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Protecting Athletes at Extreme Speeds

Five-time Olympic medallist Thorsten Margis, who won his most recent Olympic gold medal at the 2026 Winter Games, approached Pando Moto with a clear challenge. The realities of high-speed sliding on ice prompted a search for an additional layer of protection.

As both a professional athlete and a Pando Moto customer, Thorsten believed that motorcycle-grade protection could offer an effective solution. Together, we set out to develop a new kind of crash protection shirt, engineered specifically for the extreme speeds of bobsleigh.

Extreme Speed. Extreme Risk.

Bobsleigh athletes reach speeds exceeding 150 km/h. So when crashes happen, the forces involved are brutal.

In certain crash scenarios, athletes may experience:

– Severe friction burns
– Heat-related skin injuries
– Garment tearing under impact

This led to the exploration of an additional protective solution.

Purpose-Built Crash Protection Shirt

With this challenge in mind, Pando Moto developed a custom protective shirt engineered specifically for ice-track crashes.

The solution combines motorcycle-grade protection technologies, including Kevlar® and Balistex®, re-engineered to perform in high-speed, high-friction, low-temperature environments.

This is fully tested motorcycle protection adapted, refined, and purpose-built for bobsleigh.

Filmed in Altenberg

Altenberg, Germany, is considered one of the most demanding bobsleigh tracks in the world. Known for its technical layout, extreme G-forces, and unforgiving corners, it has hosted World Cup and World Championship competitions for decades.

We travelled to Altenberg to document real training conditions and capture athletes wearing the Pando Moto protective shirt in action, where performance truly matters.