words and photos: Mike Basher

Helmets are designed with the crash in mind, and all sorts of engineering measures have been made to ensure that a helmet’s construction protects your brain from traumatic injury. 

In the event your head comes in contact with a foreign object, every material in the helmet is supposed to work together to both distribute and absorb forces, lessening the likelihood of an injury. Koroyd, which is featured on most of Smith’s adult and youth helmets, like the Code above, is a unique, incredibly light, and breathable material. 

Engineered to crumple at a certain impact threshold, Koroyd zones are placed strategically throughout the helmet where critical energy absorption is most likely needed. Impact safety isn’t Koroyd’s only advantage. Since it is made almost completely of air, implementing it in helmets makes each helmet lighter, which can help reduce neck strain from whiplash caused from certain types of falls, like that good ol’ heel edge catch.

To learn more about Smith’s line of helmets and Koroyd technology, check out Smithoptics.com.