The BC-born athlete will wear the winning helmet design in competition throughout the World Cup season.

In partnership with the ALS Society of BC, Helmet4Hope is Brodie Seger‘s annual artwork competition to help spread awareness of ALS and generate funds for those affected.

Contestants are asked to create a design using symbolism reflecting the battle against the disease (such as the blue cornflower, above). The winning design will be featured on Brodie’s racing helmet throughout the World Cup season (alongside additional prizes).

ML spoke to the super-G and downhill racer recently about the contest and the inspiration behind it.

ML: Where are you based these days?

Brodie: I have mainly been living and training in Whistler during the off season. My family home is in North Vancouver, which makes it easy to spend lots of time at home still to help my mom out since she is my dad’s caregiver.

ML: Please describe your personal connection to ALS.

Brodie: My dad has been battling ALS since late 2012. The disease’s progression has been much slower than average for him, and my brother and I weren’t actually aware of it until a couple years after diagnosis. My inspiration for the Helmet4Hope project didn’t come until a while later, and was actually because of a fundraising effort by my brother, Riley.

He and my uncle ran the Vancouver half-marathon in support of ALS BC and managed to raise the most money out of all the teams supporting that cause. I was inspired by their effort to use my own platform to try and make a difference. The design contest idea was meant to inspire people to think about what it means to fight against ALS, and to hopefully develop a better understanding in the process. I hope it also makes people feel slightly more invested in the cause when they see me racing with my purple helmet on.

“I was inspired by their effort to use my own platform to try and make a difference.”

ML: How do you feel about the contest and how it’s progressed?

Brodie: I feel extremely proud to be wearing artwork that showcases a deeper meaning while I’m competing. After four years, when I look at my collection of painted helmets on my shelf at home I feel overwhelming gratitude for the support I’ve received with this initiative. I truly hope it sparks conversations about ALS when the commentators mention it on the TV feed as I go down the course, for we still have work to do in this fight.

I want to add that this year a sponsor has agreed to match up to $5,000 of donations to my project, so my goal is to do that and double down! Also: SMITH is offering prizes for the top three designs: a ski helmet, goggles and sunglasses for the winner; goggles for 2nd place; and sunglasses for 3rd place.

UPDATE! WE HAVE A WINNER

Artist Jake Plant is the winner of the design prize. Here is a mock-up:

“I really enjoyed seeing some fresh designs come in this year for my fifth annual Helmet4Hope contest,” says Brodie Seger. “In the end, the voters liked the look of this fierce grizzly bear design submitted in a previous year by artist Jake Plant. Jake has been a long-time supporter of my campaign, creating a design for last year’s contest, so I’m happy to see him take home the top spot and a brand new helmet, goggles and sunglasses from SMITH. I can’t wait to see this design come to life and reveal it to you just ahead of the first World Cup race of the season on November 27!”