HelmetNation going International?

When I took over HelmetNation, I just naturally figured that my business would be entirely in the United States. I have come to learn that simply isn't true. Of course, it was easy to understand that I would get some business from our neighbors to the North and over the past year and a half I have received quite a bit of business from Canada. With the CFL and intercollegiate system playing Canadian style football, it is no surprise that the football helmet would develop some status there as well. Usually, my orders are for CFL helmets that we carry from Riddell. However, I recently made a helmet of a high school that has since been closed for one of its football playing alumni. It was actually commissioned by his girlfriend as a present. Here you can see the Robert Usher Unicorns helmet.



Well, Canada is not the only source of International business for HelmetNation. I did helmets for a team in Switzerland that plays American style football called the Saints. Here is their helmet:



In addition, we recently did an order for a German team that plays American football called the Pforzheim Wilddogs who's helmet you can see here:



At first I was a bit worried about getting international orders because there are some issues that go along with shipping that far away. However, it has been my pleasure to be able to do these orders and I hope our presence continues to grow internationally.

The Mini Baseball Batting helmet

It has been interesting to me that the mini baseball batting helmet hasn't generated the same type of business that the mini football helmet does. My thought has been that when people think of football the helmet is usually one of the first things they think of as it symbolizes the sport. The batting helmet isn't as commonly associated in baseball. It is common at all levels of football for the teams to have decals on their helmets. I remember that most of the time, the little league baseball teams I played on had hand-me down, generic looking batting helmets.

Well, we hope that we can get little leagues, high schools and businesses to take advantage of our custom mini batting helmets.



We have 12 different color helmets and we can put your team or company logo on the helmet and customize it in a number of ways so that they can used for trophies or awards. Just send us an email or give us a call and we will take care of all your mini batting helmet needs!

The Evolution of our Logo

When I first became the owner of HelmetNation, I thought it would be fun to give HelmetNation a new look and sort of put my stamp on the business. John had done a phenomenal job with HelmetNation and I just wanted to continue the great work he had done. I actually paid to have the logo developed by a company called Logoworks. They did a solid job for what I paid them. I knew I had to have a helmet in the design and I knew that I wanted red and blue to be the primary colors. We went through several different designs including this which was one of the first ideas.



I really liked the text of HelmetNation in that logo the incorporated helmet was interesting. However, another design idea that came with the above design (I, for some reason, did not keep a copy of that design) had the shield part of the logo in it. I wanted a better looking helmet for the logo and in looking at the shield thought it would be sweet to have the helmet be negative space in the design. Being a Nebraska fan my whole life, my favorite logo they have is the Helmet Huskers logo as you see here.



So, I asked them to incorporate that helmet into the logo. After a few more minor adjustments, we had basically the logo you see at the top of the blog. Now, here is where I would like to give a huge shout-out to Mike Gardner. Mike is a great graphic artist and he put the finishing touches on the HelmetNation logo that gave it a 3-D look. Mike also graciously helped me have some fun with the logo by coloring it with different schemes.





I really appreciate all the great work that Mike has done for me. So, recently I had the idea that I should put a baseball batting helmet and a hockey goalie mask in place of the football helmet in the logo to use for those sport specific instances. I asked Mike if he would try and make those for me and he did a great job. Take a look for yourself.




Personally, I was really impressed with his work. While the football helmet version of the logo will remain the main logo, I plan on using the baseball and hockey logos for baseball and hockey promos. Thanks again, Mike!

Husker Helmets

In my personal collection I have mostly mini football helmets. However, I do have 5 full-size helmets. One helmet is a Schutt Pro-Air helmet that looks like the helmets I wore in college when I played. However, the helmets I am going to show you are my four full-size Nebraska Cornhusker helmets. Some guys like to collect older helmets and eventually I would like to get the history of the Nebraska Cornhusker helmets as full-size helmets. For now, I am working on getting one of each of the current helmets that are being worn. I discussed several of these helmets in the Helmet Innovations series. The helmets I have currently are my

RIDDELL REVOLUTION




SCHUTT PRO-AIR II



SCHUTT DNA




and my latest addition the new

SCHUTT ION 4-D





I hope to be able to add the Riddell Revolution Speed, the Schutt Air XP, the Adams Pro-Elite, and the Xenith X1 helmets over the coming months. If and when I get them, I will be sure to let you all know.

Helmet Innovations - Part 3: The new guy on the block

In 2008, we also saw the emergence of a new player in the helmet world. Xenith, a company founded by a former Harvard QB in Vin Ferrara has begun selling the Xenith X1.

Xenith X1 Press Release



The helmet has made massive changes to the interior padding by introducing the Aware-flow Shock Absorbers. These little disks release air based on the amount of force applied to the disk. Press down evenly and firmly and air flows out freely. Slam down on the disks and little air is released, providing more cushioning for the blow. After having been depressed, they refill with air in milliseconds.



In addition, the helmet has a unique bonnet and fitting system meant to hold snugly to each specific player, even those hard to fit heads. It will be interesting to see how the use of this helmet develops. I have spoken to one Div. 1 FBS equipment manager and he stated he had a couple of players in the helmet, but they did not like the way the helmet fit because the way it fit made it more and more difficult to take the helmet off and put it back on during a game. However, he had also heard from other equipment managers that their players loved the helmet. I know for sure North Carolina State and Utah each had a few players in the helmet for at least part of last season. I do not yet own this helmet and would like to very much. It is being sold for $350 in team sales. However, for an individual to buy the helmet, it will be around $500. You can read all about the company, their ideals and the helmet itself at their website:

Xenith

It has been fascinating to watch the development of the football helmet over the last decade. I am curious as to where things go from here. In addition, I am very interested to see what happens with the mini-helmet industry as the helmets on the field have changed so much. I think one of our next posts will examine what is available in mini-helmets.

Helmet Innovations - Part 2

In Part 1 we discussed the first major changes in football helmets in a long time when Riddell released the Revolution in 2002 and Schutt released the DNA in 2003.

Fast forward a few years and both companies have utilized their research from these two innovative helmets to continue to develop helmets more effective in fighting concussions. While both helmets had their fans, one of the complaints heard about both the Revolution and DNA helmets were their new shapes and looks. To that end, Schutt released the traditional helmet shell Air XP in 2007.

Schutt XP Press Release



As you can see, inside the helmet was the next generation Skydex2® TPU Cushioning. The helmet appeals to those who like the more traditional look of football helmets while using the new interior materials to fight concussions. The XP can usually be purchased for a cost between $210 and $250. Again, as with all Schutt helmets, that price range is a result of the mask often being sold separately. Here you can see the Schutt XP page on their website:

Schutt XP

As things progressed, 2008 became a banner year for the release of helmets. Schutt followed up the release of the XP with the release of the highly anticipated ION 4D.

Schutt ION 4D Press Release

Often referred to as the "Optimus Prime" helmet, the ION has a very aggressive look with unique styling on the shell. In addition, the ION has a new, innovative facemask assembly that Schutt calls the Energy Wedge Faceguard system. It is meant to cushion the impact of blows directly to the facemask with little rubber "shock absorbers" on the side of the helmet. In addition, the ION 4D also uses the next generation Skydex2® TPU Cushioning.



There are a number of other innovations in the helmet and this is Schutt's top of the line product at the moment. Teams such as Texas Tech and Penn State who have used Schutt helmets almost exclusively had a number of players in the ION 4D. In addition, a number of New York Giants players were wearing the helmet as they won the Super Bowl in Jan. 2008. It generally costs between $275 and $315, again, often with the facemask sold separately. You can see all the innovations in the ION 4D on their website by clicking on the following link:

Schutt ION 4D

Just after Schutt released the ION 4D, Riddell countered with the Revolution Speed also in 2008. Just as with the ION, it is a very aggressively style shell and uses a number of innovations Riddell developed from the first generation Revolution.



The Revolution Speed has more aggressive vent holes and sharper lines. It also uses Riddell's new Quick Release Faceguard system which Riddell is now starting to use on the older generation Revolutions as they are manufactured as well. A number of prominent teams and players (especially in Div. 1 FBS football) switched too and began wearing the Revolution Speed this past season. The Revolution Speed can be purchased for $230 from their website by clicking on the following link:

Riddell Revolution Speed

So, both Schutt and Riddell have several versions of helmets developed to reduce the risk of injury and in particular concussions. Often, in my experience, players or even just fans of helmets, will either love or hate each of these different helmets. Regardless of how you feel, both Schutt and Riddell seem to be genuinely working hard to reduce the incidences of injury and maintain the helmet as the Ultimate icon in sports.

In part 3, we will talk about the newest player in the world of helmets.

Helmet Innovations - Part 1

Football helmet technology has changed and advanced rapidly over the last 7 years. The sport has always been tough and in response to growing concern over concussions new technology has been developed and put on the playing fields. The rapid change really began with the introduction of the Riddell Revolution helmet in 2002.



The Revolution debuted with extended jaw protection as a part of the shell and what Riddell called Z-pads which were inflatable jaw pads. Riddell had conducted some extensive studies on concussions and their research revealed that most concussions were the result of a blow to the side of the head, not the top or front as often thought. Since the release of the helmet, Riddell claims that the Revolution has reduced the chances of getting a concussion by 31% for those who wear the Revolution. The helmet generally sells for about $175 on the Riddell website. You can see the Revolution at the following link:

Riddell Revolution

Riddell has since introduced the Revolution IQ and Revolution IQ HITS helmets. There are minimum changes to the shell and facemasks. These changes are all about the interior padding and innovations that allow the helmet to be worn by a player who might have suffered several concussions. The Revolution IQ helmet costs around $209 and has Riddells latest interior padding innovations. The Revolution IQ HITS is an entire system. The helmet costs $999 and requires the purchase of the HITS system and antenna separately. Having the system allows up to 6 players equipped with IQ HITS helmets to be monitored during game action. The helmet provides information on whether or not the player is at risk for another concussion based on the force and type of blows the player has received. You can also buy an IQ HITS helmet for a single player and download the information from the helmet after game action to see what hits and such the player received during the game.

After the release of the Revolution in 2002, Schutt followed quickly with their helmet meant to reduce concussions. The Schutt DNA helmet was introduced in 2003.



The DNA featured the introduction of Skydex® TPU Cushioning which Schutt felt was an innovative new type of interior cushioning. I was once told by a Schutt sales representative that the DNA stands for Doesn't Need Accessories which was a direct shot at the fact that the Revolution required some new types of accessories (clips, z-pads, etc) to be purchased in order to maintain the helmet whereas the DNA did not require any new accessories. I have never seen that explanation of the acronym anywhere else, so I don't know that it is true. The DNA generally costs around $175 but is most often sold without the facemask which requires the buyer to purchase the facemask separately and brings the cost up to around $215. Here is the link to the Schutt website page for the DNA:

Schutt DNA

Next time we will look at the recent influx of several new designs introduced by both companies and the appearance of new helmet developer and manufacturer. Stay tuned.