Leatt Brace Ride Day

Click the following link for a video from the Leatt Brace Ride day at Competitive Edge MX Park. Click the following link for a seven-photo gallery of images from the Leatt Brace Ride day at Competitive Edge MX Park .

Earlier this year we gave you the Y2UtSXMtVGhpcy1UaGUtRnV0dXJlLW9mLUNlcnZpY2FsLVNwaW5lLVByb3Rl
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">First Look at the Leatt Brace, which has generated an extraordinary amount of interest, particularly after what seemed like a bumper crop of spinal injuries during the last year.

After that initial visit, we came away with some positive impressions of our own on the concept and design, but wanted to check in with some other riders who'd tried it for themselves to gather additional opinions. When the guys from Leatt Brace's U.S. office called to let us know about a ride day they were hosting at Competitive Edge, we jumped at the chance to head out there.

Four-time WMA Champion Jessica Patterson was among the riders on hand, and had some personal reasons of her own for wanting to check out the brace. A close friend of hers, Nick Depalo, had suffered a serious spinal injury at the Mini Olympics in Florida. Jessica and her longtime boyfriend, Eddie Ray, had spent lots of time with Nick during December, and his situation had prompted her to reevaluate all of her safety gear. As you' can check out in the video that accompanies this article, her early impressions were favorable.

Bret Milan was another rider in attendance who got a chance to try the brace. Bret was also equipped with a specific reason for wanting to check out the brace, since he'd fractured his neck earlier this year. In all the time we've known Bret he's never been shy about sharing an opinion…both on products he likes, and those that he loathes, so getting a pretty glowing report from him on the brace was also encouraging. (You can also see and hear that one in the video.)

Blake and Tyler Wharton. Have you ever wondered what the significance is of their numbers? It's their respective birthdates.

Tyler and Blake Wharton had driven out from Texas…not specifically for this event, but for some testing, and to visit with their new sponsor, KTM. Tyler had been wearing a Leatt brace for a while, and Blake was getting fitted for a brace of his own. Yep, using the correct sizing pins is crucial to ensuring that the brace rides correctly on your shoulders.

The Leatt crew did a good job of rotating their loaner product out among the riders in attenance, and the weather cooperated as well. While much of Southern California was being buffeted by strong winds, it stayed calm and cool for the riders who took to the track. All-in-all, it was a cool day.

Driving home and thinking about it, we came up with this idea. New Year's resolutions are always among the topics during this time of year, with thoughts of goal-setting for the upcoming race season or new training programs to start. But maybe the best resolution you can make to start out the New Year right would be to take inventory of your own safety gear. We want everyone in the Vital MX community to have a safe and speedy 2007. Go from top to bottom, from helmet to boots, and figure out which gear is merely adequate, which needs replacing, and which items perfectly handle your safety needs. That's a resolution that's not only achievable, but everyone can use.