Unequal® Concealed Sports Protection Fortified With Kevlar® Ignites Rapid Acceptance Among Top Action Athletes Leading Up to 2013 Winter X Games

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After making major inroads into the NFL, NHL and MLB, UNEQUAL® Technologies, the world's only provider of concealed sports protection for the head and body fortified with Kevlar, is now responding to demand from top winter action sport athletes looking for protection that actually protects.  Winter X Games Legend and world record holder Levi LaVallee, U.S. Snowboarding Team members Arielle and Taylor Gold, Maddy Schaffrick and others are among the many now warming up to Unequal brand protection.   

4-Time Winter X Games gold medalist and fan favorite Levi LaVallee, who was just named One of the 50 Most Influential People in Action Sports, has sustained multiple injuries and concussions in the past.  He won't jump or race his snowmobile without Unequal. 

"I have been injured numerous times while wearing supposed protection," said LaVallee, who returns in 2013 to Winter X competition after a very serious crash a little over a year ago. "When I heard how many NFL and NHL pro athletes were using Unequal CRT® and Exo® Armor, I asked around, got some and tried it.  You only have to experience Unequal once to realize how super legit this stuff is.  I've been telling everyone."

"You don't witness or experience Unequal's performance and not tell others," says Unequal CEO Rob Vito. "The punishment these winter athletes subject their heads and bodies to, as they race down the slope or throw unbelievable tricks in the halfpipe, calls for protection beyond plastic and foam.  Having perfected ultra-thin, super lightweight Unequal in military applications like bullet-resistant vests, we knew it would be very effective for high impact and contact sports. Unfortunately you have to get hit, crash or fall to experience it, but we like to say 'once you fall, you fall in love with Unequal.'"

U.S. Snowboard Team members and siblings Arielle and Taylor Gold heard about Unequal from their dad, Ken, who, as a Philadelphia Eagles fan in 2010, heard how Michael Vick had turned to Unequal to protect his cracked sternum.

"I had not heard of Unequal before, but was intrigued." says Ken Gold.  "I got some CRT for Arielle's and Taylor's helmets and EXO Armor for their bodies.  I was amazed at the kinds of falls and crashes they started getting up from when before, those accidents would have stopped them cold. You instinctively want to tell others." 

Arielle Gold, 16, and the youngest on the U.S. Snowboard Team, recently fell so hard on her head she cracked the helmet, but with Unequal CRT installed, she had no head trauma symptoms the next day. 

"There's no question Unequal has helped me stay out there practicing longer and competing stronger than I would have been able to without it," said Gold.

Maddy Schaffrick, 18, who recently finished 3^rd at the Dew Tour in snowboard halfpipe said, "The snowboarding industry is a small world and we all talk about products and brands that can help us perform at our best. When fellow snowboarder told me about Unequal, I was excited to try it because we need all the protection we can get. With Unequal CRT in my helmet I feel safer and as a result, more confident in my riding."

Unequal Technologies is patented protective padding made with a military-grade composite fused with DuPont^™ Kevlar^® in its protective padding.  Unequal EXO Armor includes individual protection pads that can be cut and sized for virtually any part of the body, as well as compression gear with varying levels of protection built in for any sport (for thighs, hips, ribs, back, butt, clavicles, forearms, wrists, etc).   The Unequal CRT family of products is supplemental head padding that consists of the CRT® Band™, Gyro™ Halo™, Dome™ and CRT Pads (for virtually any helmet). Athletes choose the fit and style they want to help reduce the possibility of head injury.

About UNEQUAL Technologies

With a mission to protect people in the military, law enforcement, sports, work and life, UNEQUAL Technologies Company is the leading provider of supplemental protection technology. A fusion of military-grade, battle-tested composites fortified with Kevlar®, it is engineered for maximum protection. Unequal produces superior shock-blocking properties that may help dramatically reduce impact shock and blunt force trauma generated by sports and military impacts.  Professionals in the NFL, NHL and MLB, as well as college and youth athletes in football, baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, action sports, contact sports and other activities, wear Unequal's protective head and body gear. With more than 70 international and U.S. patents and patents pending, Unequal has been tested by independent certified laboratories, OEM facilities and top universities. Unequal is the proud recipient of the DuPont™ Kevlar® Innovation Award and is one of Forbes' 100 Most Promising Companies.

For more information, visit www.unequal.com.

SOURCE UNEQUAL Technologies