Last summer, we told you about a Dallas-based startup that created a shell-like “mask” used under helmets to reduce concussions in contact sports by more than 60%. Now G8RTech has announced it is hitting the ice with a new solution for preventing injuries in hockey.
The protective equipment company is launching its initial product for ice hockey players, called G8RSkin Ice. Created by G8RTech founder and CEO Carter Hogg, a 20-year-old college athlete, G8RSkin Ice is “designed to significantly reduce the risk of injury to hockey players, particularly related to concussions and lacerations,” the company said.
The product is made of Kevlar and other proprietary materials, as well as “patent-pending design elements.” It consists of a lightweight, cut-resistant collar and a mask-like cover. As a modular platform, G8RSkin Ice works seamlessly with all other hockey equipment, G8RTech says, and forms an integrated system that “uses applied science and data to revolutionize head, shoulder, neck and chest protection.”
G8RTech added that the product’s special design includes 17 geometric elements, designed to distribute energy from impacts while stabilizing the neck.
The company’s founder and CEO says the purpose of G8RSkin Ice “is to protect hockey players from neck lacerations forever and prevent those unfortunate tragedies like the one suffered by Adam Johnson,” who died during a hockey game in England afterward. Being cut in the neck by an opponent’s skate blade.
“It is becoming increasingly clear how important it is to enhance protective equipment everyone Hogg added. “Instead of something ‘strapped’ around the neck, we knew it had to be more comfortable and lightweight while adding the added benefits that the G8RSkin is already known for. We would love to see it adopted – if not required – by hockey leagues across the country.”
Report: Hockey has the highest concussion rate among major sports
G8RTech cited a recent Springer study of collision sports among high school boys, which showed that ice hockey had the highest concussion rate (15.8/100 participants/year), followed by lacrosse, rugby, and soccer. The most common site of injury in all contact sports was the head and face. Fractures were reported as the most common type of injury in ice hockey at 27%.
Dr. Charles Popkin, G8RTech medical committee member and USA Hockey team physician, praised the potential of the new solution.
“If you have a product like G8RSkin Ice, with the concussion reduction tested at Virginia Tech and the added benefit of Kevlar for neck protection, it’s a win-win,” Popkin said in a statement. “USA Hockey’s recommendation is to wear a neck tear guard that covers as much of the neck as possible. A lot of previous standard issue neck tear guards leave out the vulnerable areas, but with the G8RSkin Ice, the neck is covered. With that said, I’m proud to support this product.”
Dr. Andrew Saleh, a member of the G8RTech Medical Committee and Chief Medical Team Physician for the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls, has experience providing medical care to hockey players.
“I saw a need to improve protective equipment,” Saleh said about the sport in a statement. “G8RSkin Ice is leading the fight to significantly reduce the risk of hockey-related injuries, including concussions and tears. I am honored to play a role in its development.”
It follows the previous launch of G8RSkin
G8RTech’s first product, G8RSkin, is a specialized mask-like skin worn under sports helmets. After testing at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, the G8RSkin has been shown to reduce the risk of concussions through its special design, the company said. Testing at Virginia Tech showed that G8RSkin caused a relative concussion risk reduction of up to 83.33%; Maximum linear acceleration values decreased by up to 35.61% in hockey; The startup added that peak rotational acceleration values will decrease by up to 42.26% in hockey. G8RSkin is now used in many sports, including soccer, hockey, skiing, and lacrosse.
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