This weekend, I put my Badfish MCIT inflatable SUP and G-Form elbow pads through the test! I have used them both for about 9 months now, from class 2 rivers to class 5, and on steep creeks and rivers and have remained injury free. But this weekend I participated in a low water stand up paddle board (SUP) boardercross and slalom races in Kernville, CA. and it was FUN! The low water made it so LOTS of rocks were exposed or just under the surface so the fins would catch and send you flying, but my G-Form kept my arms injury free and my MCIT kept me above a LOT of the rocks! The boardercross was especially exciting since it involved 5 women on SUPs doing a mass start and mad dash down a small, bony, river channel. I didn’t win, and I wasn’t last, but considering I was competing against former Olympic medal winners (Rebecca Giddens, silver medal in slalom, 2004) and professional surfer Ax El, I think I did pretty well! I look forward to a full season of SUPing, creeking and racing and testing the limits!
-Sage Donnelly, 12 year old National Champion Freestyle & Slalom Kayaker
I wear G-Form Pads because they are light weight, comfortable, and offer a surprising amount of protection. Unlike traditional pads, they stay in place very well (and can actually be a bit difficult to pull of at times), so the only time I ever think about my G-Forms is right after a fall. I love the feeling of getting up after a hard crash and realizing that my pads did exactly what they were designed to do. Another benefit of G-Form pads is that they can be worn under clothing, leathers, and even fit under most traditional pads.
Having a good speed tuck is a very important part of being a successful downhill skateboarder. Because G-Forms are so flexible and low profile, they do not restrict your ability to fold your body into your smallest, most aerodynamic position. I have actually found that the knee pads make tucking more comfortable because they provide a cushion between the back of your front leg and your back knee.
I also wear my G-Forms when I am filming because they allow me to kneel on hard, rough, and uneven surfaces for extended periods of time without discomfort. There are a million uses for this incredible impact absorbing material and I can’t wait to see what else G-Form comes up with in the future.
Just wanted to give you guys some feedback on your product and my recent experience with it. I bought a G form extreme sleeve 7 inch a little while back as I wasn’t happy with the protection level of a lot of the other cases out there for my Nexus 7 tablet. About a week after I got it, I was riding my motorcycle to work when a car pulled out in front of me. Needless to say, I went down pretty hard and rolled across the asphalt about 20 feet or so. I ended up shoe-less with a broken helmet when I finally came to rest. Other than a few scraps and bruises, I was fine. But the first thing I was worried about (after checking I still had all my limbs and was able to walk) was my tablet as I’m not a small guy and I had a feeling that all 200 pounds of me hitting the road with my tablet in my g form extreme case in my backpack was more then any product could be expected to protect. But I was amazed when I pulled it out of my backpack expecting to see shards of glass everywhere, and both the tablet and case where like nothing even happened.I rolled over a good amount of times so I know the case took some good hits but it did an incredible job of protecting my tablet.
I was so impressed I even showed some of the people who had seen what happened and stopped to check to see if I was ok and that my tablet had survived. I was so impressed I’m now saving up a little (after the bike repairs) to buy the Extreme Portfolio 7″ Tablet to add to my g form collection. I just wanted to give your company some feed back on how well this product really works.
And thank you for putting out such a great Product.
G-Form is plain and simply taking over the pad game in BMX and action sports as a whole. Everyone within BMX absolutely hates the big bulky pads. I have seen riders in the past resort to little volleyball kneepad and elbow pads just to get away from the bulky skateboard type. Ever since we all caught wind of G-Form though, it has all been over.
G-Forms are tight-fitting, super comfortable, lightweight, small, and best of all, extremely effective. The science that goes into each pad is truly ground breaking. How can such a small pad absorb that much energy? Truth is, you probably won’t even believe it until you try. The first time I fell on them, I cringed until I hit the ground, then stood up laughing – “You’re kidding.” From legends within BMX such as Cory Nastazio or new killers such as X Games Medalist Pat Casey, and many many more, I get asked one thing: “Where can I get those?” It’s like showing them a whole new world every time, haha! Within BMX now, the snowball effect has begun. They are simply that groundbreaking. They are simply that good.
My name is Nikita Ducarroz, I am a 16 year old female freestyle BMXer from Northern California, and I ride for G-Form.
I got into BMX about 2 and a half years ago. For the first 6 months or so I rode padless, and even though I wasn’t doing much I would still end up with black and blue shins and knees. Shortly after I was introduced to the big, bulky, hardshell pads which I began to wear. Yes, they did the job, but I can’t say that they were comfortable. It felt as if I was wearing straight jackets on my legs and that made it difficult to ride.
Last year, when I first heard about G-Form and started riding for them, I was wearing just their elbow pads due to the fact that I still had working knee/shin pads, and wanted to wear those out before getting new stuff. A couple months later however, my kneepads started to give me burns and at the end of the session I wouldn’t be able to walk or bend my knees because they would keep rubbing in the same spot causing more burn. I’ll be honest, I did have some concerns about running such thin, small pads as the G-Forms on my knees, since I fall a lot, especially sliding out to my knees. I decided to give it a go anyhow because there was no way I could wear my old knee pads anymore.
I received them soon after and wore them for my Friday night session at Ramp Rats Indoor Skatepark. I was pretty nervous and wasn’t trying anything too big in fear of falling and having the pads not protect me as much as my big plastic pads. Well after an hour or so, I completely forgot about that, started riding hard, tried some new tricks, and took some pretty decent falls that would test any pad. It was only when I got back into the car and started taking my pads off that I remembered I was wearing G-Form, the thin, slim, flexible pads sent from heaven.
That night cleared up all my doubt, and my knees had found a new love. I proudly wear G-Form on my legs and arms while riding, as well as to protect my computer and iPhone (my phone crashes a lot too) and wouldn’t wear anything else. I wear pads religiously every time I am riding, and am so grateful for to G-Form for the support, and creating such an amazing product that is not just like all the other pads, but something new that addresses so many problems people had.
Whitewater stand up paddle is relatively new and when I started I didn’t have a lot of info on protective gear. I tried out a friend’s hardshell shin/knee combo that was intended for other sports. They were awkward and heavy once they got wet and they seriously limited my mobility.
Next, I went with a neoprene and velcro pad that allowed me to move freely but kept sliding down or twisting sideways. Comfort is key on the river; you have enough to focus on without having to constantly adjust equipment. This winter I bought some G-Form knee pads just before taking a trip to Jamaica to explore some tropical rivers.
I was surprised how well these knee pads stayed put even when I was swimming, or jumping onto my board knees-first. The material is waterproof and super light-weight, I hardly notice them and my movement isn’t hindered at all. Because they are so low profile, I wasn’t sure to what extent they’d protect my knees. But I was impressed when I took a fall on my trip, my knee dropped onto the rocks under a wave I was surfing and the knee pad took the hit for me. I just popped back on my board and took another shot at the wave.
Surfing river waves is so much fun on a paddle board that sometimes I choose to do it even in shallow water. It was nice not to pay such a high price for doing so this time. I think G-Form pads are a great balance of letting me play hard because I feel protected but not getting in my way like other bulkier products on the market.
Check out more photos of Claire’s trip on the BadFish Stand Up Paddle Website here.
