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Impact vest design has come on a long way over the last few years. The Collision Vest is a prime example of putting the slimline protection over the critical regions of spine and ribs, and then fusing these panels with areas of excellent flex in between to ensure the vest doesn’t inhibit your movement. Getting into it is as easy as sliding on your dad’s roomy wedding waistcoat, and the zipper carriage is cleverly hidden in a pocket that is secured by a popper for an extra clean frontage. Another neat feature is a screen-printed rubberized strip which runs along the waistline – it’s a well-tailored vest in this area in any case, but this extra strip prevents any further ride up when you crash and grips well to wet skin or wetsuit.
Immediately you notice the high flex levels and it in no way feels bulky and, in the water, provides a little extra float and doesn’t feel excessively heavy when wet. Lightweight and ethereal, the Collision Vest is a Ninja Turtle armor suit for the next kitesurf generation and blends a clever range of materials to create something functional, light and protective, offering plenty of confidence. At no point is your movement restricted by it, and there’s enough protection in the key areas for a foil to glance off and leave you unscathed.
Now, the first thing that struck us about the ION Mission Helmet was the weight, or lack thereof – the 390g (to be exact) feels fairly ghost-like when protecting your cranium. The outer shell is fused into the inner foam, as is a smooth glossy material in the peak and rear which protects the edge of the softer impact-absorbing foam. It’s like a normal helmet has been fused into one piece.
Venting is present in the form of eight arrow slits, evenly spread across both sides. These provide decent airflow and cooling, but also importantly drain water efficiently even if you’ve had a decent trip below the surface.
Rather than the usual (occasionally skin-pinching) buckle closure on the chin strap, ION have opted for a neat system which clips itself in with a magnet, and then requires a slide upwards to disengage. Adjustability in the strap is found below each ear with a lever that lifts and locks and allows the webbing to slide and adjust to different head shapes. The rear of the hat has a rotary adjuster that winches the headband in and out allowing a perfect level of tightness and will accommodate a decent range of noggins.
With many people that enjoy water sports also frequenting the slopes in the winter, it makes perfect sense to make a helmet that crosses over between the two. It seems decadent to own a different helmet for both situations when they are trying to achieve exactly the same thing. The simple inclusion of an elastic goggle retainer and some removable ear pads (which incidentally absorb little water and keep the wind out nicely) means the Mission will transcend snow and water activity with little compromise.
A light and comfortable way to protect your head, the ION Mission Helmet covers both water and snow sports capably. ION are working collaboratively with WIP on this project, and it’s also manufactured in Switzerland, only adding to the snow sports pedigree.
