| 04/09/2002 | What used to be extreme is now mainstream. Team sports are moving over as extreme sports gain popularity among young and old alike. Millions of people are participating in skateboarding, in-line skating, mountain biking, BMX bicycling, skiing and snowboarding each year, and the number of participants is growing as more people find extreme sports to be healthy, rewarding ways to express individual style and push physical limits.
But is protective gear up to speed with these action sports? The question is most critical when it comes to helmets, as head trauma is the most serious injury an extreme-sports enthusiast can sustain. 90 percent of all the serious accidents for the 9 million skateboarding participants each year are because of a hit to the head. And, for the over 42 million people who participate in bicycling each year, experts say a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 88 percent.
Not all helmets are created equally. New advancements in helmet technology are making helmets more protective than ever before. Most helmets are lined with foams called EPS and EPP-the same materials that have been used in helmet manufacturing for more than 30 years. These foams have to crack or break to work. In an accident, if the impact is not hard enough to crack or break the foam, the majority of the force is transferred directly to the helmet wearer's brain.
In addition, if EPP or EPS foam has cracked or broken-meaning that the helmet has done its job-the helmet can no longer be used and must be thrown away.
Fortunately, W HelmetsĒ are the first to contain ZorbiumĒ Foam, and now action sports enthusiasts have a new option: a greater level of protection. Zorbium Foam works differently than materials used in helmets for decades. Because it works not by breaking but by dissipating energy through the foam, it absorbs more impact energy than EPP and EPS foams.
Because Zorbium rebounds on impact instead of cracking, W Helmets protect the wearer in more than one fall and can be worn again and again. As a true multiple-impact helmet, W Helmets can be used for bicycling and other non-motorized action sports like in-line skating and skateboarding, as well as for snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding.
W Helmets were developed as a tribute to Wendy Moore, who died at the age of 29 as the result of a head injury sustained in a skiing accident. Her family developed Zorbium Foam and W Helmets to raise the bar on helmet technology so that others do not have to suffer the loss they have. W Helmets is partnering with neurosurgeons at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and other world-class medical organizations to advance head trauma research and helmet safety. A portion of helmet sales goes to this cause.
W Helmets with Zorbium Foam are found in specialty sporting goods, bike and ski shops across the country. For more information, visit www.whelmets.com, or call 800-816-2505.www.whelmets.com
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