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REVIEW: Hoots Body Armor
Built to take a pounding on the Shore
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Words by Trevor Hansen
Photos by Cam McRae
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A year and a half ago, I didn’t get around to putting my foot back on
the pedal while dirt jumping at the Sasamat jumps. The result was a cracking
slam into my shoulder.
Since then I’ve undergone extensive physiotherapy with nsmb
teammate Colin Miller, acupuncture with Dr. Lee (who laughed every time I jumped when a
needle hit a nerve) and massage with magic-hands Carew. Next up is a
shot of corticosteroid. Needless to say, I’m a little worried about re-injuring
my shoulder.
When I first got back into riding three months after the injury, I tried
a variety of protection from hockey shoulder pads to bulky chest armour. It wasn’t until I tried on the Hoots prototype that I found what I was looking for. The first thing I noticed (after the smell that other riders had provided)
was how comfortable it fit.
The Hoots Body Armour is very similar to the Ridge Ninja Jacket. Both have a heavyweight nylon shirt,
plastic shoulder caps with adjustable shoulder straps, and chest/lower rib pad
protection.
The Hoots back differs from the Ninja in that it has hard foam pads
on the spine rather than plastic spine pieces running the length of the
back. The details on the jacket include a five-inch-wide elasticized kidney
belt, full-length zipper and four Velcro straps for tightening the shoulder
caps in front and back.
The sewing is typical Hoots: burly and built to last.
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Hoots Armor from the front, modelled by the author. |
There have been no rips or tears in the fifteen rides I’ve used it on.
The Expert’s Opinion
Colin Miller of Sport and Spinal Physio had a good look at the jacket’s
ability to prevent injury. He wears a Dainese, which has had the
shoulder caps twist back thus exposing the shoulder during two big bails. He thinks
the Hoots shoulder caps would twist back much less than the Dainese because they
cover more shoulder area. Therefore, even if the caps pushed back there
would be enough plastic remaining to cover the shoulder’s most troublesome area
- the rotator cuff.
Jesus Christ pose - Super-tough plastic coverings on the shoulders
The Velcro straps on the prototype were too long to tie
down the caps to limit twisting, so Colin recommended criss-crossing them. This
seemed to work but occasionally the Velcro would pop off. I mentioned this to
Hoots Jay, who said that problem has been fixed in the production versions. He took the proto back and
gave me his to try and I agree: it’s fixed, but it could still be a little
shorter or attach further down the chest.
Colin also thought the Hoots chest/lower rib padding was superior to
the Dainese, but that the Hoots spinal protection wasn’t as effective for
preventing spinal injury. He doesn’t expect these pads to completely prevent
upper body injury, only to lessen the severity of injury.
Hoots Armor makes Trevor fly better on Fromme.*
(*Not really, so don't try anything dumb. Or sue us.) |
The Regular Guy’s Opinion
One problem with the jacket is the odour - woo wee that Hooty left a
nice ride stench in his jacket. I knew it was bad when I could smell it over the
dog odour in my car.
It wasn't just the dreadlocked ambassador to the
Shore’s odours but my own after-ride smell that I had to deal with. A small
price to pay, though, considering I was raised on the smell of hockey pad stench.
I don’t know if it’s a good thing but I didn’t have any major upper body
slams during the fifteen test rides. So I can’t really say whether or
not the stuff works. As for comfort, let’s face it, riding without it is a lot
more comfortable than with it.
However, if you are paranoid about injuries
like I am, physical discomfort is outweighed by the mental comfort of knowing that
I am protected in the event of a spill.
Speaking of physical discomfort, during my first hot weather ride I roasted in the armour. I put the jacket
over my bare skin and that seemed to help a little with the body heat.
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The problem with that is the kidney belt jams into the skin of my stomach - something I don’t notice with a T-shirt on underneath.
Price and Where To Buy It
The MSRP for the Body Armour is CDN$329. You can get it on the Shore at
John Henry, On Top and Dizzy’s. For off-Shore locations check the
HootsGear.com dealer list.
