A little history of Bell Helmets!
Do you know that the company that makes Bell helmets did not start out making helmets? It was a company that sold auto parts -- Bell Auto Parts -- started by George Wight in Bell, California, in 1923. In 1933, Rogy Richter went to work for Wight. Richter was a car racer who built the Bell Special from parts found in the company's junk yard. This was not a helmet, but rather, a midget race car. Richter had a racing career where he won numerous championships and set several records. In the course of his racing career, he saw a number of friends die in car race crashes.
In 1945, Richter purchases Bell Autoparts. In 1954, the first Bell helmet is manufactured: the "500." It was a car racing helmet, used in races including the Indianapolis 500. Cal Niday was the first to use it in the Indy 500, and he credits it with keeping him from serious injury when he crashed hard into a wall. In 1955, the Los Angeles police required helmets for its motorcycle officers. Bell eventually supplied
'Mortified': Step 1, Exhume Your Past; Step 2, Share With All
In the storytelling series <em>Mortified,</em> performers dig through old diaries and love notes to find a glimpse of their ridiculous, self-centered, pathetic and comical adolescent lives. Then they get onstage and share it with an audience of complete strangers.
Antoine Dodson: Riding YouTube Out Of The 'Hood'
Antoine Dodson of Huntsville, Ala., found overnight stardom after he appeared on a local news report to talk about the alleged attempted assault of his sister. The video of his remarks has scored millions of hits on YouTube, and so has a song that's based on his story. Dodson reflects on the attempted assault, and his own efforts to capitalize on his fame.
'Superclogger': Free Theater On L.A.'s Freeways
Avenue Q, meet the 405: Artist Joel Kyack's performance piece <em>Superclogger</em> takes to the traffic-snarled roadways of Los Angeles, taking advantage of stopped traffic to explore how we deal with the unexpected.
Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome: To Cabaret School
Recent visitors to New Haven may have been greeted with an unusual sight: not the stressed-out Yalies, but singers from across the world uniting for the International Cabaret Conference, now in its eighth year. Run by a former club owner and taught by a who's who of cabaret superstars, it offers singers the chance to hone their craft.
3-D Dance Flicks May Give Genre A 'Step Up'
On both sides of the Atlantic, 3-D dance movies are making it big. But it's not yet clear if the third dimension offers a revolutionary new way to portray dance on screen -- or just a flashy gimmick.
motorcycle helmets to more than 800 police departments. In 1961, more types of Bell helmets came out. From auto racing helmets, to helmets for sports like hockey, skiing, skydiving, baseball, football, to helmets for police and firemen.
The ski helmet was adapted for bicycle racing. In 1970, standards were set for bicycle helmets. And in 1975, the Bell Biker is introduced. And as they say, the rest is history. In 1983, the first Bell bicycle helmet developed for racing is introduced: the VI Pro. The company continues to produce bicycle helmets using available technologies, like the Microshell technology (1989), and the in-mold bonding process (1990). When mountain biking became popular, helmets for this were also made. Bell Helmets, Inc. -- a company with an interesting history.
About the author:
Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.my-helmet-4me.com/
|