Crash Pads - the backstory

So the story goes that the woman who founded Crash Pads protective body armor did so after she perfected the art of sewing padding into her own clothing, through trial and error, after she had perfected the art of falling down. This is not to say that she wasn’t athletic or isn’t an athlete. I’ve seen her and she is. It’s simply to say that whenever you choose to take up a new action sport, you’re liable to suffer a few bumps and bruises along the way.

Of course, she needed protective body armor. What was she thinking?!

Now, this woman who started Crash Pads, her action sport of choice was inline skating. She took it up in the early 90’s in the little town of Astoria, Oregon. If you’ve ever been to or seen pictures of Astoria, you’ll know that it’s beautiful. It’s built into steps along the southern hillside of the majestic Columbia River. I’d love to visit, ride my road bike up and down those hills, sail a Laser in the river, have a beer and a burger in a pub, etc. etc. But I can tell you what I wouldn’t want to do there. I wouldn’t want to learn how to inline skate. Even the paved paths in the municipal parks can be treacherous.

Prehistory…Pre-Body Armor History

In a time before sports-specific body armor really existed, I can just imagine the cherry bruises on her hips and tailbone pre-Crash Pads 2500 Padded Shorts or the gashes on her arms and elbows pre-Crash Pads Series 6100 body armor. Ouch! I hate to sound unsympathetic, but I’m glad it was her, not me. I love action sports, but my threshold for blunt force trauma has diminished rather significantly over the years.

Just because she learned the hard way doesn’t mean you have to, too.

If there is a lesson to be learned here, it most definitely is not that you should play it safe, stay inside, and find your love in front of a video game. On the contrary, it most definitely is that you should find your love in the great outdoors, skating, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking or whatever you choose to pursue. That said, however, do it smartly. Learn from other people’s mistakes (wonderful as they were in the case of Crash Pads’ lovely founder). Choose the proper gear, wear the proper protective clothing, and abide by the rules of gravity and common sense.

From the XSportsProtective remote field testing base in the dizzyingly high mountains of Geauga County, Ohio, it’s over and out until the next time. Cheers… Bill

Thank you for making the 2007 Holiday Season our best yet!  A record number of customers choose XSportsProtective, the leader in protective gear for action sports, to outfit themselves and their families with protective gear for snowboarding, skateboarding, inline skating, mountain biking, BMX, and roller derby!

The holidays are a great time of year to sit back and reflect on the really important things in life - like the health, well being, and safety of ourselves and our loved ones. As a father of four little kids, it’s a great time for me to “stop the madness” and just appreciate - even if only for a moment - how lucky I am.

At XSportsProtective, we’re honored to help moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends to “give the gift of protection.”  What’s more important than making sure the people you love stay safe while learning new sports, going fast, getting some air, and doing all those fun things?  Our customers are the best.  Our business is not all about the latest fashions, colors, and styles.  It IS all about getting the best advice on the right safety gear for snowboarding, skateboarding, rollerblading, and more. Be it Crash Pads, SixSixOne, ProTec, Giro Ski Helmets and Giro Snowboard Helmets, skateboard helmets, skate pads, or other action sports protective gear, our customers want the best gear for their situation. And that’s what we do best.

Thank you for your support. Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Jim