HitGard Helmets... Conventional helmets consist of a one-piece rigid shell. The new HitGard® helmet consists of an innovative two-piece flexible shell. It was designed by two entrepreneurs to dramatically reduce the severity of blows to the head. Baytech Helmet of Asheville, NC and Helmet Comp of Lake Wylie, SC collaborated to create this potentially game-changing product. HitGard football helmet prototypes underwent testing recently at three independent laboratories under conditions which simulate concussion-causing impacts from 7 to 21 mph. The test helmet also survived an impact at a catastrophic 25 mph and achieved high performance marks for better protecting the brains of football players by reducing linear and rotational acceleration forces. Funding for the project was provided by the NFL through their HeadHealth Challenge series, the goal of which is to develop improved equipment and technology to better protect the head. Impact forces can cause the brain to accelerate dangerously within the skull, sometimes resulting in concussion or CTE. The HitGard technology is designed to significantly reduce that energy at the surface of the helmet before transmission to the brain. Within 12 months of the award, the team designed, prototyped, and successfully tested this patent-pending design.Baytech CEO Bob Bayer, said, “The NFL program allowed two small companies to develop one of the safest, most sophisticated and technologically advanced helmets in a stunningly short timeframe and on a limited budget. To get high laboratory safety scores with just our first version, we feel, is quite an achievement.”The HitGard two-piece lightweight design is fundamentally unlike that of any helmet on the market. Upon impact the entire upper section moves independently of the head to absorb and diffuse energy forces before they are transmitted to the brain. Helmet Comp CEO Brad Maloney stated, "Besides protecting against major concussive blows, the technology can also be effective against sub-concussive repetitive impacts. Independent laboratory tests have validated our concept.” The companies are now making design improvements to enhance the helmet’s performance before commercialization. They are also looking at incorporating the HitGard technology into headgear for other sports, such as hockey, lacrosse, soccer, cycling, snow sports, and flag football. Bayer added, "We believe that this technology has significantly leapfrogged helmet safety for all levels of play. This is a technology that works.”