Tag: Riddell

Bauer Plays Ball

BauerThis month it was announced that Easton-Bell Sports will sell its Easton baseball and softball business to Bauer Sports for $330 million. In addition Easton will sell its hockey business to a “third party,” which appears not to be Bauer – an odd decision given that Bauer has been mostly known for its hockey equipment.

Easton-Bell Sports will retain its Bell, Riddell, Giro, Blackburn and Easton Cycling, and will rename itself BRG Sports. Bauer will be acquiring the Easton brand name and will license it back to BRG Sports for use on its cycling and hockey products.

[Via Bicycle Retailer: Easton-Bell Sports sells baseball/softball business to Bauer]

Riddell Brings Top of Line Helmet Protection in Entry Price

Riddell is bringing performance and protection to the masses. The masses of high school and college football players that is. The company is introducing its Riddell 360 for this season of football. The Riddell 360 helmet has several features that increase safety, yet it’s still affordable for most teams and individual players.

The helmet uses strategically placed hinge clips, and a flexing facemask that reduces force from frontal impacts. Energy is redirected away from the head. An enhanced occipital lock cradles the head for more comfort, fit and stability. All these features also help the helmet stay on and protect the head during tough plays. Riddell also used an aggressive design that includes extreme detailing and oversized vent holes, which allow air circulation around the player’s head. The nexagonal liner system includes a removable, moisture resistant overliner, another comfort feature.

Riddell already earned a five-star helmet rating from the engineers at Virginia Tech.

Riddell Official Website

Riddell Donates Helmets to Youth Football Programs

Riddell is donating 1,000 new Riddell Revolution Speed football helmets to youth football leagues in need of new equipment. Many school and league programs have too many kids participating in the program, or the equipment costs are too much to keep up with. Unfortunately, it’s the kids who are put in jeopardy when teams use old equipment. Continue reading Riddell Donates Helmets to Youth Football Programs

Virginia Tech Releases 2012 Football Helmet Ratings

Last year Virginia Tech – Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences began testing adult football helmets. The school just released its 2012 ratings, and added two helmets with five-out-of-five stars, joining last year’s pick.

Testing the helmets is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded project. The test uses the STAR Evaluation System, which is an acronym for the Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk. It involves performing 120 impacts on each helmet model at multiple locations and impact energies to evaluate the degree of head protection.

The Riddell Revolution Speed earned five stars last year. This year the Rawlings Quantum Plus and Riddell 360 also earned five stars. The Rawlings implus and Rawlings Quantum each earned four stars, which still falls in the recommended category for Virginia Tech. Continue reading Virginia Tech Releases 2012 Football Helmet Ratings

Riddell Calls Time Out For Equipment Inspection

With football you can only be protected if the equipment is doing its job, and for this reason Riddell, the official helmet of the National Football League, is calling for an in-season time out to make sure that coaches, players and parents are properly inspecting the equipment including helmets and shoulder pads.

“Between regular practices and games, a player’s equipment experiences hours of use,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell. “Inspecting equipment throughout the season helps ensure it’s prepared to perform its job – protecting players on the field.”

Riddell’s five-point, checklist is designed to keep proper fit and protection top of mind for all young football players and includes: Inspecting the helmet shell for cracks and dents; checking hardware and internal helmet padding; ensuring proper helmet fit; accessing the chin strap; and making sure shoulder pads fit properly as well. Video after the jump

Are Football Helmets and Other Protective Gear Still Short of Goal Line?

Football season – including Professional, College and High School – is well underway, and beyond upsets and surprising victories, much of the talk this year continues to be about the helmets. NBC Sports noted last week that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was looking to have his helmet re-fitted by Riddell, shifting from a Schutt helmet, possibly the version he wore when he suffered a concussion against the Atlanta Falcons.

Vick reported looked to have his helmet re-fitted by Unequal Technology, which would use Kevlar to “disburse the effects of a blow to the helmet.” It was also reported that while this technology is new to the gridiron it has been used in hockey helmet and of course in the military.

This reporter, who has experience as the author of books and articles on actual military helmets, can attest that there is a difference in what Kevlar is designed to do. Kevlar is typically used in ballistic helmets, namely those meant to stop a bullet on a battlefield to save a wearer’s life (where a concussion would be preferable to death), and not for the brunt force trauma that one might experience on the playing field. Continue reading Are Football Helmets and Other Protective Gear Still Short of Goal Line?

New Brain Bucket Developed for Little League, Introduced at “The Dome”

 

For years batters have walked up to the plate whilst wearing protective headgear. Now soon pitchers may be required to take the mount with helmets on as well. This wee Easton-Bell Sports announced the development of new headgear at the Helmet Technology Center, internally known as “The Dome.”

Easton-Bell Sports CEO Paul Harrington, along with Little League International President Stephen Keener, California Interscholastic Federation Executive Director Marie Ishida and Marin County high school baseball player Gunnar Sandberg in Scotts Valley, introduced a new helmet prototype. The Easton-Bell Sports pitching helmet prototype uses lightweight energy managing materials to provide protection to the most vulnerable areas of the head, without compromising comfort or performance. The helmet is made of expanded polystyrene polycarbonate, which is attached to a comfortable liner and elastic strap. Continue reading New Brain Bucket Developed for Little League, Introduced at “The Dome”