Many surfers spend their whole life chasing the ultimate wave, the ultimate ride—As a budding surfer and full-time senior industrial design student at the University of Notre Dame, I spent my senior year chasing the ultimate design solution for surfers. I was motivated by the thrill of surfing that I experience every time I step into the ocean and catch waves. It is a thrill that despite only having surfed for a couple of months, I know that I never want to live without. While some extreme surfers willingly risk their lives for the sport, many do not realize just how prevalent surfing injuries are. Furthermore, extensive research revealed that injuries from surfing are more often debilitating than they are fatal. So while some may be willing to risk their life, are they willing to risk life without surfing?

To maximize the thrill of surfing through design, I created OverHead. As the majority of surfing-related injuries target the head, my mission was to design an innovative helmet for surfers, that does not take away from the thrill or cool factor. Earning its spot in the lineup, OverHead delivers effective head protection through a strategic design inspired by extensive research on the nature of surf injuries as well as the prevailing barriers to the cultural adoption of surf helmets. OverHead allows surfers to enjoy the lineup without having to put their future of surfing on the line.