I have a house full of teen boys who never sit still. Within weeks of moving into our new house this spring we had a bike track carved into our back yard, complete with bike jumps of every skill level. When they get bored with jumping their bikes they head down to Denver and hang out at the city’s amazing bike and skate parks. Once the snow flies they can be found on ski slopes, skimming through trees on the sides of the trails, or seeing who can fly down the slopes the fastest (using a speedometer app on their phone which registers numbers they’re not allowed to reveal to their mom, lest they be sidelined forever).
So yeah, I’m a pretty big fan of helmets. I’ve bought my fair share and most are quickly personalized with stickers to match individual personalities. After my youngest son spent three days in the hospital a year ago with a broken wrist and a concussion caused by a rip sticking crash (that shattered his sturdy helmet), I became even more vigilant about doing anything possible to make sure my boys always wore their helmets.
I was delighted to find a company called Inkwell Helmets headed up by a creative artist named Danielle Baskin, who makes helmets works of art with her clever paintings. I’m talking designs that even cool teen boys would be excited to wear. She offers a wide range of fun and funky designs but will also paint a design of your creation. Her gallery is full of geeky designs that any geek kid or geek grown up would love to wear.
My son Sam loved her MRI design (maybe because he remembers too clearly seeing the MRI of his own brain when he took his tumble last year). I love the fruit designs Danielle creates, using the holes on the top of the helmet as seeds.
The stock helmets she offers are bike helmets but she can also paint ski helmets or any other sport helmet you might have. She even offers a discount if you supply the helmet.
This is a great gift idea for the coming holidays. It’s a win-win. Someone you love gets a cool new helmet that will fit their personality, and you have the peace of mind knowing they’re safe when they’re out being active on bikes, skateboards, and skis.
Danielle, who has a BFA from New York University, believes that when helmets are a fun accessory, people are more likely to wear them. She paints every helmet herself, in her New York City studio. She loves a challenge, so create something crazy and have her put it on a helmet for you. She says, “I’m an enthusiast of wrap-around images, optical illusions, bicycle safety, colors, bikes as transportation, and science education you can wear on your head.”
Inkwell Helmets are not cheap. They’ll run you a lot more than the off the shelf plain helmets you’ll find at discount stores. But consider the price of a severe head injury, and the fact that a helmet can last for miles and miles of bike rides and years of skateboarding tricks. Then add in the fact that having a cool helmet, that fits your loved one’s personality perfectly, will actually motivate them to wear one every single time they hit the road/trail/slopes. To me, that makes these helmets practically priceless.
Here is just a sampling of Danielle’s fun designs (put your orders in early for holiday gifts):
Note: My son was provided his MRI helmet without charge for review purposes. There’s no way I’m ever getting it back from him so ….thanks Danielle!
