S N O W H E L M E T S 2022/23
retail buyer’s guide
RETAIL BUYER’S GUIDE
ALECK
The acceptance of the helmet has resulted in more educated customers. Meeting their demands promotes the use of the helmet and contributes to an increasing demand. By Rocio Enriquez.
Helmet brands are expectant to see how their products perform with resorts and retailers open to the public. Of all snowboarding product categories, helmets did not fare too badly last winter. Restrictions at resorts sent a lot of eager riders off-piste. Nothing could bring the spotlight onto safety equipment more than braving the backcountry. The head, and the brain it harbours, seems to be the body part that riders are keener to protect. As R.P. Bess from Protect states, “wearing a helmet is a cheap way of protecting the CPU of your body”. This increased awareness of protection has resulted in more educated customers. With education comes a more sophisticated demand that brands strive to meet. Helmet users want the best protection provided with comfort and wrapped up in a good look. Those are the basic demands; extra brownie points are granted to the brands that check-in with sustainability too. As a result, helmets are getting lighter and more low profile, while increasing the safety and performance features. Technology such as MPIS protection, ventilation systems or photochromic visors are becoming standard. The stylish looks are making it easy to integrate them into the overall look. The added comfort makes it easy to have the helmet on all day long. NEW FOR FW22/23 Next season will be shy on launches. Products launched last season did not have a fair exposure and their market performance remains untested. Most importantly, retailers were left with an unexpected amount of inventory in their back rooms. Carrying over products allows them to replenish the gaps in sizes or colours to complete their offer. Yet, we find some innovations across the brands interviewed. MIPS has become standard. Brands who had integrated it in selected models are expanding it within the range. Brands who hadn’t tried it
‘‘Wearing a helmet is a cheap way of protecting the CPU of your body” R.P. Bess, Protec so far are giving it a go. “We are updating our Husk helmet to feature MIPS, following overwhelming customer demand”, says Chris Bellamy from Salomon. They make a note that MIPS comes in addition to their existing EPS 4D and Smart Safety 360 technology. Sandbox announces the integration of MIPS in selected models. Most of the few new styles that will be launched next season will feature it. Giro will be presenting the new Tor and Tenaya helmets. These are high-end, hybrid-shell helmets aimed at free riders. They feature Spherical MIPS and a unique look. “Hybrid shell construction allowed to play with texture, adding aesthetic value”, says Darius Heristchian. MIPS is also found in two of the three new launches announced by Smith. The Nexus MIPS is their premium tech offering in a lightweight, hybrid shell construction. The Summit MIPS is their triple certified ski helmet with Koroyd zonal protection and a set of valuable backcountry features. It comes with a Smith + Boa® custom fit system that stashes inside the helmet when stored. It also has an integrated headlamp router, an Ionic+ anti-microbial liner and a Smith cold weather beanie liner accessory. Sweet will launch the Igniter 2Vi MIPS, as part of the roll out of their 2Vi technology platform. This new style offers better performance and comfort while keeping weight and volume to a minimum. Anon will keep pushing their exclusive WaveCel impact protection technology launched last season. This is a three-dimensional cellular structure that creates a network of hundreds of interconnected shock absorbers. This network connects your head to the outer shell of the helmet, distributing the impact energy through it.
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