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

Sorry for the long out-of-stock… We received our shipment of 187 Killer Pads in this week, so the 187 pads are now ready to ship. You can buy your new 187 pads here:

• 187 Pro Knee Pads
• 187 Elbow Pads

Buy your new 187 Killer Pads from XSportsProtective, the leader in protective gear for action sports.

Skateboard Safety Gear and Skateboard Protective Gear - essential gear to keep you or your kids safe this summer!

The most important pieces of skateboard safety gear that you need are:

• A Skateboard Helmet. First priority has to go to your head. Unfortunately, we hear about tragic skateboard safety accidents quite often. Head injuries may not be frequent, but when they happen they are often catastrophic. Wear a helmet, period.
• Skateboard pads, including skate knee pads and skate elbow pads. No, you won’t die from a banged up knee, but an injury to your knee or elbow can sideline you from skateboarding for days, weeks, or even months. They’re pretty inexpensive, and skate knee pads and skate elbow pads do their jobs well.
• Skateboard Padded Shorts. Stealthy, but awesome protection, skateboard padded shorts allow you to try new tricks and heights knowing that your hips and tailbone areas have a layer of protection. Skate padded shorts are a great additional to your skateboard safety gear bag.

Skateboard protective gear, including skateboard helmets, offer good protection at a reasonable cost, so order your new skateboard protective gear today from XSportsProtective - the leader in action sports protective gear

ProTec Helmets are popular choices for skateboarders, dirt jumpers, inline skaters, kids and adults alike

O.K., you got me…ProTec helmets do typically appeal to a younger crowd. ProTec helmets have been around for decades, and their rounded-off skate style have set the benchmark for skateboarders since the 70s.

ProTec Helmet models include the ProTec B2 Helmet, the ProTec Ace Skate Helmet, and the ProTec Classic helmet

With most ProTec helmets, you can choose between different skate helmet liners. There is usually a version of the ProTec helmet that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards for bicycle helmets. These CPSC certified ProTec helmets are good choices if you or your kids are going to use the ProTec helmet for bicycle use as well as a skateboard helmet.

The other “skate only” version of the ProTec Ace skate helmet, ProTec B2 skate helmet, or ProTec Classic skate helmet comes with a squishy foam liner inside. This softer foam conforms more readily to your head, resulting in a more comfortable fit. That makes this version favored by most people. BUT, this helmet liner does NOT meet the CPSC safety certifications for bicycle use. So, the “skate only” version of the ProTec Ace helmet, the ProTec B2 helmet, and the ProTec Classic helmet are intended for skateboard use only.

Other uses for these ProTec Helmets include light industrial safety, alternate sports like base jumping, paintball, etc, and finally…the ProTec Ace Skate is often used by “security teams” in various…undisclosed locations…that need lightweight head impact protection.

Order your new ProTec helmet, including the ProTec B2 helmet, the ProTec Ace Helmet, and the ProTec Classic Helmet, from XSportsProtective - the leader in action sports protective gear

The 187 Company makes a terrific line of knee pads and elbow pads that are very popular as skate pads, roller derby pads, and bmx pads

The 187 Killer Pads have carved out a nice niche in the skateboard pads space - high quality and well designed skate pads, offered at a very reasonable intermediate price. With 187 Pro Knee Pads, you get excellent fit, finish, and durability without carving a huge hole in your wallet.

Features of the 187 pads, including the “pro knee killer pads”, include:

• Pro-core padding. Pro-core gives you substantial impact protection for your knees
• Dual-density interior foam padding. Softer pads manage smaller impacts, while stiffer pads absorb the large blows
• Neoprene “butterfly” back closure - allows you to put them on and take them off without having to remove your shoes
• Double stitching to increase durability of the seams
• Replaceable knee caps, for when yours get trashed out and need to be replaced

The One Eight Seven company knee pads - the 187 Pro Knee Pads as well as the 187 Elbow Pads - are excellent choices. Order your 187 pads today at XSportsProtective, the leader in protective gear for action sports.

Gladiator Knee Gaskets, from Skate Designs, are a favorite for our customers who are looking for additional knee protection for underneath their knee pads. Skate designs gladiator knee gaskets are typically worn underneath your knee pads, where they provide:

• additional impact protection
• knee cap/patella stabilization
• an underlayer that helps hard shell knee pads stay in place
• keep your knee area warm

Skate Designs Gladiator Knee Gaskets - Favorites of…

• Roller Derby girls. The Gladiators are very popular as roller derby knee gaskets. Derby girls are hard on their equipment, and have found the gladiator knee gaskets to be a valuable addition to her regular knee pads.
• Skateboarders. The Skate Designs gladiator knee gaskets were originally made to be skateboard pads / skate knee gaskets. The skate knee gaskets do that well.
• Active sports athletes wanting additional knee support and protection. The gladiator gaskets are adaptive to many sports. They are a good choice for any athlete looking for patella support or an additional layer of padding and protection underneath their traditional knee pads.

Order your Gladiator Knee Gasketstoday from XSportsProtective, the leader in action sports protective gear.

The Giro Remedy helmet: advanced full face protection at a mid-price point

The Giro Remedy helmet has been a best seller ever since the Remedy was introduced a few years ago. The Giro Remedy helmet brought a lot of advanced features into the intermediate price range for full face helmets - at about $120-130.

The Giro Remedy helmet features at-a-glance

• Fiberglass shell - a tough shell for max impact protection
• EVA-lined chinbar - for those face plants, so your chin get some padding, too
• 14 vents and internal channeling - excellent ventilation around your head
• 3-position adjustable bolt-on visor - move up and down with a thumb screw
• Removable/washable interior lining
• CPSC bicycle and ASTM-1952 downhill certified
• 37oz / 1050g (Small)
• 39oz / 1108g (Medium)
• 41oz / 1165g (Large)

Just like it’s carbon fiber version (the Giro Remedy Carbon), the Giro Remedy is ready to protect you whether your heading out for a BMX race, downhill mountain biking, longboarding, big air/vert ramp applications, or any other freeride romp. The Giro Remedy is a great helmet for anyone who has big dreams on a medium budget.

Order your new Giro Remedy full face helmet today from XSportsProtective, the leader in protective gear for action sports.

The Bell Bellistic helmet offers full face protection at a value price

The Bell Bellistic helmet has been around a long time. It’s well known in BMX racing, downhill mountain biking, and longboarding. The Bellistic has survived because of one simple fact: it offers good full face protecion at a price that is a great deal (about $80).

Bell Bellistic features at a glance:

• A hand-laminated fiberglass shell - light weight
• An adjustable visor - easy to move up and down to suit your own preference
• EPS foam liner - to provide good impact protection for your head
• Adjustable chin strap
• Large eye port to accomodate lot’s of different goggles
• 15 built-in vents - helps keep air flowing inside the helmet
• CPSC certified for bike use
• 32oz / 907g (Small)
• 33oz / 934g (Medium)
• 34oz / 963g (Large)
• Very competent BMX helmet, mountain bike helmet, and longboarding helmet

The Bell Bellistic full face helmet is our of our favorites

Why? The Bellistic is very light weight (the Small size weighs only 907g), looks good, has a large eye port to accomodate lot’s of goggle sizes, and best of all - it’s only $80. That’s a great value in the full face bike helmet category.The Bellistic helmet is one of those full face helmets that our customers use all over the place. BMX racing, downhill mountain biking, longboarding, BMX and skateboard vert ramps, outfitting young bike riders with expensive dental work to protect… We hear it all. People like the Bellistic because it gives you full face protection without spending $150.

Order your Bell Bellistic today from XSportsProtective, the online leader in protective gear for action sports.

Pro Tec Helmets have been around since the early 1970s. Here’s why…

ProTec helmets and protective gear have set the standard for protection and styling in skateboard parks for decades. Yes, kids resist wearing skateboard helmets. But, if they must (and you should insist), then they’re likely to want a helmet that doesn’t make them “look like a dork.”That’s O.K. They don’t have to. ProTec helmets have an established reputation in skateboarding as an acceptable helmet in the park or on the street. Many big name skate pros are sponsored by ProTec, helping to establish the brands credibility within the community.

ProTec Helmets explained

ProTec has quite a few skate helmets to offer:

• The ProTec Classic Bucky Lasek - wicked color in translucent white, red strap, comfy two stage liner. A crowd favorite.
• The ProTec Ace Skate and Ace SXP. Two versions of the ProTec Ace helmet, one with the comfy two stage liner, the other with the multiple impact SXP liner that’s good for bike use also.
• The ProTec B2 Helmet. Dual certified to both the ASTM skateboard and CPSC bike standards, the B2 has a rounded shape and offers protection on both the board and the bike.

Find your new Pro Tec Helmet today at XSportsProtective

We offer a great selection of helmets, in stock and ready to ship. We carry one of the deepest inventories of ProTec helmets anywhere, so order your new helmet today and trust the specialists to deliver quickly.

We are pleased to announce the addition of The 187 Company “Killer” pads to our product line!

The 187 Pads have a deserved reputation as some of the finest skate pads made. The 187 Pro Knee Pads have been favorites of skateboarders and roller derby girls for years due to their excellent protection, design, and durability.The 187 Elbow Pads complete the setup.  If you need roller deby pads, skate pads, or solid all-around protection for other action sports, 187 pads are a great choice.

At XSportsProtective, we listen carefully to our skateboard, longboard, BMX, inline skate, and roller derby customers

We are always looking to add new items when athletes confirm the quality and effectiveness of action sports protective gear.Plus we stock what we sell - unlike most of our competitors. We see and touch and live protective gear all day, every day. Have a question about the 187 Pads? Want us to grab one from stock and answer a specific question about something on the pads? Give us a call or fire off a quick email to info(at)XSportsProtective.com. You can talk directly with our specialists, or get an email response in minutes or hours.

Try THAT with our competitors…

187 Knee Pads and 187 Elbow Pads - high quality skate pad protection from The 187 Company and XSportsProtective

Order your new 187 pads today!