The University of Utah football team will honor the Polynesian culture within its program this Saturday, when they take on Iowa State in their final home game of the year. And with the latest edition of its annual hand-painted toppers, they’ve once again created a beautiful helmet with a deeper meaning.
The helmets were shown in a video in preparation for this weekend’s game.
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 20, 2024
Beautiful!
Here’s a look at the front, back and sides of the special helmet:
The helmet prominently features Hawaiian tattoo art, symbolizing the strength and unity of Polynesian culture. The mostly red helmet depicts the Hawaiian art with shading and black, and has a black facemask. The right side showcases Utah’s interlocking U logo which sits atop the tattoo art. The front bumper has “MUSS” which stands for “Mighty Utah Student Section,” the very raucous rooting section in the stands.
But the real gem is the left side of the helmet.
Here, the words “Malama Lahaina” sit atop an outline of the Hawaiian island of Maui, with a painting representing Lahaina’s historic Front Street on the island below that. You may recall a deadly wildfire in August, 2023, on the Hawaiian Island killed 102 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures, causing more than $5 billion in damages.
“Malama Lahaina” refers to the ongoing recovery efforts from the fires in the Maui town, and the Hawaiian word “Malama” means to take care of and nurture the Hawaiian people and its culture. It’s a poignant message of support and solidarity for Maui’s recovery.
As noted above, Utah has worn a hand-painted helmet for at least one game every year since 2016, with the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season. And there have been some drop-dead gorgeous helmets worn over the years.
Here’s a look at those:
2016: Black Drum and Feather Helmets
Here’s more on that.
2017: Red “Throw The U” Helmets
2018: Red Tail Hawk Helmets
Here’s more on that.
2019: 1966-67 Throwback Helmets
Here’s more on that.
2020: No helmet due to COVID
2021: USS Salt Lake City Helmets
Here’s more on that.
2022: “22 Forever” Helmets
Here’s more on that.
2023: The “MUSS”
Here’s more on that.
Each of those helmets was great in its own right, but I think I like the 2024 edition the best. The design is stellar, and the cause is just. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing these on the field Saturday evening.
Your thoughts? Which of the handpainted helmets did you like best?
Do we know who created these? Was it the same artist who did the Illini helmets?
I don’t love the wording on one side (won’t be able to read it from any distance), but the overall look is really nice.
Couldn’t agree more. I’m an Oregon duck from birth but honestly loved this helmets until the wording in white. The sentiments great, but just destroyed how freaking cool they were
Although I like the helmets, I’m curious why the wearers are the University of Utah, and not Hawaii.
Utah has deep roots in Hawaii and New Zealand, many Maori live in Utah…
And the Warriors already wear Polynesian designs….
The state of Utah has a large Polynesian community. For example, approximately 25% of all Tongans in the US reside in Utah.
You mean Salt Lake City. Lol
Awesome.
What connection does Utah have to Hawaii and the Polynesian people? I know there are many Polynesian LDS, but Utah is a State school and not a religious institution.
looks like something San Diego State would od
Since people keep asking what U of Utah has to do with Polynesian culture:
link
link
Also:
link
Thanks Gary B. for the link!
Beautiful.
San Deigo State…