Head injuries are a real issue in the pool, especially in competitive swimming.Fortunately, a Twin Cities company is working to change that locally — and around the world — with its revolutionary Hammer Head Swim Caps, which have recently received a slew of endorsements, including a nod from the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Hammer Head’s co-founders — business partners David Burns of Edina and Theresa Finn of Plymouth — have been working to bring the caps to market since they witnessed two head injuries in a single swim practice.
“My daughter — 8 at the time — was one of 40 kids at our practice when she smacked her head into the wall doing the backstroke and, at that moment, I wasn’t a coach; I was instantly turned into father mode,” Burns said.
As Burns was trying to console his daughter, another girl, 14, hit her head and suffered a mild concussion.
Burns said later to his swim team: “What do I have to do for you guys to do the backstroke right? Get you a helmet?”
His daughter, Madeline, replied, “Yes, please.” He said: “There’s no such thing.”
And that’s when the idea was born.
Lined with a layer of honeycomb chambers — invisible from the exterior — the compression-molded silicone caps can absorb and dissipate the shock from accidental head strikes with the pool wall or even other swimmers.
Available in three sizes for ages 2 to adult, the caps have no seams or wrinkles.
Learn more at hammerheadswimcaps.com.
