No matter if it's Division 1 NCAA lacrosse or a cold afternoon in Stockport, you look at any and every level of this sport and one brand has dominated the market. Cascade Lacrosse is the leading manufacturer of Lacrosse helmets, headgear, and eye masks for male and female athletes at all levels of our sport.
In 1986, when Bill Brine left his family’s company to start Cascade, he had a vision for a company that would be driven by world-class product development, production and service. I think it's safe to say that Bill Brine achieved this in double quick style, although I took some convincing in the early years.
The first time I saw a Cascade helmet was in 1996, Stockport Metros had just returned from their USA tour and 2 players were wearing what looked like a fishbowl with a facemask. You have to remember that at the time we wore Bachrach helmets, with 2 chin pads for extra swag. A month later I coached my club's youth team on our own tour to Towson in Maryland where we saw more players wearing this new look helmet, a couple of our guys even bought them! It was a few months later that I bought one myself, in the 26 years since that purchase I've worn Cascade helmets every season.
Over my own playing career I've owned every model of Cascade helmet, at 46 I'd told myself I did not need a Cascade XRS when there's more playing time left in my Cascade S than there is in me. But, you guessed it, I've got a XRS on route.
The top of the line protection from the most trusted protection brand in lacrosse is the Cascade XRS. The entire history of men’s lacrosse helmets from Cascade has been building up to the greatness that is the XRS. With innovative Xflow technology and 360 Fit, the Cascade XRS is literally and figuratively the coolest helmet in modern lacrosse.
Ask any player and they'll agree, Cascade helmets are just better than every other helmet on the market. It's not just the look that makes Cascade the number one choice of player, your brain is your most valuable asset on the lacrosse field and Cascade spends a great deal of time in making sure that their products keep us safe on the field. Cascade strives to be on the leading edge of design and safety.
Cascade has built & delivered high performance game changing headgear, they have continual worked with top-level scientists to fully understand the impacts associated with the sport of lacrosse and how to design equipment to help reduce the risk of injury.
With the company HQ based in Liverpool, NY, Cascade produces its helmets and women's lacrosse goggles in an environment where it's design team can be certain that their vision is properly executed. It is certainly more expensive to Cascade to produce here in the United States but to the team at Cascade, there is no other option. When it comes to head and eye protection total control over production is a necessity. While more and more American companies are pursuing inexpensive production options overseas, Cascade have been more focused on bringing the very best product to the game.
Supply chain issues post Covid have meant that Cascade's turnaround time on custom orders has been a little slower than the normal 48 hour custom build. Another issue they've had is that due to shortages on materials the company has suspended manufacturing the popular CPXR until further notice, the lid of the US Covid test is a material used by Cascade which has definitely caused some unforeseen problems.