Review: Protection when motorcycling and when skiing!

Anders has been driving motorcycles for years and he always drives with a back protector, but he would never put on his motorcycle back protection when skiing "you have other demands on movement when skiing than when riding a motorcycle." 

Anders has been away skiing with KORI Coyote on his back. He experienced the feeling of protection as "You even forget that you have it on, did not even think about it, but very nice to feel protected on the skis too".

Anders did not get the opportunity to use the backpack feature during, but he feels the practical benefit of always having extra storage ready if needed. On the motorcycle, however, he feels that the feature to make transform the back protector to the backpack is brilliant - now he just waits in the spring.

And the first name is...

The winner of the KORI Coyote (worth 3250kr) is: Petra Holmlund. Congratulations!!

http://www.kori.se/sv/produkter/kori-coyote/ 

Using protection when skiing?

Daily News (Dagens Nyheter 2013-02-23) brings our attention once again on the importance of protection on the winter slopes. This time they have asked people, on the slopes, directly. Four out of ten snowboarders and skiers, do not care about protections. Compared to some years ago, that is a rather good figure. This also shows in fewer serious head- and back injuries (see previous blog post …)

The question is how do those who still don’t use protection when skiing, reason. What makes them not use any protection? Is it because protections cost too much? Is it because protections are uncomfortable? Or just because of old habits?

”You have to be watchfull and check the slope before you start, to make it a safer ride. Why I don’t wear a helmet? I haven’t injured myself during the whole time I have skied”

”I take it easy when I ski now. I might need a helmet, but when I skied earlier I didn’t so I won’t use one now”

The answers from the interviews in the article show that old habits win, and that if you haven’t been injured earlier, you won’t in the future. A resoning that is valid only untill the day when the accident is evident.

What is important to know, is that accidents seldom are caused by one person or the way you ski or how watchfull you are and take it easy or not. It is rather about small margins of error and unfortunate situations. A crash into someone that suddenly came out of the grove, someone that suddenly falls in front of you, someone standing still that suddenly emerges from behind the curve, a hidden rock or an icy spot.

”Most of those who come to us, didn’t have controle” says Alf Lerner, doctor and director of the medical center in Åre

To have controle you must have a tremendous self-awareness and be able to realise all the risk factors. För att ha kontroll måste man ha otrolig självinsikt och inse alla olika riskfaktorer som finns. You should also consider your daily fitness, good sleep, good food etc. Dehydration can also worsen your concentration ability and makes it easier to loose controle.

You should be prepared, an accident could happen. And that is why protections are so important. In a serious accident, a helmet can see to that you get away with a concussion instead of a cracked skull and a back protector can see to that you get away with stretching and bruising instead of a serious fracture of your spine.

Helmet and back protector is a good investment

The Swedish newspaper Dayly news (Dagens Nyheter, DN) wrote last week (2013-02-09) a good article on protective equipment for skiiers and snowboarders. In the article Alf Lerner, a doctor and director of the medical center Åre (Åre is one of Sweden's most visited and popular Skidby in northern Sweden), described his experiences how the injury situation have changed since people began to use protective equipment.

- If you want to come home from the mountains with all body parts intact, a helmet, a back protector and wrist protectors are a good investment. Says Alf.

Every year there are about 10 000 seriously injured skiers in Sweden. With the increased use of helmets, back protector and wrist protectors the last years has  made a big difference.

- The number of injuries has not decreased, but we find that many injuries are significantly lighter thanks to the protectors. In particular, the number of serious concussions and back injuries has decreased. Those who do not have protection, the uglier fractures than those using protection. Says Alf.

At the health center where Alf works in Are they receive 2,000 injured skiers each winter season. Alf recommends that all skiers should at least have a proper helmet. But a back protector should also belong to the basic equipment, according to him. says Alf.

- Back protector does not protect against the compression you can get if you land hard and the spine is compressed, but it can protect against spinal fractures if you get a hit - if you land on your back, or collide with something or collide with another skiier. - Alf Lerner

At KORI, we have talked a lot with skiers and the difference between skiing and motorcycling is  mainly that skiers requires much more movement than motorcyclists, one reason that the previous hard plastic protectors and even the stiff 'soft' protectors have not managed to break through completely. That is why we are incredibly excited to work with D3O that has the most superior protective material. When one tries a KORI protection with d3o the reactions is - it's even comfortable.

That is what is important - the protection should ”even be able to be comfortable”. And why not practical too :-)

After what we have been notices, we have already saved aback of a user who otherwise would not have used a back protector because he did not feel comfortable with the previous ones... We look forward to saving more.

You can not take mobility for granted.

Have you ever thought about the "everyday luxury" and the physical activity to be able to cut your own toenails?

There's a lot of heart in our work with safety equipment, we look at what we do as an opportunity to endorse the human freedom to activate the body and experience the environment, simply giving the soul some “feel good”. This opportunity may appear to be obvious, abstract and fuzzy but the fact is that when it is taken away, this obvious freedom turns to something very real and troubling.

I have had the misfortune to experience a bad hip, not as bad as an injured back, nor so bad that it has not been possible to fix, but bad enough to experience the imprisoned and dependent feeling of having limited mobility, dependent on others and incapable to activate my body and experience adventures and physical challenges.

Some days ago something a bit odd struck methought on the subject, for the first time in six months, since my last operation, I managed to cut my own toenails myself. Previously, due to limited physical capability and pain, I could not reach them and therefore not cut them. Have you ever thought about the physical activity to be able to cut your own toenails yourself is an everyday luxury?

Nah, me neither. At least not before, but some days ago the realization came to me, the feeling of a somebody that sits down on his knees in front of you, takes out a pair of scissors and put it on your toes are not luxurious but rather frightening and inferior.

I am happy that today I can cut my own toenails, I'm happy that I will be fully restored from my injury. But there are other injuries that can change your life drastically, and the back is one of those parts of your body that you are most dependent on, the back is the connection between your brain and your body, it is the spine that makes you wiggle your toes and cut your toenails - an everyday luxury that I hope to have with me the rest of my life.

Protection + storage = true

The concept of having protection and storage in the same product evolved from the belief that a safety product should be of practical use in more situations than ”only” in the saving situation.  Being able to get extra storage or on the other hand make a storage vanish is valuable in many scenarios, here are some examples of scenarios for the upcoming winter season in the slopes:

First of all do not disregard the situations around the actual activities where all equipment is present and is transported from place to place. The KORI back protector can be used as a backpack in all these situations, storing your equipment on the way to the slopes and back from the slopes. Then use it as a back protector in the slope.

It might be that you are exploring new areas walking up the mountains, a scenario where you often need less warming equipment than when going downhill. Stuff the jacket, helmet, goggles, food and beverage in the backpack and on the way down, you’ll have no fluttering on the back as the backpack then is used, folded in as a back protector.

Hydration is important for your body, your mind and your concentration. Just by putting a hydration bladder in your KORI back protector KORI is easily used as a hydration pack and you’ll always have beverage available. 

And winter landscapes are not always cold. Spring skiing is a nice way to mix summer feelings with the joy of snow. On these days the temperatures might change a lot during the day or on different sides of the mountain. With KORI, by giving you the storage volume that you need for the moment, you’ll always have the advantage to undress or dress up.

And, why not, after a nice day in the slopes, store your equipment neat and tidy on the after ski and make sure you get all your equipment with you home.  

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

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!

Summer Bike Meet 2012

This weekend we will participate on the ”Summer Bike Meet”, a motorcycle event at Hanksville Farm, a Bikers Place with a nice athmosphere. Motorcyclists travel from all over sweden to meet over a weekend to enjoy the countryside together. We were there, mother and daughter excited to show our KORI – a new concept of back protectors.

Back protection with D3O

KORI has been to the National Institute for Materials Testing in Borås numerous times to test different materials and material combinations during the development of our KORI back protector/backpack. During those visits we really experienced how difficult it is to achieve the higher standards of protection, Level 2. Also we have seen horrifying examples of protections that were CE certified but did NOT resist the tests.
Therefore KORI really welcomes the report on back protectors 2011 :16!
"Market control of back protectors", a report from the Swedish Consumer Agency, is interesting reading both for manufacturers and consumers. As our KORI-D3O back protector wasn’t on the market when the tests were done, KORI is not included in this report. The important facts, nevertheless, are summarized in the analysis and recommendations at the end of the report, “Our recommendation for consumers”:
“- Choose a Level-2 protection, that should be comfortable…
- Try it on before buying and make sure you get the right size. It should be size marked.
- Ask for the user information before buying, you should know how to replace it, store it, wash it …”
KORI are proud to include the D3O protector Viper PRO, so how would KORI-D3O have managed from that perspective that the Swedish Consumer Administration described?
- KORI-D3O is a Level-2 protection and is extremely comfortable and flexible
- KORI-D3O has a size labelling and instructions for how to measure in D3O’s “USER INFORMATION” accompanying the product, and of course also on KORI’s web site.
- KORI-D3O has user information (on Swedish and English!) for how to use, store, clean etc.

Read more about KORI-D3O
Go to D3O’s webb site
Read the report (in Swedish)
Go to KORI’s webb site

Vacancy, well not yet..

This weekend, I was asked if it felt like a big vacancy now after all years of work and finally reaching our goal to have our KORIs back protection complete, delivered and ready to be sold...

... I just shook my head.

I've been thinking a bit on my reaction, what does it really feel like? Have I reached my goal or have I reached the starting line?

I know that I have asked myself the same thing before: “what will the feelings be when we get there?”. It is definitely not the same feeling as the emptiness after a deadline of handing in a report, the anticlimax before the next project starts.

It's not until now that KORI can come true. It is not until now that the KORI back protector can be brought into use. And (!) it is now we can begin to fill up the need that started it all.

I also got the comment that "you should tell your boss to take it easy"… but it is not that easy, when you’ve just heard the starting pistol and it is time to kick-off - full speed ahead?
This weekend we will be in the winter show in Stockholm!

On December the third we will be in SnowFest in Lund!

The only thing I feel right now is - Here we come!

More packets to send!

Just over a month ago we sent a package that returned home with good news. There was good news about a partnership that creates a really cool and unique product. Thanks to the good news, we now have been able to send off another exciting package ... Package includes, but one embroidered logo, a complete prototype. The prototype contains in turn a CE-marked back protection of the higher standard (Level 2). This is amazing and I promise to tell you more about the good news soon!

It feels a little weird to wrap a protective product in double-layers of bubble wrap .. but for some strange reason it feels better that way :-). This time we send KORI on its first product test. I promise to follow up on how it went, as soon as we got the result :-) Incredibly exciting!
This post resulted in two promises - two promises that means a lot to us - we look forward to keep them!