MXGP Rider Insight: Arnaud Tonus

IDC: What's the first helmet you ever had?

AT: The first helmet I can remember was probably a Suomy, you know with the really old school stuff on the front. It wasn't looking super sexy but I had some good memories on that and when you're young, you're not looking much at the design or any other stuff, you just wanted to ride a dirt bike. It's funny that now I can have a different perspective on stuff and want to be cool, but memories from when I was a kid it was just about riding bikes!

IDC: What's the inspiration behind your current helmet?

AT: So the idea on the current helmet, was to have something a little bit more sober that fits more with my gear and stuff like that, as we change quite a lot over the season. I had in the past some designs with some really specific stuff like warriors and Japanese flowers that meant there was a lot of stuff on the helmet, so the current one is more on the simple side. But I really like it, I think it's super clean and the matt finish fits really well with the design.

IDC: What would be your dream helmet design?

AT: It's funny because my dream helmet would be something pretty close to what I have now, as I like to have something pretty simple that you can see from afar and these days, somehow I'm more into simple stuff on my designs and also on my gear. I don't like things that are flashy or really outside of the box, but it's all about the moment you're in as a lot can change and you have different ideas. It definitely depends on the moment and the mood.

IDC: Who had the most iconic helmet in history?

AT: If I had to pick one iconic helmet, it would definitely be (Jeremy) McGrath from the old days. There was a helmet with bubbles and stuff that really stuck in my mind and also McGrath was the man you know and he always had a great style on the bike and that's for sure the one I think of when it comes to iconic helmets. My Dad used to have some cool ones too, he had a really good friend that was an artist and was making some cool helmets and when I was a kid I'd say 'that looks super sick' but I wouldn't put that on my helmet now!

IDC: What's your favourite helmet of your career so far?

AT: I would say my favourite helmet of my career so far was form the 2019 season, with the warrior design, as I really like the Japanese tattoo style and I also have some tattoos like this on my body. It was something special and I really liked the design on it, so if I had to pick one it would be the Japanese themed helmet.

IDC: What happens to your old helmets?

AT: Well my old helmets to be honest, you wouldn't ride in anymore as most of them are face down from crashes but I give a few to friends or sponsors as I'm not the type of guy that keeps stuff, I try to give it to people that appreciate it. I'm not really keeping anything, I just wear it, love it and give it to somebody.