WadeRaynor
After the great success of my first article and my ability to write in complete sentences, Slaw Dog has asked me to continue writing. I guess I did something right. [Slaw Note: TBD]
Alright, let’s talk custom helmets for a few. WHAT HAPPENED???
If you walked around Loretta’s or stood near the gate, you would have seen a handful of amateur kids with custom helmets better than most pros. We saw everything from an East Coast vs. West Coast paint job with the Biggie vs 2 Pac helmet worn by Mikey Hill to a mural of Loretta Lynn’s house. We saw a tribute to the late Wayne Spears and even the guys over at Team Fried had a custom lid on the gate. We saw some epic custom lids. ON AMATEURS!
So, this got all of us at Vurb thinking: WE NEED MORE CUSTOM HELMETS! Outside of a few select races like Daytona and San Diego’s Military Appreciation or one-off events such as MXoN and Red Bull Straight Rhythm the guys racing Supercross/Motocross are using helmets that anyone can buy.
Sure, we have seen some sick helmets the last few years. Eli Tomac had an insane Dale Earnhardt tribute on his Daytona helmet by AP Designs in 2019. Josh Grant always had some cool custom helmets with his HLTN Company incorporated in them. The Lawrence brothers had an epic Dumb & Dumber design and pretty much everyone at Troy Lee Designs was rocking something with a little flair. But other than a last name and their energy drink sponsor, we are not seeing nearly as many custom helmets as we use to and I hate it. Let’s have Jason Anderson get some Team Fried influence on his lid. Put Justin Cooper’s dog on the back of his helmet, or a BAMTV helmet for Barcia. (Please make more BAMTV episodes, thanks).
There has to be a way that a helmet can show all of the needed sponsor logos while showing some of the rider’s personality at the same time. Going to the city/state of your favorite sports team? Use some of their colors. Your favorite rider won at the same track you’re about to go to? Make a replica design with your own taste. We have three races left in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship plus Motocross of Nations and Red Bull Straight Rhythm: That is plenty of time to get a custom lid made for one of these events. SHOW US SOMETHING COOL.
What are your all-time favorite custom helmets? Below are a few of mine.
#1 Eli Tomac Daytona 2019 Dale Earnhardt Tribute
#3 Lawrence Brothers Dumb & Dumber 2022
#4 AJ Catanzaro Travis Pastrana Replica Straight Rhythm
#5 Chad Reed’s ’04 Championship Las Vegas
