Official Press Release
EASTON HOCKEY LAUNCHES S19 Z-SHOCK™ HELMET AT 2010 OLYMPIC GAMES,
SETS NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD IN PROTECTION, WEIGHT

S19 Z-Shock will offer more efficient impact protection at 325 grams,
half as much as its leading competitors.

VANCOUVER (February 22, 2010) – Easton Hockey today announced the launch of its new S19
Z-Shock™ helmet. Drawing on the innovations and experience of the Easton-Bell Sports Helmet Technology Center in Scotts Valley, Calif., the S19 Z-Shock has been developed to weigh about as much as a small cup of coffee at just 325 grams, about half the weight of a traditional hockey helmet. It immediately becomes the lightest and one of the most protective helmets in the NHL.

Using a solid state construction which combines polycarbonate plastic micro-shells and Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) foam laminated together in a patented process, the ultra lightweight S19 Z-Shock offers impact absorption numbers nearly 50% better than the requirements for certification.

“This helmet is as unique as the Synergy stick was when first released – there’s really nothing else like it in the world.” said Ned Goldsmith, Senior Vice President of Easton Hockey. “By combining our best minds from the Easton-Bell Sports Helmet Technology Center and hockey R&D team, we’ve been able to create a helmet that is both light weight and incredibly protective. Remarkably, we’ve been able to do so with a silhouette that has been an instant hit with elite players like Iginla, Zetterberg and Forsberg, who have all historically been traditionalists in their taste.

In an effort to reduce overall volume, the S19 Z-Shock utilizes a more efficient one-piece construction, allowing Easton’s engineers to replace air gaps and layers of plastic with EPP – a flexible, lightweight foam originally designed for automotive energy management applications. The lamination of these elements brings a new level of structural integrity to multi-impact hockey helmets that historically have only been available in motor sports and other high impact sports. The S19 Z-Shock also features strategically placed anti-microbial comfort pads to provide enhanced stability as well as amazing feel and comfort.

The S19 Z-Shock will be available at major sporting goods retailers in May 2010 and is currently being worn by men’s and women’s hockey players competing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.