Billy Valdes Interview

Billy Valdes //  Interview April 2011

Favorite memory from Lockwood? 
- Too many to just pick one....

Favorite memory from the late 90's?
- Late 90's?...Let me see. I guess it would be...skating & partying like it was 1999!...Oh wait! It was 1999!

What have you been up to? 
- Well I've been skating doing graphs and designing clothes for XLARGE® while also doing some freelance graphs and WHATEVS™ a t-shirt line.I start a few years a go.

What are your thoughts on skating in 2011?
- its cool lot's of parks to skate now,kids rip but have NO style...well some do. They've done their homework...SK8 HISTORY 101

What is paulo (diaz) up to?
- I don't know...I haven't seen him in a while...we talked on the phone a few times...he sounds good.

And what about the other guys from Menace? 
-Eric...Everyone's got there own thing going now.we don't keep in touch much but...Eric aka Red Beard is doing his Reggae/dancehall nights in R.I , Fabian aka Frank Hurts is acting now while also helping Joey Suriel with his denim line. Steven's chillin in Cali...Javes has finally grown into his hands and is now ripping and acting full time.Lee is living in Españia aka Spain working for FTC...is that everyone?

I'm making you work for this helmet now huh :-) 
-Yeah you are and it's not even for me....I think I might need one too :) No probs bro!...Thank You!

Billy Valdez. Glendale Skatepark. April 2011
S-One Lifer Helmet
We used to hook Billy up with S-One Insoles back in the late 90's. 
Here he is still ripping 12 years later. Back in the day 
S-One Insoles would protect his heels and now S-One 
Helmets are protecting the brains. Thanks for representing Billy!

 (click here to read a full Billy Valdes Big Brother interview from 1998)

The Menace Crew at Lockwood. Late 90's. Billy Valdes (far right)
Photo: Blabac

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S-One Helmet signed by Lester Kasai for Auction in Japan

S-One Premium Helmet Signed by Lester Kasai.
Sonik Distribution (the S-One Helmet distributor in Japan) will
be auctioning off this helmet to help raise money for the earthquake victims.

S-One X Actions REALized Helmet in stock now!!!

To further support the Johnny Kicks Cancer Foundation 

in their fight against Childhood leukemia, REAL has

teamed up with S-One Helmets on an all new special edition 

Actions REALized x S-One Helmet.

A portion of every Actions Realized Helmet will go directly

 to the Johnny Kicks Cancer Foundation.

Ask for it at your local skateshop or get one from the S-One Online Store.

The Safest Skate Helmets

S-One designed 3 new helmets that not only pass the CPSC Certified Safety Standards for skateboarding, roller skating and bicycling but also fit nice and low like the old traditional soft foam skate helmets.  So now you have the look and feel that you like and the better protection that you need. It is a nice blend of the old and new.

Fits Head Circumference: 18.5" - 20.5"
Hat Size: 6 - 6 1/2

Fits Head Circumference: 21" - 23.5"
Hat Size: 6 5/8 - 7 1/2

Fits Head Circumference: 21" - 23.5"
Hat Size: 6 5/8 - 7 1/2

Fits Head Circumference: 23" - 24.25"
Hat Size: 7 3/8 - 7 3/4

The S-One Lifer Helmet fits lower than other CPSC Certified helmets.

For the past 20+ years, skaters have been reluctant to wear hard foam / CPSC Certified helmets because they sat really high on the head and did not look cool. So, most skaters defaulted to wearing a soft foam / non-certified helmets. The problem with the soft foam helmets is that the soft foam does not even come close to passing the high impact CPSC Certified test. So, S-One designed some hard foam helmets to fit nice and low like a soft foam helmet so you can look good and get maximum protection.

The S-One Lifer Helmet is designed to fit lower
on your head than any other CPSC Certified helmet.
The Lifer Helmet fits great so you look and feel ok about wearing a helmet. And
the S-One Lifer Helmet meets / exceeds the CPSC Helmet Safety Standards
for Skateboarding, Roller Skating and Cycling Helmet. 

Hard Foam Helmets vs. Soft Foam Helmets

Hard Foam and Soft Foam Helmets Explained:

We recommend that ALL skaters regardless of age or skill wear a hard foam CPSC Certified helmet when riding a skateboard or roller skates. A CPSC Certified helmet will protect your head up 5x more than a soft foam helmet.

What is a hard foam / CPSC Certified helmet?

A hard foam helmet has a hard plastic outershell and hard eps foam inner liner. The EPS Foam is what enables the helmet to protect the head in the high impact test. If you slam hard, the EPS foam liner breaks apart and disperses the energy. The hard EPS foam is the crucial element in protecting your head.

What is a soft foam / non-certified helmet?

If you are an older skateboarder it is probably what you grew up wearing. This helmet has a hard plastic outer shell and a soft foam (or) rubber liner. These helmets are comfortable but they are not nearly as protective as a hard foam helmets. The soft foam helmet does not even come close to passing the CPSC impact testing process. If you slam from over 3.5 ft from ground the soft foam does NOT reduce the energy pulse adaquately. However, most experts agree that you are better off wearing a soft foam helmet than no helmet at all.

What is the CPSC Certified Test?

There are testing labs that are approved by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) that test the helmets and make sure that they meet certain safety requirements. One of the most important test is the high impact test. This is the test that determines how well a helmet protects your head. In order to pass this CPSC test a helmet must reduce a 1,000 G energy pulse to under 300 G's. A 1,000 G energy pulse is equivalent to falling roughly 7 ft to the ground or skating at 14mph into a flat surface.

A soft foam helmet fails to reduce the 1,000 G energy pulse to under 300 G's. At it's best, a soft foam helmet can reduce the 1,000 G force down to 400. At it's worst, the soft foam helmet can only reduce the impact to 900 G's. The test results CLEARLY show that soft foam helmets only provide a very limited amount of protection and cannot pass the CPSC impact test.

Why should I wear a CPSC Certified helmet?

A soft foam helmet will not protect you adequately if you hit the ground, coping, tree, curb or barrier at speeds of 14 mph or more . The brain is delicate and it doesn't heel like a knee or wrist. If you go down hard, you want to be wearing the best possible helmet. If you get a head injury while wearing a soft foam helmet you are going to be looking back and asking yourself, "Why wasn't I wearing the safest helmet possible?". Tests clearly show that a soft foam helmet does not protect you as well as a hard foam CPSC Certified helmet. 

Helmet Featured: The S-One Lifer Helmet MSRP $50. CPSC Certified. Designed to fit lower on your head than any other CPSC Certified helmet on the market.

Gerry Poynter Talks About The S-One Lifer Helmet from s-one helmet co / s1helmets on Vimeo.

S1 Lifer Helmet Vs. Soft Foam Helmet (Helmet Testing Lab) from s-one helmet co / s1helmets on Vimeo.

Scizzors / S1 Lifer Helmet from s-one helmet co / s1helmets on Vimeo.

S-One X Dagger Helmet (in-stock now)

S-One x Dagger Helmet

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S-One Lifer Helmet

Austin Poynter wears the S-One Lifer Helmet.
The S-One Lifer Helmet is one of the best fitting
CPSC Certified helmets on the market. It fits low
on the dome and is CPSC Certified so it will
protect you against the unexpected slams.
Ask to check one out at the your local skateshop.
MSRP US$50.

S-One Lifer Helmet

2 years ago today. Venice Skatepark was being built...

Venice Skatepark Aerial Photo 2009

Does our new warehouse manager look like alex perelson?

REAL skateboard's vert manager - alex perelson

S-ONE warehouse manager - hans rico

S-One x REAL Roll Forever Helmet
(front)
MSRP $50

Peter Grant Eubank Alien Slides in Malibu

Deep in the hills of Malibu you've got plenty of things that can kill you...
 hungry mountain lions, baby rattlesnakes and illegal Mexican Cartel farmers.
The S-One Destro Helmet can't protect you from these things...

Hitting your head 8 miles up in the Santa Monica Mountain Range
is never a good idea and that is one reason Peter Eubank wears the S-One Destro Helmet.

S-One Destro Helmet
• Lightweight
• Fits low on the dome
• Well Vented
• 5x Safer Than A Soft Foam Helmet
• CPSC Certified

MSRP $US: $50

another great day of skating... heading home
safe and sound.  

Tracey Bentley

Hi guys..

UPS just delivered the Lifer you sent me..  What a "sweet' helmet....!  

Fits like a glove..  I must say, your products fit better than anything I have worn..  Awesome..!

Thanks very much...  I totally appreciate it~

I will help pass out some of those stickers for you as well (where ever I skate)...  

Happy to give you some visibility ..$  

See you guys soon..

TB~

P.S.  Ran into David Hackett earlier this week at Venice (he recently did the "loop of death" pad-less).. We talked for awhile, as he just turned 50 not long ago..!  I am right behind him at 49..!  

Gnarly hugh...!

Here is an old photo from back in the day...

Austin Poynter wearing the S-One Lifer Helmet

Austin Poynter wearing the S-One Lifer Helmet

The S-One Lifer Helmet

• Fits Low On The Dome
• Lightweight
• Meets the CPSC Helmet Safety
Standards for Skateboarding
• 5x Safer Than A Soft Foam Helmet
• Extra Soft Sizing Liners

Ask for it at your local skateshop!
or buy it it here.

Price: $50