The Asterisk AC System is finally available to the public, and it’s a perfect gift idea!
One of the hardest things to do is find a gift for a motocrosser who has a good HookIt.com profile, because he’s usually already “sponsored” by all of his favorite companies and gets discounts on almost everything he needs. Today, the guys at Asterisk dropped a perfect stocking stuffer gift that even the most hooked-up moto bro doesn’t have yet: the Asterisk AC System. If you pay any amount of attention to pro racing, you’ve undoubtedly spotted the top riders running what look like circular band-aids on their noses in photos in the pits and on the podium. What the heck are they all about? Well, if you wanna read the scientific, genius-type explanation about the product, visit Asterisk.com. If you want the average schmoe explanation from me, a guy who has had the pleasure of riding with them for several months now, though, read on!
Basically, breathing in and out through your nose while physically exerting yourself allows your body to better process air and carbon dioxide, and the results can include better stamina and a greater ability to focus. Mouth breathing – in addition to being creepy – is highly inefficient and can lead to greater fatigue and less efficient oxygen transport to your brain and muscles. Bottom line? Breathing in and out of your nose will help you ride better.
Okay, so that’s the moral of the story, but what the heck is in that box? The Asterisk AC System helps you to breathe through your nose easier. If you think about it, your goggles kinda smash your nose shut, making it tougher to breathe in and out through your nostrils. (Unless you have a flat-ass Asian nose like me) The AC System consists of a special clip that contains two small, very powerful magnets, and two metal discs that are attached to your nasal dimples (the indentations above your nostrils) via adhesive stickers. The magnets clip onto the frame of your goggles in the nose bridge area, and when you put your goggles on, they pull the metal discs (and your nasal dimples) towards them. The first time you put your goggles on with the system installed, it actually feels quite strange. Your nostrils snap wide open and you feel like you have two turbo air intakes on the front of your face. (I couldn’t help but think that I looked like Busta Rhymes when I first rode with them!)
Ok, so you can breathe easier through your nose. Now what? What does this mean? Well, the first time I rode with the AC System, it was 104 degrees at Perris Raceway and uncharacteristically humid for SoCal. Miserable. I mean, swamp ass and bat wings status. When I took to the track for the first time, though, it suddenly didn’t seem as hot because I was breathing so freely through my nose. Not that it was pine-scented and brisk, but it kinda felt like when you go up to the mountains and take your first few breaths of crisp mountain air. I found that it was easier to keep my heart rate under control by breathing through my nose, and I was able to maintain by old-guy pace on the track for more laps before pulling back into the pits. It was like being in better shape! Fitness in a box? No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt!
Sometimes when I’m racing or trying to do a long moto, I catch my mind wandering. With the AC System, though, I honestly find it easier to focus on the task at hand: riding with proper technique at the maximum speed that my limited level of talent will allow me to. That’s right…instead of daydreaming about the burrito that I’m gonna stop and get on the way home, I stay better focused on the lines I’m taking on the track, remember to squeeze the bike with my knees, and don’t dwell on how many more laps until the checkered flag comes out.
Sure, I know what you’re thinking: “Maeda is so full of sh*t, that there’s no room for farts.” And maybe I am! But honestly, the benefits of the Asterisk AC System are shocking to me, and I really do believe that there is an advantage to wearing it while you ride. Sure, the six- or seven-lap motos that I race don’t really push me to my physical limits, but they do make them easier. I can only imagine what benefits the system provides for the elite racers who compete at the pinnacle of our sport. Maybe that’s why so many of them use it!
If you wanna give the gift of bigger, more efficient moto nostrils this Christmas, the Asterisk AC System kit includes one goggle clip, 20 adhesive pads, a magnet stick applicator, and 10 alcohol wipes to clean the pimple oil off your shiny face before applying the stickers. The kit costs $59.95, which isn’t a lot! Heck, I know some posers who would pay fifty bucks just to look cool in the pits with the stickers on their nose. Haha!
www.Asterisk.com
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