Why helmets are said to be cool right now

murasaki main

WHY
WE THINK WEARING

A helmet?

Have you ever been snowboarding and felt dangerous?Enjoy riding to your heart's content by pushing speed, tricks and high levels close to your limits.The risk of injury due to your own way of slipping is greater or lesser.However, there are some injuries that can be avoided if you wear a helmet.Snowboarding is basically a self-responsibility, so it's natural to protect yourself.It is said that many snowboarders are already wearing helmets overseas.And the MOVEMENT began to spread in Japan as well.The reason is?And how to wear a helmet in a cool way?This is a special feature to answer your doubts.
Photo: Yoshifumi Shimizu

 HELMETStyle studies 

Recently, I often see snowboarders wearing helmets on the slopes.This helmet is recommended for safety, but if you wear it, you want to wear it stylishly.We interviewed at the M & M BANKED SLALOM held in Kawaba to find out what kind of clothes everyone is wearing. We have collected the style coordination of STAFF and the participants!

With brim /A helmet coordination with a brim that sparked the helmet boom Item matching /Appeal freestyle and originality with various combinations of outfits No brim /Recently, helmets with small brim and helmets without brim are increasing in popularity with wrinkles. Kids coordination /Kids who are already familiar with wearing helmets are also looking forward to the sticker tune of the helmet.

 MURASAKI style Key points for choosing a helmet 

Well, I was wondering if a helmet would be good for fashion, so how should I choose a helmet?This time, he taught me the key points in choosing a helmet with an emphasis on safety.

murasaki-sahara
Profile_ Murasaki Sports Shinjuku South Exit Store Chief Takahiko Sahara (Actually, he is also a PSA official professional snowboarder)

1/The most important thing is the fit when you wear it
In terms of safety, fit is the most important in terms of wearing and slipping all day long.Plus, it's good to choose features such as lightness, MIPS and shell hardness.Compared to Westerners, Japanese people have a wider back of the head with a bee, so depending on the shape of the helmet, the area behind the ears on the back of the head may be pushed and it may hurt very much.On the other hand, if it fits here, it will give you a very good fit, so it's best to see it first. Sizes such as M and L also differ depending on the brand.Even if I think I'm M, in most cases the size is relatively large because my head is bigger than overseas people.Also, depending on the brand, the size may differ depending on the model.It is important to always try on the model you want, as it may not be just right.

2/Choose goggles and helmet together
If there is a gap between the goggles and the helmet, snow may get inside, or snow may accumulate on the goggles and the lens may become cloudy.You can bring your own goggles at the store, so it's better to choose them together.Models with a round curve on the top of the goggles often pay off.There are some combinations that do not fit with goggles that are angular with a flat lens, so it is important to try it anyway.

The perfect combination with no gaps makes it comfortable while riding
The perfect combination with no gaps makes it comfortable while riding

3/The size adjustment function is convenient for a better fit.
Some models of GIRO and SMITH have an adjuster, but when the adjuster is not tightened, select a model that fits to some extent and make finer adjustments with the adjuster.Please note that the function of the adjuster does not make the person of L become M.

murasaki-ajasta
You can fine-tune the size of the helmet by changing the position of the holes.Can fit more tightly

4/Ventilation function is a must for backcountry
There is a danger of an avalanche and there is a possibility of hitting standing trees and rocks, so basically it has ears so that it can be protected firmly, and it matches well with goggles.Also, in the case of backcountry, it is not possible to redo, so I would like you to choose the one that is absolutely suitable so that the fit is not bad and the goggles do not float and the wind gets into your eyes or the visibility gets worse.The rest is with ventilation.I think it is better to have goggles that do not become cloudy due to a certain amount of humidity.

5/Even a kids helmet is NG if it is too big
Basically, choose the one that fits the same as an adult, but for children, sizing becomes more important.If you choose a larger one considering the next year, the fitting will not fit and you will want to remove it, the safety will be low and the meaning of wearing it will be lost, so I want you to choose the one that suits you at that time. ..If it doesn't fit perfectly, some people wear beanie and goggles inside to adjust it.

6/It is common sense to wear a helmet in the same way as choosing boots.
I definitely want you to wear a helmet and choose it.It's similar to choosing boots, and even if you know your size, you don't know if it really fits unless you actually wear it, and you choose lightness and softness with a fit.If there is a slight hit or anxiety, it will definitely hurt when you actually slip and you will not want to wear it.To avoid such feelings after purchasing, please actually wear a helmet with the same image and choose it.

 From the supplierMESSAGE 

Marasaki Sports has been strengthening the appeal of helmets for about three years.How do you think about the position of the helmet in the snowboard scene?We asked him about his efforts as Marasaki Sports and his future goals.

murasaki-shimizu
Profile_ Marasaki Sports Snow ACC Buyer Etsu Kiyomizu

It ’s cool to be prepared for safety.
I want to aim for an era where people think it's cool

The reason was that I felt the difference in self-responsibility between overseas and Japan.
When I skated on an overseas slope on an overseas business trip, I felt that the perception of helmets was different between Europe, the United States and Japan.In Europe and the United States, it is said that the helmet wearing rate is 8% or more, and if you do not wear it, you will be treated as strange.There is a very high awareness of self-responsibility on overseas slopes.In contrast to Western culture, where awareness has taken root since childhood, Japan's history of snowboarding for more than 40 years has a history of industrial growth as a trend before safety awareness grew.In the future, when the skills of young people are improved and the backcountry trends are becoming more and more visible, we must make safety awareness the standard for Japanese people.I definitely want to avoid the people who choose snowboarding life from ruining their lives due to accidents or unintended accidents.The beginning is to appeal to helmets because we want them to have a long snowboarding life and have a longer and more enjoyable life.

Efforts to make it a standard
We are holding a helmet meeting by gathering each manufacturer.With a common consciousness of how to spread the word, we are trying to talk from the same standpoint, so we have manufacturers, mainly Murasaki, gather to hold meetings and formulate strategies.In addition, we hold study sessions so that people can understand the differences in helmet circumstances between the world and Japan, the need for helmets, and the current situation in Japan.First of all, if you want to change the mind of a person who says that a helmet is a dasee.Instead of that, I would like to enter an era where wearing a helmet is natural and cool.

Changes surrounding helmets in Japan
What I feel as a skin is that the number of foreigners coming to Japan aiming for JAPOWDER has increased, and the helmet wearing rate on the slopes has increased overwhelmingly compared to before.Also, I think that younger children, such as Ayumu Hirano and the younger generation, are becoming less reluctant to suffer.It is becoming commonplace to wear it when entering parks and big kickers.However, most snowboard users in their 30s and 40s are not supposed to suffer.When they started snowboarding, there wasn't much of a concept that it was a cultural necessity for snowboarding.I think there is a gap in the times, but I hope that having safety awareness will become the standard for all generations.

Proposals for both fashion and safety
Just fit is recommended.In terms of bringing out 100% of the safety of the helmet, I think that it is the correct way to have a shop that is just fit and recommends external goggles, but I stubbornly press it and put it on people who do not want to wear it. Rather, we aim to standardize wearing by proposing styles that people want to wear on their own initiative.In short, it's definitely safer to have a helmet on the beanie than to hit your head with your body.From the feeling that it is better than not wearing it, even if fashion starts, I want to increase the number of people who want to wear it.It's not just about fashion, but I think it would be good if play was born after the awareness of safety increased.I think it's okay to wear a beanie and put on a helmet and goggles belt.However, rather than just recognizing it and causing it to halve the function of the helmet and lead to injury, it is a way to break it after knowing that the safety of the helmet works 100% if you wear it properly. I want you to understand.After all, the ultimate goal is to emphasize safety.

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If you read the article and want to choose a helmet, click here!

▶▶ GIRO_ Helmet brand GIRO that protects the head with various technologies such as MIPS and SOFTSHELL structure

▶▶ SMITH OPTICS_ SMITH OPTICS helmet line where all models meet world strength standards