Custom Helmet Painting -Panama Party

Custom Helmet Painting -Panama Party

One of the coolest custom painted helmets I got to work on this year was for Cameron Proudfoot from Seattle, Washington.  “Custom Helmet Painting -Panama Party Theme” was the only thing I could think of to name this project… Cameron and his lifelong friends have a yearly reunion, and this time, they all met up in Panama. For this trip, they wanted to do something special for one of their best friends, Ralph Chiocco. Ralph helps organize the group and puts a lot of effort into these trips, so the guys wanted to surprise him with a custom painted Panama Party helmet. It was a gift full of meaning, fun memories, and personal touches. The design turned into one of my favorite custom painted Off-Road helmets so far.  I mean it is bad ass, Italian gangster cool when you see it in your hands…

This was not just any custom moto helmet. It was almost like a Bachelor Party themed helmet, meant to celebrate their friendship, their fun in comradery, and all the great times they had together. The helmet design was all about the trip they took to Panama and all of the past reunions. They wanted to include everything they enjoyed while they were there, like smoking cigars, drinking Ron Abuelo rum, visiting the Panama Canal, and hanging out on Pearl Island. They also wore Guayabera shirts and Panama hats, which gave everything a cool, tropical vibe. All of these ideas were turned into a fun and bright design during the custom helmet painting process.

A lot of helmet airbrushing on this one to create the look and feel of the trip. With helmet painting, it’s important to use the right layout, colors and imagery to tell their story and the feel they wanted to express to Ralph. This custom painted Offroad helmet had deep brown and gold Kandy paints, just like their rum and bourbon, and I airbrushed those sections with a condensation water look that was a cool final touch… I even airbrushed little details of cigars, bottles, and palm leaves. We placed the new F7 logo on the helmet too, which Ralph had updated himself. That was really important to them. They also asked for the CHIOCCO logo to be added, so I carefully painted that on the top of the custom painted moto helmet. Every part of this helmet design had meaning.

Since this was going to be used as a custom dirt bike helmet, or a custom MX helmet if you want to label it either or, it needed to be durable. Like all of my custom painted MX helmets, I use high-quality paint and PPG clear coat to make it as durable as possible, as well as the prep process that I have perfected over the years. It’s made to last for years, take a beating and still look awesome. This was to be a usable dirt bike custom painted helmet, not just for show—it can be used out in the dirt and last. That’s what makes custom helmet airbrushing and MX helmet painting fun. Knowing the custom painted helmet will eventually be a trophy full of memories, even after it’s life has passed on.

The hardest part was sizing the design ideas onto this helmet, and make it still look fast, as well as being able to get the point across of the main focus images, but it came together perfectly. I love how this custom Off-Road helmet turned out. Every time I work on airbrushed motocross helmets or Offroad custom painted helmets, or any project for that matter, I always want to personalize it and to tell a story, as this one told a great story—about a group of friends, a great trip, and the bond they share. It was more than just a Bachelor Party helmet design. It was a memory turned into art.

When it was done, I almost didn’t want to send it out—it looked that cool.  That’s what makes custom painted helmets special. Each one is different, full of color and meaning. Whether it’s a custom painted Offroad helmet, an F1 custom race helmet, or a custom painted MX helmet, it becomes something more than just gear. It becomes a memory you can wear. And this custom Panama Party helmet, It was a perfect reminder of good times and good friends I hope…