Easton S19 Z-Shock Helmet

When Easton released the S19 hockey stick, the addressed the concerns that players had with the S17 stick.  So, when I heard about the release of the S19 helmet, I was hoping they addressed a couple of issues from the old Easton S17 Helmet as well. In particular, the fit of the helmet to the contour of the head in order to avoid pressure points. Well, the S19 helmet did that and quite a bit more!

The new S19 Helmet combines a better fit along with improved venting, all while reducing the weight of the helmet.  A fantastic combination of fit and functionality, that even includes removable ear guards for those of us who despise them!  The major improvement in the fit of the S19 is the low-density foam comfort pads that have been inserted at strategic places within the helmet. These pads really reduce the pressure points that were common with the S17.

The ventilation of the S17 Helmet was not bad, but Easton has improved that as well with the development of the S19 helmet. One thing that is common among most helmets, including the new Easton S19, is the tendency of sweat to make the inside foam of the helmet slippery.  While this doesn’t really affect the performance or fit of the helmet, it can be an annoyance at times. In addition, the acu-snap fitting system is slightly awkward to use. I believe there is potential for improvement in it’s design.

Easton S19 Features

Of course, we would be remiss not to talk about the extremely light construction of the S19 Z-shock (325 g). The helmet is noticeably lighter than any other helmet I have ever worn, while still exceeding the impact requirements for certification by a wide margin.  This is a great advance in technology, but Easton has not made any claims of increased concussion protection.  Easton has, however, manufactured the S19 helmet using a one-piece polycarbonate shell which increases stiffness. This feature is similar to science behind the Cascade M11′s one piece construction.

Overall, the Easton S19 helmet is a marked improvement from the S17, lighter than the Bauer 9500 and more stylish and less bulky than the Reebok 8K and Cascade M11 helmet.  If you are in the market for a top of the line helmet, then the Easton S19 should be on your list.

Buy The Easton S19 Helmet

The S19 is set to be available in retail stores by May 2010 and should retail in the $170.00 range. Or, you can pre-order your Easton S19 helmet from Total Hockey.com right now!

Cascade M11 Helmet Review

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak with Mark Messier about his new project, the development of promotion of the new M11 Helmet.

Since that time I have had been able to use the new helmet a few times and am prepared to share my thoughts on the helmet.

Style and Comfort

The style of the helmet is much improved from the previous Cascade CHX helmet and this is one of the things that Messier stressed during his involvement in the project.

“It is important that the helmet provide good style in addition to comfort, venting and the SEVEN technology that increases safety and comfort unlike any other helmet on the market.”

The Cascade Seven technology uses “lateral displacement technology” to
provide the protection of two helmets in one. The theory is that the
M11 helmet protects equally as well against concussions as it does
against catastrophic hits.  I must say that the helmet is very comfortable and just the comfort alone versus that of the traditional EPP foam makes it worth checking out.

Fortunately, I didn’t get to test the helmet against a serious impact that could cause a concussion, but it did deflect a couple of sticks and pucks over the course of several games without incident.

There still exists some debate among ‘experts’ as to the actual effectiveness of any helmet’s ability to prevent or reduce the incidence of concussion.

Overall Impression

However, all in all the M11 performed well with respect to adequate airflow/venting over the course of my testing. Although the Easton Stealth S17 provided better venting, I found the M11 more comfortable overall and easier to adjust with respect to the sizing of the helmet. The ProFit fit sizing system allows a ‘no-tool’ adjustment that really does eliminate pressure points found with other helmets.

Some retail stores have yet to stock the M11 helmet and a few have expressed that they still don’t think it passes the ‘mirror test’.

In my opinion the helmet provides great comfort and has addressed the venting issues as well as the ‘bulkiness’ issues of the previous generation – Cascade CHX. The M11 has also met all of the standards for HECC and CSA certifications and is now compatible with the major manufacturers of cages and shields.

The style is a matter of personal choice, but I’d say that with 15 different colors available and the option of choosing different colored vents, it deserves to be on your list when you make your next helmet purchase.

The Cascade M11 Helmet is currently available at Total Hockey.net for around $120.00.

You can also learn more about the features at the Messier Project website.

Cascade M11 Helmet – The Messier Project

Mark Messier has teamed up with Cascade to launch the newly designed Cascade M11 Helmet.  The helmet uses the same Seven technology as the previous Cascade CHX helmet (which we talked about back in 2007).  However, the largest drawback of the CHX was that it wasn’t  a very stylish helmet.

The Cascade Seven technology uses “lateral displacement technology” to provide the protection of two helmets in one. The theory is that the M11 helmet protects equally as well against concussions as it does against catastrophic hits.

From CHX to M11:  The Re-design and Re-launch of the Cascade Helmet

Messier was brought on board by Cascade as an adviser to assist in upgrading the areas where the CHX lagged and to make a more desirable helmet by player standards. He brought his knowledge of player expectations to the table and provided Cascade with a design that would be more acceptable to players by addressing style, comfort, weight and ventilation.

We knew about Cascade and the major advancements they had made with the CHX helmet over two years ago.  However, even technology with the potential to save careers and possibly lives,  needs the proper promotion.

That said, the following video outlining the new promotional campaign and showcasing the newly designed M11 helmet was just released.

Credibility is Key

As Messier commented on a conference call yesterday:  “The helmet needs players in the NHL to wear it in order to obtain credibility as a product”.

According to Messier, we can expect to see more than 5 NHL players using the Cascade M11 helmet in the 2009-2010 season and it is possible that we may see the entire NCAA Harvard University hockey team wearing the M11 helmet as well.

The projected release date for the M11 helmet is sometime this fall (2009) and the price point for the helmet is expected to be $119.99 USD without a cage.

Messier’s Involvement with Cascade Sports

Messier now sits on the Cascade board of directors and acts as a liaison to hockey organizations, helping to promote the M11 helmet and educate hockey players on the effects of concussions as part of The Messier Project.

Mark’s sister, Mary Kay, is the Vice President of Business Development for Cascade and also Mark’s manager. She reported to CBC back in March about the upcoming promotional campaign for the new Cascade helmet (A.K.A Messier Project ) – although we didn’t know the name of the project at the time.