The History of the Forefront Helmet
When we first launched the Forefront mountain bike helmet in 2013, we couldn’t have imagined how well-loved it would be. What we might have predicted is that we’d get the itch to tweak and improve this award-winning, best-selling helmet over the years. A little over a decade later we’re proud to launch the Forefront 3 helmet. Let’s take a trip in a time machine to check out how this helmet came to be, and how it has evolved, changed, and improved over time.
2013: The Forefront
We said we’d never get into the bike helmet market unless we could move the needle. KOROYD® changed the game and we released the Forefront helmet. KOROYD® absorbs more energy and works better than traditional materials because it creates crumple zones by using core tubular technology. This outperforms other materials at every stage of compression, helping reduce the risk of injury. Thanks to that tubular design, it’s also lighter and more breathable so you can feel the breeze on hot uphill climbs.
“The original Forefront helmet was the result of Smith taking everything we know about making snow helmets and using that knowledge to make a truly innovative product for riding bikes!” -Jon Christian, Smith Optics Helmet Product Line Manager
Joey Schusler, pictured above, has been a Smith athlete for almost 20 years and might know the Forefront helmet and all of its iterations better than anyone else and he’s been wearing a Forefront ever since the first model came out. Reflecting on one of the essential items in his bike kit he said, “… It’s crazy to think I’ve probably worn it more days than not since then.”
2018: The Forefront 2
We know that you can’t have too much of a good thing, so we took our award-winning Forefront helmet and gave it a full redesign to make it even better as the Forefront 2.
With the Forefront 2, we made the vents bigger and made the visor more robust, and it covered more of your head than the original Forefront. In this generation of the helmet, we were able to improve the Mips® liner so it wouldn’t snag on your hair. The Forefront 2 introduced under-visor eyewear storage to the mountain bike industry which you now see as a common feature for MTB helmets.
2025: The Forefront 3
When it came to the Forefront 3, our design team was laser-focused, Eric Thorsell, Smith’s Senior Engineering Manager said “From design start to the final spec of the Forefront 3, there is not a single element that we didn’t tweak, tune, test, or generally obsess over—every bit of this helmet is intentional and seeks to deliver the best experience for the rider. We extended coverage, increased ventilation, tuned strap routing, completely overhauled the fit system, and implemented the most KOROYD® coverage ever.”
A key design feature at the core of this helmet is the nylon-injected roll cage. It allowed us to add more venting, implement more KOROYD®, and extend coverage. Like a roll cage on a race car, it creates a central skeleton to provide structure and distribute forces during impact. “The roll cage design of FF3 is my favorite update because it allows a larger unobstructed central air channel to offer best-in-class ventilation and a more intuitive attachment point for lights and camera accessories,” said Craig Robbins, lead engineer on the project.
One of the details we’re most excited about on the Forefront 3 is the Mips® Air Node Liner. “On the inside, the Mips® Air Node + KOROYD® integration is the first of its kind and creates a construct that delivers under both linear and rotational impacts,” said Thorsell “The integrated BOA® fit system and Mips® Air Node liner come together, removing plastic that would otherwise sit on your head, and create a level of comfort that makes me forget it’s there.”
The Forefront 3 is the result of over a decade of relentless innovation, designed and engineered with the kind of passion only riders understand. We know our team of riders and engineers are already dreaming up ways to make the next iteration even better. Right now it’s your turn. We’re stoked for you to get out there, experience the difference, and let us know what you think. Happy trails.
