Rudy Project, the Italian crafter of high-quality eyewear and helmets, has unveiled its latest helmet, the Airstorm, ‘for those looking to step up their performance without sacrificing safety, comfort or styling.’ Designed with the aid of pro athletes from around the world and Rudy Project’s own bio-research engineers, the Airstorm aims to represent the next generation of helmets from a company dedicated to elevating athletes performance.
“Rudy Project has come a long way since we began developing helmets, and the Airstorm is a testament to that evolution and our engineers’ commitment,” said Paul Craig, President of Rudy Project North America. “By listening to our athletes and using that data to improve our design, we’ve come up with an incredible combination of features that’s sure to impress anyone who gives it a spin, plus the Airstorm is competitively priced for the benefits it packs.
“Whether you are road cycling, mountain biking, in-line speed skating or competing in a triathlon, I challenge anyone to test the Airstorm for a full 90 days, and if you’re not completely impressed, we’ll refund your money back, no questions asked.”
Cooling & venting
A critical design element every athlete should consider when choosing a new helmet is its cooling and venting. Excess heat that is generated during intense training or racing in bright sunlight must be effectively dispersed, or fatigue will surely set in and raise the possibility of ‘bonking’.
As the name implies, the Airstorm was engineered for maximum airflow via its 16 front vents and 6 rear extractors. The internal crown architecture has also been specially shaped to create grooves that channel the flow of hot air outwards and dissipate heat.
Comfort
A comfortable helmet is more likely to be worn. That philosophy has driven Rudy Project to craft helmets that people want to wear, train and race in.
Lightweight at just 260g, the Airstorm’s minimal weight has been optimally distributed to prevent pressure points or neck fatigue on extended rides. To adapt to any head size or shape, the Airstorm includes Rudy’s award-winning RSR8 Retention System, a refined and adjustable ‘chassis and ring’ structure which allows one-handed adjustment while on the move.
Every Airstorm also comes with two sets of interchangeable and washable padding: a bug stop mesh protection system; and thinner, and comfortable, advanced padding material for greater air circulation or for use with a wind bandana in winter.
Safety
Ultimately, safety is the top concern behind any helmet design. This is why Rudy Project has placed complete protection at the forefront of its design platform. According to the company, it has built the Airstorm to withstand impacts greater than any cycling helmet certification requirement in the world.
Aerodynamics and ventilation were sculpted into the final form, giving rise to structural reinforcement that has been built into the crown, becoming a distinctive design detail. Finally, Rudy Project has included a ‘snap-in, snap out’ optional shading visor with every Airstorm, to keep the sun out of riders’ eyes and helping to keep focus on the road or path ahead.
In October 2013, Rudy Project won the helmet count at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, for the third year in a row, and announced a landmark partnership with the triathlon race series to become the Official Helmet of Ironman for North America. Combined with this, the brand is the official helmet and sunglasses of USA Triathlon (USAT).
With a target ‘to gain a larger share of the triathlon demographic than ever before’, Rudy Project has stepped up its focus on the tri category for 2014, unifying tri sponsorship control with a Global Sponsorship Director for Triathlon and unveiling a raft of sponsorships, including the recent signing of Ironman 70.3 Champion Sarah Piampiano.
