Photos and Text by Sean “Griz” McClendon
Custom painted helmets seem to be a necessity to most pro racers these days - but who says it has to be paint? Vinyl is a cheap and practical (as well as a do-it-yourself) way to put together a custom lid. For $40-bucks, with the help of graphic designer/ pro downhill racer Christian Schloessman along with a donated TLD Sting Ray visor from T-Sage, I was able to design and create my first “custom lid.”
The idea was to have a clean “racey” look with a bit of punk rock in it that would carry along two subtle identities, those being the “26 Griz” logos and the “westside” hands. 26 is a self-proclaimed racing number which stems from the 2six days and the westside hands are there to display the territory I represent at the races as well as endorse my “east vs. west” domestic racing rivalry - just like 2pac and Biggie Smalls.
Somewhere in Western U.S., Not UCI compatible just yet. All you bullet head lovers, move along.
Vinyl wrapping a helmet is time-consuming requiring precision and patience, and is hands down the easiest way to pass time while driving accross the country. Starting in Ventura, California, the helmet took about 10-12 hours to complete and was finally finished in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A mandatory “helmet drop” was done in Massanutten, Virginia and saw the top of the box that weekend at the opening round of the Gravity East Series.
Keep on doing-it-yourself, America.
See you at the races, Griz.
Finished product for the fraction of the price of a custom paint job! All it takes is some time and patience.
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