Behind the Brand: G-Form

The only acceptable butt shot is one that shows off G-Form Elbow Pads this well.

Historically speaking, some of the the most successful innovations in longboarding have not actually come from within the industry itself. Take Moonshine MFG., who was born out of a factory that manufactured wake and kite boards, for example. However, as soon as the longboarders of the world realize the potential of these innovations, they often take things to the next level. For that, take the infectious takeover of G-Form on the protective gear end of longboarding as an example.

Only the fit form fitting qualities of G-Form Knee Pads could allow for such perfect tuck knees slides. 

As a company that began focused on manufacturing padding for traditional sports, G-Form did not get its introduction into the longboarding world until the surging boom of longboarding swept North America around 2011-12. At this point, Stephan Vast and CenMass organizer, Mike Girard, joined the company and put their deep connections to the core longboarding scene to use. Through Girard’s work with Loaded Boards, G-Form padding began to to make it’s way into the hands of the Loaded riders and ambassadors and their quality spoke for itself.

What's more striking: the G-Form's signature yellow or the view of the city below?

Naturally, competitive downhill skaters adopted the lightweight and form fitting protective gear because it was easy to slip under leather racing suits without the bulkiness of traditional knee, elbow and shin pads. Before long, the longboarding community took matters a step further by custom fitting and sewing these pads into their leathers themselves. The pads also caught on for their slim fitting profile that allowed them to be worn underneath skinny jeans.  

They might be designed to hide under a pair of jeans but G-Form's Shin Pads still get the job done.

The standout key behind the success of G-Form is their celebrated RPT Technology, used in all of their gear. Technically speaking, the pads feel as lightweight and flexible as they do because the molecules within the pads are able to move freely from the moment the wearer puts on the pad until the moment they are called to action. Then, at the point of impact, the molecules band together and form an abrasive layer of protection that minimizes impact. When the impact subsides, the molecules return back to their free state and the wearer is able to move freely once again.

In physical appearance, this is why G-Form pads are serrated into interlocking shapes. Whether in an elbow pad or a knee pad, this is something that the crew refers to as body mapping. As Sales and Marketing Manager,  Bill Rudell explained it, “We’ve created all those little sections in the pad and that does a couple things for you: It allows the pad to be more form fitting so it fits like a second skin, which is what makes the stuff so comfortable. The other thing it does is, when you take an impact, you can keep that impact concentrated within that little section. The material will react a lot quicker and and it’ll keep within that area so it stops the energy a lot faster.” 

In response to the inventive approach, Rudell went on to acknowledge the multitude of riders who have been pleasantly shocked with how successful the technology is when put to the test. Though G-Form has caught on to be especially popular with longboarders, they also find success with other extreme sports athletes, including motocross racers, skiers and even professional stuntmen.

Is this wheel/pad color combo a coincidence or is it the key to leading the pack?

To properly control the development of this technology, G-Form remains in constant surveillance of how their materials react during their product testing and development processes. In fact, when producing the material that is to be molded into these pads, the molecules are kept in a constantly moving flow rate to ensure that they retain their charge throughout the process. With capabilities like this as individualistic to G-Form as they are, their notoriety for creating differentiation in the longboarding marketplace is certainly well deserved. 

If there's a podium at the end of this run, numbers one and two here will both have G-Form to thank for their winnings. 

With that in mind, G-Form’s premier series of Pro-X pads have been on the market for upwards of five years now. To keep up with their intentions to pursue constant innovation, Rudell and the crew say it’s time for a reboot. As such, supporters can look forward to the Pro-X 2 series to hit the streets in the near future, providing updated protection for knee, elbow and hip padding options.

As perfect for soccer as they are for freestyle, G-Form Shin Guards make the pain of shinners a thing of the past. 

Also in the pipeline for G-Form is updated protection in the form of a soft/hard shell blended style of padding. While the brand has gained special recognition for pioneering their soft shell capabilities that have become a trend in the market, they also realize the need for a more durable and slidable outer layer to accommodate more aggressive applications like downhill longboarding. Building off the recent success the company has had in refining their efforts in accordance with a reduced price, the name of the game for G-Form will continue to be reliability fused with affordability and superior quality protection going forward.

To check out our full line of G-Form protective gear, check out our shop here and feel free to reach out to us here for any comments, questions or concerns.

All photos authorized to use by Loaded Boards.