sea-level living Brit. Fortunately
the heat at least demonstrated
the S-M10’s excellent ventilation
features which drive air through the
mouth piece and via the inlets around
the visor (peak) over the rider’s scalp.
Although I didn’t use them for this trip
I could appreciate that Alpinestars has
also integrated channels within the
liner and chin bar to take the tubes of a
hydration system – a neat detail.
Unusual to this market sector, the
visor (peak) is fixed in the one position,
so there’s no scope for personalisation,
Alpinestars is modelled on being a
group of companies that are each truly
dedicated to their own specific category.
So even within motorcycling, we have a
motocross team, a road race team, etc. But
certainly there is crossover, so the neck brace
definitely benefited from our starting in 1999
with the airbag. We’ve made a lot of studies
since that time in the cause of injuries, and
that research has helped in the development
of the technologies behind the air bag, neck
brace and body protection.
Q
We understand you’re working on
bringing the airbag into the off-road
arena, even motocross, probably very soon.
A
The goal when we started to make
motorcycle apparel was to make
motorcycling as close as possible to being
as safe and comfortable as being in a car. So
with the airbag, yes, eventually we will bring
the airbag into off-road, but only when it is
ready. For us, our product development is
always 100% performance based, then comes
the styling, the graphics and so on. Those are
always the last things we put on our products
– it’s always 100% based on performance.
Q
A
What about Gabriele Mazzarolo? What do
you get out of Alpinestars?
I was a child when my father was making
the first Alpinestars motocross boots
– he wasn’t a great fan of motocross, but
he saw the opportunity of making a better
boot and that boot became so popular with
the racers of the time. So being around that
environment I was born with a crazy passion
for motorcycles and cars. And so I’ve grown
up with the company, taking over ownership
in 1993, and so I share the passion with the
company.