The protectors of the year

The KORI back protector backpack in ” The protectors of the year” in the swedish magazine Snowrider No.2 2012/2012

Very exciting to see our protector together with other more traditional protective equipment for the snowmobilers. KORI is a new way to look upon protective equipment, the unique feature that you are also able to use the product for storage stands out from all other protectors.  

And, we totally agree with the magazine that the most important with protective equipment is that you wear it. Our first customer on the snowmobile market sent us a mail the week after he received his KORI, telling us about an accident where he hit his back quite hard, and that he felt stiff in the back the day after, but that was it. The thing behind this story is that this person had not been using a back protector for several years before he got his KORI, mainly because the previous protector took away to much of the driving-experience.   

We often look back upon this story – this makes all worth all work we put into making KORI reality – Today we are very proud to be a part of “the protectors of the year” – thank you all! 

Go to www.snowrider.se

Read about the snowmobile accident

Read more about the KORI back protector

Using protectors in different sports…

The main issue in this discussion is that if a force hits you during a crash, you do not want the least possible of that force to reach your body. Therefore there are several different types of products out on the market with the aim to protect your body in that situation.

In some cases the crashes and therefore the usage of the protector is frequent and maybe even conscious. This is in sports where crashing is a part of doing and learning, in some sports you even teach and learn how to crash. In other sports crashes are not a desirable part of the sport. But, weather you use your protectors frequently or not and consciously or not, the purpose are the same. And most important, in any sport, the unexpected accident might be just around the next corner, in the next turn or in the next jump.

So, the important aspects of the protectors for different sports are not that different:

Movement of the body. Most sports desirers protectors that follows your body movements, there are some sports with a stiffer usage position that allows for stiffer protectors, but few sports prefers them… So, a flexible and movable protector – no matter which sport. The back protector D3O Viper PRO in KORI is the markets most soft and flexible material which makes it follow every single body movement, like an extra protective skin.

Impact forces – all protectors are developed to protect the body from impact forces. Note that not all protectors are developed to manage frequent impact forces, some protectors are singe-crash-products and should be exchanged after subjected to an impact force. The D3O Viper PRO protector in KORI is of a soft material that reacts with molecules that instantly locks on to each other when subjected to the force and then directly returns to its flexible form, it can be subjected again and again without loosing its protective ability. 

Body temperature – some protectors are said to be specially developed for warm/cold situations. But most important with the protectors is not to provide you heat or cold, rather to obtain and enhance your natural body environment by adjusting to its temperature and humidity (sweat). What is put underneath and on top of the protector will then keep you cool by ventilation or keep you warm by isolation. In KORI the polyester mesh and the ventilated D3O Viper protector helps transport and ventilate humid air (sweat) from your body which is the most efficient aspect to enhance the body environment. 

CE Certification EN1621. There is a standard for protectors; it is based on the motorcycle standard which meets the highest standard on the market. It is divided into Level 1 (lower) and Level 2 (higher). Note that not all protectors are tested and certified for the standard and not all sports requires products with the certification, but the certification is a proof of understanding the impacts, ergonomics and the positioning – all important for the final performance of the protector! KORI D3O Viper Pro is certified withthe higher level of protection: EN1621-2, Level 2.

So.. what differs the different sports protectors from each other is first of all that not all protectors have the CE-certification standard, secondly not all protectors are developed for frequent crashes and thirdly… well thirdly there is no other difference. The differences will come in what you personally prefer and find suitable for your body, your movements and your needs. All sport protectors want to be comfortable and ergonomic and, when the accident is there, all sports protectors wants to protect…

Choosing materials

There are so many materials out there on the market today and it is almost impossible to consider all of them. Also, all material specifications sound very good and many times often very alike. But it is important to dig deeper than those specifics.

Product development

The material choices are considered throughout the whole product development process. Especially when you, as we at KORI, work with products that both need to adapt to usage requirements; product aim, product function, product usability etc. and adapt to the users requirements; body climate, body movements and also body skin sensibility.

Above this we need to consider the strength of the materials, which together with other steps in the production process will reflect the quality of the outcome. To find the best suitable material for our products we dig deeper than the material specifics. Below is a short summary of three of the largest textile material categories:

Natural textiles

First there are natural textile materials such as wool, merino and silk that is has its origin to adapt to a body climate. Though, the big though these fibres are not composed to last long. The wool on sheep (or other wool producing animals) is constantly exchanged for new growing fur. And the delicate silk is just as delicate when it comes to handling the material; it is sensitive to for example washing and sunlight.

Synthetic textiles

Then we have the synthetic textile materials, that is polymer textiles. Synthetic textiles are first of all very strong and durable and as plastics can “go into any shape” this category is receptive to new technologies and innovations, which makes this category the largest and widest category with most possibilities. In this category we have materials as Coolmax, Nylon, Lycra, Cordura, Kevlar, Tactel, Spandex etc.

Semi-natural textiles

At last (in this summary) we have the semi-natural textile materials, that is textiles which, in a quite complicated way, is extracted from natural materials such as wood. These semi-natural materials is just as it says, something in between the other two categories, but it does not really reach either one of them. It is not as good as the naturals and can not compete with them, and neither as good as the synthetics and can not compete with them, yet… at least not for the qualities we search for in our products. It is a growing category and it is very interesting, I hope that we can await many promising production-technologies and of course great end results textile materials in this category. Today we can find textiles as Lyocell, Modal and Tencel..

One textile material that I do not even mention in this summary is cotton, which is a natural fibre with the main qualities of being cheep and not that good in any of its characteristics, apart from “commonly used” and soft. The environmental debate about cotton is also important to consider...

Product-next-to-body material choices

When we chose the materials to the back protector the aim was to make a safe and durable product, but as it is used and mounted on the human body we needed to pay attention to what is happening in the meetings where product meets body. The back protector backpack, which is not directly a product-next-to-body but very close, usually only a t-shist in between. We chose a polyester mesh where the protector is close to the body. Polyester, a synthetic fiber which is very strong and durable and also is extremely good at transporting moisture. The mesh also gives an extra ventilation to keep humid air away from the back. This was a material decision to keep the back dry and ventilated and the product long lasting. The challenge for the user (to be able to take advantage of this material) is to use a suitable material in between. If the material inbetween does not transport moisture, the risk of the dirty-sweaty-feeling is still very high…  

So, the material choices for the products that is directly next to the skin is very important. And now, at KORI, we are up for this new challenge, because we are developing product-next-to-skin products (hint of what is to come)… very exciting!

KORI together with D3O at Intermoto

A week ago, the 3-7 of october in Cologne the fair for the joy of two wheeels was held – it is called Intermoto. This year there were more than 203,000 visitors at Intermoto, and of course KORI was there!

Our KORI back protector was hanging o a rail together with several other D3O products in their masive stand. Most exciting is that many already had heard about the new concept of protectors – KORI. KORI is growing and spreading over the world - this is fantastic!

Together with D3O KORI can make an impact to encourage safety and encourage freedomI!

Read more about our partner D3O here!

Read more about the trade fair Intermoto here!

Better to be late than not at all..

Firstly I want to apologize for not giving this presentation until now… better late than never, isn’t that right? During the last two months we have had the opportunity to have Olof Person with us at KORI experience. Along with other things Olof stands behind this new optimized and more user friendly blog. Olof has also taught himself and us about several other things regarding SEO (Search Enginge Optimization).

Sadly, tomorrow is the last day with KORI. The day after tomorrow Olof will continue his journey, hopefully with an extra little entrepreneurial glint when he approaches new opportunities. We hope that KORI has given Olof a valuable time. From our perspective, he has certainly left his mark, his likable personality will be missed and all the work he has put down will most certainly be of value in the progress of increasing the presence of KORI on the world wide webb!

Thank you Olof for this time, we’ll keep in touch!

We all have something in common..

KORI is about protecting Your body & spine...

...simply preserving Your core.

When we designed the brand KORI we searched for a way to describe the beautiful feeling and enthusiasm encountered by driving a motorcycle… but we soon realised that motorcycling only was one of many medium to experience these certain feelings.

Whether it is on the road, in the slope, on water or in a rail parc the experience we are approaching is all about the freedom of being outside, close to nature and exploring new environments, undertaking new challenges and provoke your personal boundaries, feeling that you are alive.

We have asked people; motorcyclists, skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, skaters, climbers and other sport enthusiast, what encourages them in their sport… and the responses are very alike, here are a selection:

“It is a feeling of undisclosed freedom. The feeling of flexibility and mobility.”

“It gives Freedom and serenity”

“It is a feeling of being proud, special and unique”

“It is Freedom. The wind and the smell of different shades of nature.”

“It is a dose of adrenaline”

“It is the total concentration on the interaction between myself, my equipment and the laws of nature given in an almost artistic sense. It is beautiful in a way.”

“It is Adrenaline and flexibility -> Freedom”

“It is almost like flying, though without a plane”

This “it” that is described is the core-feeling that evolves the enthusiasm that surrounds these sports. KORI is our interpretation of the word core in this context.

So... on roads that are empty and curvy … slopes that are dazzling white and powdery… fields, green and wavy or white and endless.. we all have something in common, we have “it” in common.

KORI - Encouraging freedom. Encouraging Safety.

Read more about the brand here!