is it a must-have?

S1 has been on the forefront of transparency when it comes to the helmet certification process and was the first skate focused company to stop selling non-certified helmets and educate the public to the difference between the two types of helmets.

Why any protective gear company would try to sell you a product that does not meet impact test certifications is not only unethical but morally irresponsible and should never be trusted. These companies, whose sole existence is based on protecting you, that do not adhere to this fundamental are reprehensible and clearly prioritizing profits over purpose.

How are helmet designs trending (full helmets vs. lighter models)?

S1 offers the widest range of helmet designs and options in our industry from half shells, to full cuts to full face helmets in multiple helmet shell sizes.

What are trending styles in pads and gloves?

S1 Pro knee pads are the highest quality and best designed knee pads ever built. The S1 Pro knee pad incorporates the highest quality materials and craftsmanship to promote durability and function and we use a variety of smart foams to absorb impact energy and provide unprecedented functional benefits. Available in 3 shell sizes for Adult, Youth and Kid.

Which technical features are you the most proud of in your protective gear?

S1 has developed impact reducing sizing liners called RAD Liners! RAD Liners Reduce, Absorb and Disperse impact energy add an additional layer of impact reduction to your helmet that help to reduce impact energy an additional 8% to 17% depending on the impact. These are huge for anyone looking to fortify their helmet and especially for anyone recovering or suffering from the effects of concussion or generally just pushing the limits with their rolling.

What impact technologies in helmets are you incorporating?</strong

Fusion Foam is offered in all S1 Lifer Helmets.

Are there any crossover technologies from other sports?

S1 designed, developed and functionally trademarked or unique Visor Products that were originally designed for Roller Derby and are now used and adopted by multiple disciplines and available in multiple products in our line.

BEST SELLERS

S1 Lifer Helmet half shell

The S1 Lifer is a breakthrough design combining all the advantages of a high impact and multiple impact certified helmet with a low-profile skate helmet look. We ensure that the S1 Lifer Helmet meets and/or exceeds current helmet safety standards by batch testing every production we make. All S1 Lifer Helmets feature our specially for-mulated Fusion Foam.

S1 Retro Lifer full cut shell

The Retro Lifer has the same inner shell as our standard Lifer Helmet with a Retro Mo-to Outer Shell to expand coverage over the ears. The Retro Lifer uses specially formu-lated EPS Fusion Foam which allows it to protect your head from multiple low force impacts as well as high impacts.

S1 Pro Knee Pads

The Gen 4 and 4.5 S1 Pro Knee Pad is thoughtfully designed with comfort, durability, stability and function in mind. Featuring a streamlined design with a military grade ballistic ny-lon outer shell, a 4-tiered impact absorbing inner knee cup featuring memory foam that promotes stability on impact and smart foam that absorbs impact energy and a perfect length locking adjustment top straps system.

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