D3O SIGNS FREERIDE ICON CASEY BROWN

June 5, 2025

D3O®, the global leader in impact protection and vibration damping materials, is delighted to announce that freeride legend and mountain bike pioneer Casey Brown has officially joined the D3O ambassador team.

Often hailed as the godmother of women’s freeride, Casey brings unmatched passion, talent and energy to the D3O family. In this new partnership, she’ll collaborate closely with D3O’s team of designers and engineers to promote the brand’s latest innovations in impact protection, shock absorption, and vibration damping ingredient technologies already trusted by leading MTB brands including Fox Racing, Ride Concepts, Oakley, Scott, Dakine, Specialized and Troy Lee Designs.

Casey has been testing and riding in D3O’s latest gear, including the Viper Air Back Protector and Diablo Knee and Elbow Guards, products designed and developed using the brand’s most advanced impact protection materials.

“I’ve spent years cutting men’s back protector pads to make them fit, using elbow pads as knee pads, trimming armor that was never made with me in mind,” said Casey Brown. “It’s time female riders had gear that works with us, not against us. When brands like D3O back female athletes and design products specifically for us, we feel less like an afterthought and more like part of the future of the sport.”

Even before the official partnership, Casey had already been choosing to ride in D3O gear for its superior performance.

“I’ve been wearing D3O for a while now because it’s just the best out there. The new Viper Air and Diablo pads offer uncompromising protection and comfort, I barely feel like I’m wearing it, which means I can move freely, ride hard, and perform at my best, knowing I’m covered by the best protection on the market.”

Casey’s involvement with D3O goes beyond product testing. She’ll be working closely with the brand’s design and development team to create female-specific protection, drawing from years of hands-on experience and hard-earned insight from the freeride scene.

Later this year, in July she’ll also host a women-only freeride event and mentoring program called Dark Horse at a new jump park she’s building at her home in Revelstoke, British Columbia. The project is a continuation of her mission to make the sport more inclusive and accessible. Just last year, she helped spearhead the first-ever women’s event at Red Bull Rampage in Utah, a major milestone in freeride history.

Mostyn Thomas, Chief Marketing Officer at D3O, commented “Casey is an exciting addition to the D3O ambassador team. She brings with her a rare quality, she’s a world-class athlete, a mentor, and a force for change in the sport. She really embodies our brand ethos: Give It Orange. We’re thrilled to support her mission and help shape the future of inclusive mountain bike protection together.”

With Casey on board, D3O continues to build on its mission to protect and empower riders of all disciplines, partnering with athletes who don’t just push the limits of the sport, but help redefine them.

We caught up with Casey to dive a little further into this new partnership.

How did your partnership with D3O come about?

My partnership with D3O came about through Trek. We have a mutual connection there and Trek mentioned to me that they were looking for a new authentic ambassador and thought we would be a good fit. So, yeah, we connected through Trek.

What are you most excited about to be using D3O products?

I mean, I’ve been using D3O for a long time. I’m always looking for it for within my protective equipment, so it’s not new to me. But I’m really excited to be working with R&D and producing new gear and hopefully, you know, making women-specific stuff in the future.

What’s your experience with D3O so far?

I’ve had a lot of experience using D3O. I’ve hit the ground pretty hard using it, and I love the way that it feels when you’re pedaling or riding. It doesn’t feel like you have anything on, and then as soon as you hit the ground or have those altercations, you end up being super grateful that you have the protective equipment on.

What can we expect to see from your collaboration?

I think that we’re gonna be working on having more inclusivity with women-specific riding gear and making sure that the women’s side of the sport is being represented through protective equipment and that it’s not an after- afterthought.

Are you a knee and elbow pad wearer? And why?

So, I usually wear knee pads on every single ride. And then if I’m at an event or something a little bit more in depth or something that’s a little more risky, I will wear, like, full body armor, knee pads, elbow pads, ankle protection, back protection, chest protection, everything. I do have certain things that I wear normally, like on normal rides and then if I’m sending it, I’ll wear a little bit more.

How about body protection, only reserved for the bikepark or do you find yourself in it more regularly?

I wear it regularly. I even wear it in the wintertime when I’m snowmobiling and when I’m in the back country just ’cause you can fall or hit your knees and it, and it’s nice to have that protection.

What’s happening with Casey Brown in 2025?

2025 for me, well I’m working on my event again. So, I’m evolving Dark Horse into a new and improved version of the one I, did for three years in a row. So the evolution of Dark Horse is taking up, all my time . It’s great. I I love it and it’s gonna be an awesome event and hopefully, it just keeps growing from there. I’ll also be going to Swatch 9’s again out in Austria, and that’s an awesome place to push yourself. I’ll be wearing all of the protective equipment there. And I am also planning on being at Rampage, I’ll be working on evolving my line at Rampage and coming up with some fresh and new ideas over there.