What helmet is this ?

[Col]

Hi, I have seen lots of paddlers in slalom and downriver wearing this helmet but dont know where to get one or who makes them?

[img]http://muchos.co.uk/members/c1colin/edg1.jpg[/img]

Cheers

Colin

[Gwyn]

Aha! You have just spotted a bit of a museum piece!

This helmet is known as a Brancale. As far as I know it was the only canoeing helmet made by the French company (Brancale funnily enough!) that now make cycling helmets.

The original was plastic with a cradle, much like the old ACE helmets I think. Many people (myself included!) made composite copies when the originals were no longer available. Many of the makers of composite helmets nowadays have slightly modified copies of this very popular design.

So, unless you can find one secondhand, I suggest that you look at the Grateful Heads 'Edge', Shread Ready 'Shensu', etc.

Hope this helps.

Gwyn
www.shaggydesigns.com

[edg]

Since that's me in the photo, I actually feel qualified to answer! This particular helmet is a Camp Starkid, which is marketed as a children's climbing helmet. The plastic shell is the same as the old Brancale, but the padding and strap system are different and much improved. (My c-2 partner has the original Brancale) As I understand it, this helmet has EU certifiaction for climbing, but not for whitewater, and is supposedly now banned for whitewater competition in the EU. The closest certified helmet seems to be the Shred Ready Shensu, but of course that costs well over $100 USD, while the Camp is about $35 USD. Somewhere in the UK Slalom site there is an article/discussion by Stuart MacIntosh about the new Shensu, with photos. For what its worth, the Camp fits my little pin head great, and doesn't move around, so I certainly don't feel exposed using it, if permitted....edg

[Gwyn]

Hi edg,
Sorry for jumping in there - I had never heard of the Camp starkid until now. I guesss that this is the helmet that is causing the slalom intelligentsia to get their knickers in a twist in the UK?

Gwyn

[Col]

Cheers guys, Well as its not CE approved and i cant find one anyway, i wont be racing at the DR Pre Worlds this year in it.

In addition i cant get the SR Shensu in the UK either as it doesnt come with a CE approval..

Guess i will have to stick with the Wildwater helmet for now..

I just wanted a cool lid for racing in..

Cheers

Colin

[nam]

Sorry, just wondering if you are kneeling or yaking in that boat in the picture. It looks really low?

nam

[bearboater]

i paddled a DR once, it had a 2 inch saddle, tom weir no longer runs knee padding, he thinks it helps him keep forward pressure... i don't know, but he goes really fast. they are scary, but I want one.
Skaal
-Isaac

[edg]

For what its worth, this link has a discussion of the shread ready certification process, but I don't know how far along it is.

http://ccgi.millband.plus.com/cgi-bin/i ... =502;st=20

Gwyn- No need to worry- it looks just like a Brancale, and I'm sure the shell/mold are the same, only the padding has been updated. The link above also has Camp's response to the EU certification issue.

Nam- Yes, I'm kneeling, and quite painfully. That boat had a 3" saddle, and thin vinyl placemat instead of knee foam, for the reasons Isaac described. But I'm nowhere near as fast as Tom Wier.

Isaac- If you are interested in wildwater, you should try to get ahold of the green Tiptop I left with Chris W. last summer. It's a great introductory boat, and I think the only real option for a bigger guy....edg

[bearboater]

edg,
thanks will do, since I am spending all summer working for him coaching slalom. i just found it too hard on my knee(torn meniscus) to go without padding down there. but it seems to work for some.
Skaal
-Isaac

[Larry Horne]

yeah, that sounds horrible!

ed is a stud