VIX Protection

We are incredibly proud to be a 100% American brand, one of very few left 🇺🇸🦅100% Made and Designed in the USA. It hasn’t always been easy, practical, or affordable to remain this way, but we’ve kept true to our American roots for the past 4+ years to ensure the absolute highest product quality. 100% of all profits continue to be reinvested into our American business.
Happy 4th of July to all!

Possibly the single greatest photo from the season.
This is what it’s all about.

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Discounts on VIX? We do team orders. With team orders, we can eliminate fees and offer the greatest discount possible.
DM us or email [email protected] with your team name and number of skiers (potentially) interested.

Fun fact: 100% of VIX profits are re-invested into R&D and production. We don’t take a salary.

2024 has barely begun, and already so many ski lacerations. 2 of the strongest skiers on the WC circuit got cut, then 7 more of you reached out telling us about your lacerations. And that’s only the incidents we hear about!

Our mission is simple: eliminate ski lacerations from our sport. They have no place here.
Ski racing will always be dangerous - we don’t yet know how to prevent concussions, broken bones, and torn ACLs. But lacerations are easily preventable.
(Our lawyers would like to remind you that nothing is 100% preventable… maybe 99% then)

We didn’t want to post this before spoke of it publically, to respect his privacy. And has posted about his cut, he’s been using VIX 57/60 days this season… but not on the day of his cut - bad luck! Christof has incredibly come back to race last weekend and also the Hahnenkam in the coming days.

Thank you for continuing to reach out to us with your stories. Please contact us if there’s any way we can help support you and your team.

Trigger Warning Tuesday (GRAPHIC): When Molly Quinlan cut herself a few years ago, the news spread far and fast - we first heard about the accident from a racer in Japan. Here’s ‘s story, in her own words:

“It was my first run back in GS gates on Inverness (Sugarbush) after Christmas break in January 2020. My outside ski popped off in some rough conditions, slid through a few gates and I’m guessing it happened with the ski still on. I knew something was wrong as soon as I fell but I thought it might have just been ligament damage. It wasn’t until I heard shouts from the chair that (I knew) I was bleeding. A tourniquet was quickly applied and I was taken to the ER. I had cut down to the bone and even shaved some meniscus off of my femur. I wish I had VIX on that day.

I’d like people to know that it has been more of a mental battle than physical, and something I’m still dealing with today. It was hard to come to terms with putting skis on again after they had hurt me so badly. Since wearing VIX my confidence has definitely improved and I can’t recommend them enough!”

Molly has gone on to graduate from GMVS, race D1 for Bates College, and work with VIX as both a model and product advisor. Thank you Molly for your support over the years!

It’s not just ski racers… It’s easy to forget that ‘skiing’ means hurling your body down a mountain with 4 razor-sharp blades strapped to your feet. Nobody’s surprised when accidents happen.

got a harsh reminder of this 2 seasons ago:

“February of ‘22 I was skiing with my Dad and brother in the Mineral Basin at Snowbird. I made a turn and my right ski came off and got stuck in a mogul and I came across the edge of the loose ski earning myself a 9’ cut to the bone on my right calf. I had significant blood loss and was airlifted to emergency surgery. I am thankful for my Dad wearing a belt and using as a tourniquet to save my life. Also thanks to my brother who got the amazing guys at Snowbird Ski Patrol.”

Thankfully Shane made a full recovery, and got to nurse his leg back to health while watching the Winter Olympics. We’re glad you’re OK Shane, thank you for sharing!

Skiing is dangerous. Here are 3 things you can do to keep safe this season:

1) Carry the right equipment: keep a tourniquet in your ski equipment. It’s the easiest way to save a life.
2) Get educated. It only takes a few minutes to learn what to do in the event of head trauma, compound fractures, or ski lacerations.
3) Prevent injuries altogether. Wear a helmet, wear cut protection. It saves lives and lengthens seasons!

The season is finally here, and it’s hard not to get carried away! This week’s TWT is successful Canadian skier , who had a tough start to his season at Copper Mtn but bounced back:

“I got cut in November 2020, skiing in Copper on the first run of the camp. We had an early session and the light was flat. I was free skiing on gs skis and I didn’t see a piece of terrain that caused me to lose balance. My ski fell off and I landed on the edge of the ejected ski.

Luckily my coaches were prepared with Stop The Bleed kits and they wrapped it up pretty fast. I didn’t lose too much blood, but the ski cut through my IT band and two quad muscles, only stopping once it hit my femur. I received hundreds of internal stitches in emergency surgery to repair my seperated muscles.

It’s very important for everyone to realize these accidents can happen very unexpectedly, and that you need to wear a trustworthy cut resistant layer. I was wearing a different company’s cut resistant, and I don’t think it stopped the cut at all. I returned to snow a quick two months later, and from then on I always wear VIX.”

James has since made a complete recovery and has gotten back to racing at his very best. Thank you for sharing your story with us!
It’s an honor to have your trust and keep you safe on the hill following your experience.

This was a particularly tough story to share. It is important to note that ANY cut protection is always better than none - even if it isn’t VIX, if it’s meant for hockey/skating, or if it’s just old and beat up.
Undoubtedly, James’ accident would have been much worse if he was wearing no cut protection at all - and what James was wearing may have even saved his life.
Do your research and wear your cut protection, folks!

Thank you all for supporting our mission of making ski racing safer. If you or anyone you know has gotten cut and wants to share their story, DM us!

Opa!! Happy birthday 🍾🎊🎉
To have one of the most injured, most resilient, and most successful skiers on the WC entrust us with his safety - now that’s something to be proud of.
He’s had 6 operations on his knees alone(!!!) and yet it looks like he’s just getting started.

To the Greek Freak, the Hellenic Academic, the badass from Hellas - go earn yourself a nice and heavy bday necklace tomorrow🔪🔥❤️‍🔥🇬🇷
εμπρός, πάμε!!!

TWT: Cut not once, but *twice*🔪
This week’s Trigger Warning Tuesday features Musashi Eto , who suffered two serious ski lacerations during his ski career before going on to play hockey for UCLA.

“In January 2015, my first laceration occurred during a minor collision with another skier while freeskiing, leading to 30 stitches on my left knee. Then, in March 2017 during a Super G race at Sunday River for U14 Easterns, I experienced my second laceration. While making a right-footed turn, my left ski bounced in some ruts, causing it to pop off. I fell onto it and after I had stopped sliding down the hill, felt some pain in my upper left thigh. I instinctively reached down with my glove and brought it back up to see it dripping with blood. Coaches were at my side shortly after, applying pressure to the wound with their hands as stop-the-bleed kits were uncommon then. It took me 5-6 hours to make it into the OR after the incident. Initially, doctors thought it would be a 30-minute surgery, but after cleaning it, they realized that the ski had cut all the way through one of my quads and down to the bone. The surgery ended up taking 2 hours and left me with 100+ stitches (doctors gave up counting after 100).

I think the importance of my first cut is that it can happen to anyone, not just in a race course. I skied at KMS for four years after that incident, including two years of FIS. I have since moved on from racing but remain conscious about lacerations as I play hockey at UCLA.”

➡️It’s not uncommon for the same person to get cut multiple times. Our founder Vic cut himself three times, and the legendary Bode Miller says he’s gotten cut 70+ times(!!!), ~14 of which required medical attention.

We’re excited to see that Musashi has made a full recovery from both lacerations, and gone on to achieve high success in hockey. He is now urging VIX to create cut protection for hockey players - what do you think of the idea?

Huge congrats to Ali for an incredible start to the WC season! Back-to-back 6th places at Levi 🤯🔥
Ali was one of the very first supporters of VIX Protection when we first began, testing our earliest prototypes.
Just a few years ago, she kicked off her season with 2 blown-out knees at Soelden; now she’s starting off her season with 2 WC top 10s.
You’d struggle to find another skier on the circuit who shares the same combo of resilience and speed as her - and she’s only rising in the ranks. Ali is definitely one to keep an eye on this season!

For this week’s TWT scaries we have Allie Tardif ( ). Allie grew up racing in Utah and is now a U14 coach for the Park City Ski Team. If you were racing in the USA in 2018 there’s a good chance you’ve heard of her accident:

“In December 2018 I gained a new friend in the shape of a scar on my right thigh. 10 inches around and exposed my femur in depth. I was kneeling in the snow holding my own leg shut, and all I could think seeing blood in the snow was “ is that mine”. It was scary- and preventable, but in the west I had never heard of anything like this happening so no one thought to prevent it.
After becoming a coach I never held my story back, I shared with parents openly to encourage awareness and to encourage preventive wear. It needs to be talked about more openly in all sports with open blades, ski racing, ice hockey, figure skating, etc, to prevent more injuries of this nature.”

Allie has gone on to not only continue skiing, but also coach for the world-class Park City ski team ( ) and share her love for the sport that way.

This week’s TWT is Felix Larsson ( .1 ), an inspiring skier from Norway who was nearly left paralyzed after his ski cut his leg.
Here’s his story, in his own words: “It happened at one of my first FIS races in Gällivare in northern Sweden. It was a windy and cold day on the mountain and it was very poor visibility. The finish area was super small and bumpy. I didn’t see the bumpy part and I lost my inner ski and fell on it. I thought it was just a regular crash but went I leaned down to unbuckle my boot I saw my own skin and I just screamed after help. Luckily there was a bunch of people around me that helped me. I got help walking to a changing room and I felt that something was wrong in my leg. Later I was transported to the hospital. At the hospital the doctors said that I had cut off one hamstring muscle (biceps femoris). They also said that they hadn’t seen a similar injury in 10 years. The doctors saw that the ski also had scratched some nerves and that I was only a few hundredths of a millimetre away from being paralysed. I got emergency surgery instantly. It led to 6 weeks on crutches where I was not allowed to put any weight on my injured leg at all. 8 months later and bunch of rehab I have now begun skiing again.”

Winter is upon us.
All sizes and styles currently in stock, but selling fast.

Warning: it’s Trigger Warning Tuesday.
This week we bring you Patrick Coughlin’s (.123 ) near-fatal ski laceration in Lithuania, in his own words:
“I was in Lithuania at the indoor ski area in October 2019. The camp was supposed to be a couple of weeks long indoor/glacier, and I got cut on the second day of the trip. It was the first run I had taken on that pair of skis that day, so they were still bladed. I essentially hipped out, and it was a typical fall until I looked down and there was a pool of blood. I was instantly scared of the unknown. Luckily, my coaches had tourniquets on them and, within minutes, had one on. The next couple of days were spent in a horrible hospital in Lithuania. I got extremely lucky, missing my femoral artery by one cm, and recovered relatively quickly, although I am still dealing with it today. What I learned from that is to always be prepared. Skiing is very much in your control until it is not, and without being surrounded by coaches who were ready to react, who knows where I would be today.”

Despite his accident, Patrick has continued racing, currently competing for Colby College as one of their top D1 athletes.

Introducing Trigger Warning Tuesday (TWT): a series where we introduce a new cut victim every week and share their story.
Since we started VIX, you guys have sent us more than 100 pictures of your ski lacerations. We hadn’t shared them to avoid upsetting our audience.
But we’ve realized that our most important job is to educate, and unfortunately nothing educates faster than these gruesome, horrible pictures.
So we hope you’ll forgive us for ruining your appetite, but we’re on a mission here.
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For our very first TWT we bring you VIX founder Victor Wiacek ( ). Victor suffered a ski laceration that nearly killed him in 2019. He was mid-run in a GS race when his binding popped off, his ski glided ahead of him, and he fell right onto the edge. The ski cut through all of the tissue in his upper leg, and even cut into his femur. Despite having three tourniquets applied almost immediately, Victor still lost about 45% of the blood in his body. Immediately following surgery, his family was told that he was unlikely to ever walk again. Fortunately, after a lengthy recovery he has regained 90% function and has continued to walk, run, ski race, and he expects to have his Ski Cross debut this season.
In his words:
“Since I started racing, I’ve been known for having some of the most explosive, chaotic crashes. Yet this was honestly one of the lamest crashes I’ve had. I skied into some crud, my ski popped right off and I just tipped over and landed on it. It didn’t even hurt much, it felt exactly like a ‘Charlie horse’ until I tried to grab my thigh and my glove touched bone. I managed to laugh about it until I overheard ski patrol saying to each other “He’s not going to make it.” That’s when the darkest moments of my life began. I had to come to terms with death within minutes, and quickly call my parents for what I thought would be the last time.
I should have died. And I would have, if it wasn’t for the several miracles that happened that day. I’m convinced the only reason I’m still alive is because I have a purpose left to fulfill, and that purpose is making sure ski lacerations are eliminated from our sport.

Difficult news from the southern hemisphere: is out again with an injury.
But she’s got grit.
We’re already ready and rooting for one hell of a comeback story.

“I fell asleep in my VIX 3 times in the past 4 days. I’ve just accepted that they’re now my post-ski nap pants. How do you get them so comfortable? Are you sure they’re cut resistant??” - K.M.

Yes, K.M. , we’re sure.

They work.
One of the many (35+) photos we’ve received of skis cutting through pants, suits, socks, only to be stopped by VIX.
Do you know who this is? Tag them!

Fun fact: Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien played a big role in the women’s VIX design. You can thank them for the high-waisted waistband!
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Happy Children’s Day!
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We’ve got you covered, from ages 6 and up.
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Elastic armor
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No matter how safe a product is, if it’s not comfortable you won’t wear it. That’s why we engineered our fabric with optimized stretch and compression in mind - all while providing the highest possible cut protection.
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After 131 WC Top 10s and 17 WC wins, we’re finishing our first season strong 💪🏼 We’re already prepping for next winter, with some big things on the way 👀🔪
Thank you all for making it happen 🙏

VIX is officially global 🌎
We want to welcome our comrade from the Russian Ski Team: . Sam has supported us since day 1 and has been promoting our brand and sharing our story for months now without even telling us! We’re thrilled and beyond fortunate to have this rising slalom star on Team VIX🔪🔪🔪
спасибо, братан, и добро пожаловать 🙏🏻...................
Preorder VIX today, while you can!...................

We are so excited to introduce the newest member of the VIX family, Oliver Parazette! ( )
At 18 years old, Oliver is one of the most promising young ski racers in America. He’s already kicked off the season with a stunning 8th place at US Nationals - definitely someone you’ll wanna look out for 👀
He’s fast, he’s passionate about the VIX mission, and he’s already done an incredible job of spreading the message and getting ski racers protected.
We’ll be supporting him as he tackles the Europa Cup with the US Ski Team this season.
Godspeed, brother! Thrilled to have you on the team🔪🔪🔪

We are extremely proud to announce VIX’s very first official team partnership with . A huge thanks to Eagle for making it happen!

I’ve grown up training and competing with BC captains and and I’m honored to serve the incredible team they’ve built, and to provide them all with cut protection for the coming season.
Thanks Trent for helping and getting the word out.
Wishing you guys a successful, snow-filled, and CoVid-free season 🔪🔥
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Looking to partner with VIX for the coming season? Let’s talk! Send us a DM or email us at [email protected]

VIX Protection updated their business hours.

VIX Protection updated their website address.