Abstract: A sports helmet has: a shell; a face protector; and a face mask disposed on an inner side of the face protector, the face mask having a body overlapping a nose and a mouth and defining a volume between the face and the body, the body defining a top edge for engaging the face and a bottom edge opposed to the top edge and disposed proximate a chin, the bottom edge secured to a lower portion of the face protector at a location spaced apart from the face to define a gap therebetween, and lateral straps secured to one or both of the face protector and the shell for biasing the top edge against the face of the wearer, the body made of a material offering a flow resistance such that an exhalation flow from the wearer is deviated towards the gap and away from the face protector.

Abstract: A skate including a tongue mounted to a boot of the skate. The tongue has an upper end and a lower end, and a medial edge and a lateral edge, and a longitudinal center axis of the tongue extends between the upper and lower ends and is spaced equidistantly between segments of the medial and lateral edges. The longitudinal center axis divides the tongue into a medial segment and a lateral segment. The medial and lateral segments are asymmetrical about the longitudinal center axis.

Abstract: A method of customizing a boot, for example a skate boot, includes generating a tridimensional digital representation of a wearer's foot using numerical data obtained by scanning the wearer's foot. A boot with a foot size corresponding generally to a foot length of the wearer's foot is selected. A core is also selected. The core, a medial side insert and a lateral side insert are inserted into an internal space of the boot such that the medial side insert and the lateral side insert straddle the core. The medial side insert and the lateral side insert are manufactured based on the tridimensional shape of the foot. At least a portion of the boot is then heated such that the boot is thermoformed to follow surfaces of the medial and lateral side inserts. The core, the medial side insert and the lateral side insert are then removed from the boot.

Abstract: A protective helmet including an outer shell, and a liner assembly received in the outer shell and connected to the outer shell, the liner assembly defining a front portion configured to overlay a front of a head of a wearer, a rear portion configured to overlay a rear of the head of the wearer, a top portion disposed above and out of contact with a top of the head of the wearer when the helmet is worn, and two opposed side portions each configured to overlay a respective side of the head of the wearer. Each of the front, rear, side and top portions includes at least one zone where the liner assembly includes a plurality of overlapping layers.

Abstract: A protective helmet with first and second helmet sections each including an outer shell section and an inner layer section of protective material. The first and second helmet sections are displaceable relative to one another to adjust a size of the helmet. Two opposed side protective members are received inwardly of the outer shell sections on opposed sides of the helmet. Means for adjusting a position of the side protective members relative to the inner layer sections of protective material are provided. The means are configured such that, when the protective helmet is adjusted when on the head of the wearer, the protective members remain substantially stationary with respect to the head of the wearer when the inner layer sections are displaced with the first and second helmet sections.

Abstract: The leg guard for protecting at least a shin of a wearer includes a shin guard body and a strap. A peripheral edge of the shin guard body defines part of a perimeter of the shin guard body. The shin guard body includes a first coupling base and a second coupling base disposed on one of the interior and exterior surfaces. A first coupler is disposed at a first end of the strap and is releasably attachable to the first coupling base at a plurality of first attachment points, and a second coupler is disposed at the second end of the strap and is releasably attachable to the second coupling base at one of a plurality of second attachment points. A length of a wrappable segment is adjustable by releasably attaching the second coupler to the second coupling base at another one of the plurality of second attachment points.

Abstract: A skate includes a boot having a toe portion with a toe portion connector on at least one of its inner and outer surfaces. A tongue is mountable within the boot of the skate. The tongue at its lower end has a pressing member with cooperating first and second segments. The tongue has a tongue connector on at least one of the first and second segments. At least one of the first and second segments is foldable to engage the first segment with the inner surface of the toe portion and the second segment with the outer surface of the toe portion, and to engage the tongue connector with the toe portion connector to removably connect the tongue to the toe portion.

Abstract: A skate boot shell including a tridimensional outer sub-shell made of a first material, the outer sub-shell including a first sole portion connected to first heel, ankle and side portions; a tridimensional inner sub-shell received within and connected to the outer sub-shell, an outer surface of the inner sub-shell being complementary to an inner surface of the outer sub-shell, the inner sub-shell being made of a second material different from the first material; and a tridimensional reinforcement sub-shell made of a third material different from the first and second materials and bonded inside at least one of the inner and outer sub-shells.

Abstract: A helmet includes a helmet body, and a sweat-collecting strap extending between opposed ends along an interior of the helmet body. The sweat-collecting strap has a gutter between the opposed ends thereof. Each end of the sweat-collecting strap is mounted along one of the side portions of the helmet body. The sweat-collecting strap is displaceable with respect to the helmet body to bias the gutter against a forehead of the wearer above the eyes.

Abstract: A skate boot includes a boot shell having first and second opposite side portions cooperating to define a foot receiving opening therebetween. The first and second side portions have a facing portion extending from the foot receiving opening. A band having a first end portion is received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through an opening defined in the first side portion so as to have a second end portion of the band extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion of the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace.

Abstract: A protective helmet having a liner assembly received in an outer shell and connected to the outer shell, with front, rear, side and top portions each including at least one zone where the liner assembly includes a plurality of overlapping layers, each of the layers being made from one of first, second, third and fourth materials, where the first material has a greater density and/or hardness than that of the second, third and fourth materials, the second material has a greater density and/or hardness than that of the third and fourth materials, and the third material has a greater density and/or hardness than that of the fourth material, and wherein the liner assembly includes one or more particular zones set forth in Table 3 or 4.

Abstract: A protective helmet including a helmet body, a facemask extending from the front portion to cover at least a portion of a face of a wearer, and one or more adjustment mechanisms securing the facemask to the helmet body. The adjustment mechanism(s) is/are connected to the helmet, include(s) an engagement member engaged with the facemask, is/are selectively engageable with the facemask in at least two vertically spaced apart positions of the facemask relative to the helmet body, and allow(s) toolless adjustment between the vertically spaced apart positions. Adjustment mechanisms and methods of positioning a facemask are also discussed.