Gepard Paw by sander from netherlands
designer's own words:
Human hands are very fragile. Cold, heat, chemicals, and impact are some of the things we protect our hands from, using gloves designed for each particular hazard. Downhill longboarding exposes the hands to a particularly harsh abrasion, as they are placed on the asphalt at speeds which can often exceed the legal speed limit.
The gloves that have been designed for this sport in the past are all based on the earliest solution to the problem, which was to simply glue a piece of plastic to a utility glove. The sport deserves a more serious approach to the design of this piece of protective gear.
Unlike human hands, the paws of many animals can resist abrasion quite well. I decided to use the paws of the fastest animal on land as the inspiration for this glove design. Cast titanium pads provide an extremely tough protection at carefully determined pressure points, while maintaining a very low profile for improved control. A thermoplastic tab provides a heat barrier between the titanium pad and the hand. Heat generated by normal use of the glove will allow the thermoplastic to mold to the shape of the user’s hand over time, providing additional control and comfort.
A network of artificial, carbon fiber-reinforced silicone tendons is strategically attached to the outside of the glove. It assists the hand in distributing the pressure evenly across the six pads. The glove itself consists of an abrasion resistant Kevlar outer fabric, bonded with a supple neoprene inner.
This glove is a serious answer to a serious issue that has not been addressed with the attention it deserves.
Gepard Paw by Sander Bakker
The similarities between a cornering Gepard and a sliding longboarder…and the damage that sliding can do to existing hand protection.
The morphology of a gepard’s paw applied to the human hand.
A section of the glove, showing the titanium slide pad, and the thermoplastic insulation tab.
The carbon fiber –reinforced web of silicone tendons serves to assist the hand in distributing forces to the asphalt. The white Kevlar outer is commonly used in bullet proof vests.