Custom MGo Ski Helmet (with finished pics)
So I wrote a whole blog post about it here, but I'll condense for the MGoCommunity:
- I'm going skiing in Colorado in 2 weeks, and needed a helmet.
- I decided I wanted a winged ski helmet
- I couldn't find one, so I made one.
I used this video as a guide : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmx29eKYQZQ. The video is Jon Falk talking about the helmet and how its made. If you've never watched - you should.
I've got the before / in progress / complete pictures on the blog post. Scroll down to the pics to avoid the long preamble you probably dont care so much about.
End Result:
All of the pics in a google library here :
http://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_nckx2kNv9GOTM0MjNlNGMtYTlhOS00ZmNjLWI…
Or picasa for easier viewing..
helmetPics |
January 1st, 2012 at 6:37 PM ^
Nice!!
January 1st, 2012 at 6:39 PM ^
This is seriously awesome. I will guaranty that you are going to get tons of comments from people when they see this. Way to represent.
January 1st, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
Nice helmet! From the pic, it looks like you're one of them Walmart Wolverines.
January 1st, 2012 at 6:47 PM ^
The damage has been done, but replaced it with a pic. If it makes it any less bad, I used the bag to prevent the paint from getting inside the helmet.. Obviously wasn't purchased there...
January 1st, 2012 at 6:46 PM ^
January 1st, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
Unfortunately I'm guessing I would need some form of license from the University to do so.. I'm guessing as long as I'm not trying to make a profit, no one will come after me for making one for myself.
That being said - I'm really surprised someone hasn't already come up with this idea. The skater/skiier/snowboard community is usually pretty creative, but I haven't seen anyone with college themed helmets. I did find a site for USC/UCLA where you could buy a beanie to put over your helmet, but nearly as cool.
One major thing to consider though, I tried on 20 helmets before I found one that I liked and was comfortable. If you just went out and bought one, you'd be limited to whatever helmet they chose to use.
The total costs for this project
$50 for the helmet
$12 for 3 cans of spray paint
$5 for frog tape
It just takes a little time and patience, but its going to be awesome having a helmet I'm proud of, and I'm sure I'll get a few Go Blue's out on the slopes..
January 1st, 2012 at 7:23 PM ^
...but the neighborkid down the street has a U-M styled one of these:
January 1st, 2012 at 7:26 PM ^
If his helmet resembles that at all, he has far more artistic talent than I have ever dreamed of.
Either that or someone does sell these commercially...
January 1st, 2012 at 8:36 PM ^
Or at least they used to be.
January 1st, 2012 at 10:16 PM ^
I got a Michigan one a few years back, it was like 15 bucks at Meijers, and it looks sweet
January 1st, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
...is an awesome helmet, and I would buy one from you if only to make sure that my head is MGoProtected during my annual skiing fail.
January 1st, 2012 at 7:11 PM ^
I want to do something like that with my snowboarding helmet. Nice looking helmet!
January 1st, 2012 at 7:19 PM ^
Don't use just straight rustoleum, I read that it may eat right through some helmets. Although I wear a helmet mainly out of paranoia, you wouldn't want to damage the structural integrity.
January 1st, 2012 at 8:22 PM ^
January 1st, 2012 at 8:24 PM ^
Nice I could use a flat surface in front to improve aerodynamics though
January 1st, 2012 at 8:29 PM ^
Where did you get the blue spray paint? I play baseball and made a couple of tigers helmets, but I can never find a dark enough blue. Well done, by the way.
January 1st, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^
Its the rust-o-leum blue sold at home depot. Theres a pic of the can somewhere in there... I was originally going to buy the home depot collegiate paints and use my neighbors paint sprayer, but the guy at the paint test of Home Depot suggested these instead. He said the color was only slightly off and that he had tried using a paint sprayer and it didnt end up well on plastic..
January 1st, 2012 at 9:19 PM ^
Gracias amigo! I believe you've gotten the wheels turning in some of our heads here.
January 1st, 2012 at 8:36 PM ^
to see it after you get the touch ups done and a shot of clear on it. So far looks good!
January 1st, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
It's actually going to take me longer to do the finishing touches than it did to the the larger parts. It seems like every time I spray a section, I end up with a little run somewhere else.. I tried using a brush with some extra paint from the can, and it just doesnt work..
January 8th, 2012 at 8:25 PM ^
Its all finished, took a number of recoats, and just finished up the final protective glossy coat this afternoon.. Excited for my trip this weekend!
January 1st, 2012 at 8:51 PM ^
but what is with wearing helmets to ski, snowboard or riding a bike. generations have grown up with out using or being dictated by a law to wear these brain buckets. are we really raising our kids to be wussies?
January 1st, 2012 at 8:59 PM ^
I've skiied for years, and thought they were pointless.
Then I went to SLC, and discovered (with my head) that there are random rocks and logs randomly dispersed when you start skiing off trail. I took a fall and hit my head pretty hard on a rock. I'm glad the rental lady had insisted on a helmet. I'm pro-helmet since.
Mind you I'd never wear it here in Ohio, Michigan, or West Virginia..
January 1st, 2012 at 10:20 PM ^
nothing wrong with a little brain damage to toughen up these little sissies. Just ask Sonny Bono or Michael Kennedy.
January 1st, 2012 at 9:33 PM ^
There is no snow in Colorado
January 1st, 2012 at 10:59 PM ^
REALLY hoping that changes in the next 2 weeks..
January 2nd, 2012 at 7:20 AM ^
There is even less in Utah...we had a family trip planned for Utah over the break but we cancelled at the last minute. Worst snow year in the west I can ever remember.
January 1st, 2012 at 10:00 PM ^
My brother's the coach for Novi's team. His kids are always astounded that we didn't wear helmets, even when racing, back in the day.
I still have never worn one skiing but if it looked as sweet as this...
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:02 AM ^
I'm a lift op in Vail. In no way will this make you look like anything but a gaper. This won't make you 'cool', Rep your school during Apres, not on the mtn*.
It screams "Hi everyone! I ski, at most, 10 times a year, think I'm really awesome, and will probably be riding down with patrol in a toboggan by the end of the day." I know you put a lot of work into this, but we seriously have games about people who wear shit like this to help pass the time while we work. Put in on a little shelf in your house as a keepsake. Wear a real helmet when you are out on the slopes.
Also: The 'no snow' thing isn't changing anytime soon. We need a 30"+ snow cycle to even open the rest of our lifts, let alone the majority of the terrain.
*The one exception to this is if you're a park rat, you can get away with rocking a jersey over a hoodie, but if you suck, you'll look like even more of a douche (and even if you rip, you still kinda look like a douche).
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:55 AM ^
Lift guy? Really?
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<br>Pretty sure Will could give a rat's ass what you think.
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<br>And if you spent more time doing your job instead of making fun of your patrons, you just might make lift op supervisor some day.
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<br>Way to represent Will, even if it doesn't earn you any invites to the lifties' kegger.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^
Just about every worker on the mountain starts off as a lift op or does some lift work in their career. I don't know how long he has been in Vail but it is quite the assumption that he is a life long liftie.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
Seriously...
Nice job Will
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:33 AM ^
Finally, I was gritting my teeth trying to not say something like this. I lived in mammoth for a handful of years and a person would definitely get things yelled at them for wearing this helmet. It wouldn't be Go Blue usually either.
<br>Also, this would not work for a park rat either.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:57 AM ^
We plan on doing a 5 day breck pass, so I'll be at vail one day. I'd take the under on me being carried down the run if I were you;
- I'm by no means a great skiier - I live in Ohio. If I can ski 10 days a year I consider myself lucky.
-However, I know this. Because of this you wont see me going off territory or down the double blacks where I have no business. Depending on the conditions, I may never even see a black.
-On top of this, I'll have my wife with me, who skis slower than Jon Navarre scrambled.
I am a little stressed about the lack of snow, but again - I'm from Ohio. It doesn't take much to impress me when it comes to skiing. It takes us longer to get up the lift than down the run. (Hence why I no longer ski more than 10x a year - just not worth going locally).
I would, however, appreciate any insight you might have as to which mountains between Vail, Breck, and Beaver Creek might have the best conditions if there isnt a ton of snow between now and then?
Also, would a snowmmobile tour be any fun with the lack of snow?
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:44 AM ^
Where are you staying out there? Last time I visited that area I stayed in Frisco, which was super fun. I don't know the conditions out there right now but I will throw my opinion in that I hated Vail. I didn't like the mountain, town, or pretentious people. If I were you I would stay east, Arapaho and Copper are probably included in that ticket too.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
We found a place through VRBO in Breckenridge. Around a grand for the week. Its suposed to be walking distance from a lift and 2 blocks to the downtown Breck strip..
We haven't bought lift tickets yet - you think it would be better to get tix to those places than breck/vail/beaver ?
Breckenridge has a 5 of 8 day pass for 370, so we were planning on doing 3 days breckenridge, and 1 at vail and beaver creek.
Unfortunately, I think I have a one mandatory day at Vail courtesy of the wife..
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:42 AM ^
I like Breck and Beaver too. I just kind of hate front runners I guess and I don't think Vail lives up to anything you ever hear about it, except for the snottiness of the people there. I haven't been over there or seen ticket prices for a long time but i would imagine Vail is the most expensive by a bit too. If you have the time to go somewhere remote/a little further away go to Aspen, Crested Butte, or Steamboat Springs.
With the Breck pass do you get Keystone too? It is really close and would be a little change in scenery. Breck is a good base of operations and a grand is a really good price. I'm jealous of the trip, have a great time.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^
You think Vail is snobby, and you're recommending Aspen? Snowmass is a blast, but all of the Aspen resorts are rediculously expensive, and VERY douchey. Vail is the corperate retreat, Aspen is the celeb retreat.
I don't know really what you're whining about Vail for in terms of the mtn. Any kind of terrain you like, Vail has tops, other than very steep groomers, other than Blue Ox, Pepi's Face/International(which is now renamed 'Lindsey's'). Trees? Birdbath/Pumphouse, West Vail Trees, everything off 10, Mushroom Bowl Earl's Bowl past the gate, Pete's Stash... Bumps? Look Ma, Highline, Roger's, Skipper, Spruce face, below Lover's Leap, half the stuff off 37. Cliffs? East Vail/Mushroom, Miller's, Hollywood, Dragon's Teeth, South Rim, North Rim, the stuff below 17 in the trees. Chutes? Laundry, Smokies, Frontside, Hairbag, East Vail (if you can keep up with Seth Morrison, that's where he is everyday).
Most of the good stuff you won't find on a map, but just about run you name, I can find something equal to it or better at Vail, other than a few specific things, like Corbet's.
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:01 PM ^
I'm not going to pretend like I know Vail inside out like a local but I thought the marked trails and what was presented to me on the map was extremely intermediate level. Not impressed. I was even there on a powder day and was really excited. Snowmass is my favorite Aspen mountain and the people there were much better to be around than the people we found in Vail. I think Mammoth absolutely destroys Vail in terrain.
Edit: Just wanted to add that I appreciate your passion for Vail and would expect nothing less from someone who lives and works there. I bet if I were to have lived and worked their I would have a much different mindset. However, I would not be true to myself if I would ever recommend for someone to go there.
January 3rd, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^
Halftime...
Should I rent in Denver, or wait till I get out to the mountains?
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
While Breck is a fun town, the mountain sucks. It has the nickname Blowin'Fridge for a reason. It's always really windy and cold. The people there are a bit more stoner burnout than the other resorts.
If you're staying in Breck, ABay is all of about 15 minutes away, and your pass will work there. Outside of Vail, it is probably my favorite resort owned/semi-owned by Vail Resorts. It also, in general, has the best/most snow. ABay is one of the only mountains in Colorado that isn't a 'resort' it's just a mountain, which, as someone who lives in, essentially, Disneyland, is a nice draw, but that's more personal preference. ABay is a locals mtn.
Vail will have a bit better snow than the Beav, but BC is generally quite a bit less crowded. While January isn't very busy, in general, the lack of terrain open means the crowd density is just as high or higher.
Currently, the frontside is all that's open in Vail, and we've been slowly closeing runs, now opening new ones, due to the total lack of snow. We're supposed to get a storm on Saturday, but as I said before, we need a full snow cycle to hit, not just a few inches.
As for 'Chasing Rabbits' trying to insult me for being a lift op, I'd like to point out that everyone here is talking about vacationing (and spending a hoard of money to do so) in the place I ride every single day of the week (and get paid to do it 4 of those days), and when the snow is shitty like this? I don't feel obligated to go. Will I spend forever here? Probably not, but my post-college sabbatical involves shredding everyday, and in the summers mtn biking and hiking everyday. I got to ride 120+ days last year during biggest snow year on record (524", plus another 4+ feet after we closed to the public).
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:03 PM ^
Love that last paragraph. Is your employee pass good to other mountains there?
January 5th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
Pass is good at all Vail Resorts mountains and Arapahoe Basin, so that includes, Beaver Creek, Vail, Northstar at Tahoe, Heavenly, Breckenridge, and Keystone. A few years back, we tried to buy Copper, too, but the state of Colorado said we'd have a monopoly, so we couldn't.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:33 PM ^
Never said I wasn't envious of your "shredding" setup. Just seemed a little pot calling the kettle black with all your "everyone is a douche" stuff.
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<br>Skiing is fun, Will is having fun. People who pay $$$$ and suck at skiing are having fun and they allow you to have your sweet setup. I don't see the need to piss all over all of them. Just a difference of opinion I guess.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
just fyi, grown ups don't care what people they don't know think about them.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:58 AM ^
Yea he totally won't look as gnarly as the guys in your av...
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:04 AM ^
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:19 AM ^
I had thought of that, but it would be 100% guaranteed to be smashed here in Columbus.
January 2nd, 2012 at 2:15 PM ^
...before my scooter was stolen, I had a helmet that I had painted the wings on. I received plenty of hoots and holla's