| Where’s Your Head At? | |
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Gecko head gear was created by the custom surfboard maker, Jeff Sacree in 1993, a helmet whilst surfing, cool? Well of course not, and Jeff’s sales reflected this, young surfers and water uses did not like the restriction, and being surfers they felt their locks needed to be flying in the wind. However the Gecko was created by Jeff because he was slightly more hardcore than these posers, he was tired of getting a cold head whilst surfing over the winter. The Gecko was originally designed to prevent surfers from getting ‘ice cream’ headaches which can occur in cold water. The idea therefore was to have a helmet which retained heat, protected the head and to survive alongside wetsuits and other products of the water-sports industry. Now as formally mentioned, this idea did not immediately take off. However Gecko had inadvertently stumbled across a huge market for safety, the Royal National lifeboat Institute (RNLI to you and me) were seeking a better option for their crews, Gecko contacted them, and a partnership emerged, testing and trials took place for the next three years, trying to perfect the helmet which could offer lightweight efficiency and compatibility with the RNLI kit. In 1998 the Gecko Mk 5 was released into service, and since then, Gecko has literally set the standard. In 1998 Gecko’s release created the first Maritime Safety Standard in Europe. Naturally after so many years of development and research the Mk 5 was excellent however not prefect and continued to develop, in 1999 the ‘hook and loop’ fastenings meant that the adjustability of the helmet was beginning to reach its potential and gained more customers such as the Ministry of Defence and the Australian Navy. Four years on and 10 years since the first Gecko was created the Mk10 is introduced. And that is really why we are here, to discuss and explore latest version of this esteemed product. The most notable feature of the Mk10 is an inflatable liner, which inflates according to the wearers head size and is easily adjustable through an oral valve. As well as the exceptional comfort the design offers prevention of rotation, very good thermal qualities and built in buoyancy. Other key features are the outer shell, a two-part fibreglass construction allowing full peripheral vision and the retention system. Senior Sailing and Powerboat Instructor for the navy James Newell explains that they are ‘excellent for improving mobility and manoeuvrability in adverse weather conditions’. A nylon-webbing strap is locked and adjusted by a Fastex click-system buckle. The system is anchored using rivets/studs which are corrosion resistant and fixed to the outer shell, the strap is adjustable by a gloved hand, which is most important, as many helmets are fiddly and dangerous. The entire assembly is encased in a neoprene tube to provide comfort and to prevent rubbing, chaffing or slippage. The helmets design and construction allows interaction with existing equipment such as lifejackets and dry suits and provides fixing points for a wide range of add-ons, including visors, goggles and torches. Both the full-face and open-face versions are suitable for PW riders. Both are lightweight and feature the inflatable liner and can be fitted with visors or worn with goggles. They are available in just about any colour so you can match it to your ski or suit. They are also used by rescue organisations that operate PWC for fast rescues or operations in High surf. Geckos client list reads like a who’s who of marine organisations. They reach all around the globe and range from small companies through to the military and international rescue organisations, including The RNLI, The Royal Navy, Irish and Canadian Coastguard, The Swedish Sea Rescue Services and several Police forces and Fire Brigades. Gecko sponsorship team is also extremely impressive with Lew Stritch being the most recent addition, he is currently ranked 4th under 18 in Britain and is often seen out training with his Gecko Helmet on. Holly Burge joined the Gecko sponsorship team in 2008 where she used the Gecko helmet whilst casually becoming the first lady to skydive over Mount Everest. Ten years working in conjunction with rescue and emergency organisations has resulted in a versatile helmet that can be adapted to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of sporting and industrial users around the world.
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Snowboarders are doin’ it. BMXers are doin’ it, skateboarders are doin’ it and so are we. Keeping your head is cool these days and one of the front runners in the helmet game are a Gecko. We asked what makes them special.