Interview with Chris Terins from S1 Helmet Co.
Who is wearing the S1 Lifer Helmet?
Darren Navarrette, Peter Hewitt, Eric Dressen, Lance Mountain, Christian Hosoi, Lonny Hiramoto, Lester Kasai, AJ Nelson, Arisa Trew, Minna Stess, Wyatt Hammond… those are the first that come to mind… Anna Shea – she is a ripper.
Who is wearing the S1 Pro Knee Pad Gen 4.5?
Darren Navarrette, Peter Hewitt, Lonny Hiramoto, Arisa Trew. Although we are designing a new pad for Arisa. She wants a pad that is a little shorter on bottom and a little taller on top.
I have seen some S1 ads in Thrasher – what is up with that?
Yes – Eric D has the first ad back in October 2024, Navs had the next one in April 2025, Lance had one in the Nov 25 issue and Hewitt has the April 2026 issue. So hyped. Alot of shops call in and order when those issues drop. Keeps the hyped up and S1 on people’s minds. And it feels right to support Thrasher.
Is the S1 Lifer Helmet is the world’s #1 skateboard helmet?
Hahah ! It might be. We ship to all of the best shops in California. And we have global distribution. The S1 Lifer Helmet fits amazing and it is globally certified. S1 is the main distro in the USA but we have Trinity in AUS, Steez in the Netherlands, J&R in the UK, SDG in France, Hasco in Japan, Centre in Canada and we are about to announce a Brazilian distro.
When we started shipping S1 Helmets I was living in the warehouse in Costa Mesa. This was back in 2000 when I was 26. This company has always been about the love for skateboarding and the motivation to work on something that is creative and exciting. And the fact that S1 Helmets have actually saved alot of people makes it all that much more rewarding. I’m 52 now. I actually skate more now than when I did when I was 26. I would never have thought that. And it is so fun to hit the skatepark with my kids. Finding and keeping nice high speed lines through a concrete park is a delight.
Where is the S1 warehouse and office?
The S1 warehouse and office is in Gardena, CA. All the helmets that ship to US customers and to the US Skateshops ship from the location. We have been there since 2002. We have great customer service – Dan and I are super proud of that.
S1 has different divisions also – like BMX and Roller Derby?
Yes, we have Boyd Hilder and Chase Hawk rockin S1 Lifer Helmets. And a sick collab with Our Bmx. Check out @s1helmets_bmx
And we have global scoot team. So many rippers all over the country and the world. Check out @s1scoot
We have alot of momentum in e-bike right now also. Check out @s1helmets_ebike
And of course the @s1rollerderby and @s1rollerskate divisions have been firing off for years.
@s1helmets is our skateboarding insta.
Alot of kids will use their S1 Lifer Helmet for skate & bike… ride bikes one day and then skate the next day so it makes sense for S1 to have these different divisions.
A skateshop employee told me once that S1 is all about safety. Is that true?
Yeah we def take safety seriously. We spend tens of thousands of dollars on testing and batch testing every production run. Quality control and certifications are important to us. When you get an S1 Lifer Helmet you are getting the best.
Do you have any cool collabs coming up?
Yes – we have some insane collabs coming up. The only one I can mention here is the Minna Stess collab. It is a limited run and is super cool. It will ship in May 2026. My favorite collabs that are on the shop.s1helmets.com site right now are the Hosoi Leopard Collab, The Arisa Black with Pink Check and the Lance Mountain Vato Skull Collab. Those are my favs.
Brand: S1® , S-One®
Since: 2000
Makers of Skate/Bike Helmets and Skateboard Specific Pads.
Skateboarding / BMX / Roller Skate / Roller Derby / Scoot / E-bike
website: www.s1helmets.com
