[Closed] wearing a helmet on the slopes...

Doesn't matter how 'uncool' you think you look in a bike helmet you look better than you would sitting in a wheel chair unable to speak with dribble dropping uncontrollably into your lap cos you've smashed your skull into a pine tree at 30mph.

Have to say I'm not fussed wearing one while skiing, I just don't push it.

Meh. Survived fine without a snowboard helmet for 15 odd years, despite multiple head bumps on Scottish ice.

Only got a helmet cos they are required at the snowdome and the rental ones were full of teenager sweat and pheromones. 😕 Now glad I've got one as it is comfy, cosy, and keeps my goggle in place, plus I can rattle it off branches on tree runs and take other risks that I wouldn't take on without a helmet...

I wasn't pushing it. Ok, was traveling pretty quick, but I was alone on a wide, not steep blue. Don't know what happened. Back edge dug in and that was that. To be fair you don't have to be going all that fast to crack your head against the ice.

My biggest worry was always the other idiots on the slope; a ski in the back of the head or collision...

If you wear one MTBing why would you not wear one on the ski slopes? I push myself just as hard on pretty much the same trails! It's stupid not to IMO.

My biggest worry was always the other idiots on the slope; a ski in the back of the head or collision...

The biggest worry for me is that someone wearing a helmet crashes into me and nuts me!
Hence helmets breed helmets!

Came of on road once slid along the floor needed about 30 stitches in different parts of my face eyelid almost of. Still did not buy a helmet just did not like wearing them (not cool came into it). Eventually spotted a multipurpose helmet thick plastic outer, a khaki color brilliant gets you noticed which is always an advantage when you are cycling.
Bike mechanic told me about bloke in his eighties who had never worn a helmet he came off on a steep hill and scalped himself soon as he got out of hospital he went straight round and bought a helmet.
The front of my helmet is now scratched badly so would have been in need of some stitches if I had not bought it.

Have to say I'm not fussed wearing one while skiing, I just don't push it.

You might not push it, but there are plenty of other people around who haven't a clue and will take you out in a split second totally unseen.

I am an Ex Instructor with Hundreds of weeks experience, so I would consider [b]myself[/b] a perfectly safe and competent skier, but I was taken out on an easy red four years ago by an out of control "first weeker" who shouldn't have been there.

Didn't even hear him coming when he hit me from behind and the result was. Unconscious for half an hour, very badly broken shoulder, horrible headaches for 4 weeks.

I was wearing a helmet. Hate to think what it would have been like if I hadn't 😐

Clearly they should make helmet use on the slopes compulsory.

It's going that way in many resorts

Bought my 1st helmet after had a private lesson on boarding between trees in Canada when the instructor said 'oh you don't have a helmet. Don't worry you'll probably be ok!'

Had nasty incident heading down red run in lovely snow, was going quite fast when someone jumped in from side of piste without looking and wiped me out. Cartwheeled for a fair distance. Sore back after that 1 so the next purchase was a dainese back protector gilet which is dead comfy. Never had a need for it since I bought it but still wear it and a nice new noggin with less scratches and dents than the 1st.

Think some places in North America have made them compulsory.

I was the 1st in our group to buy 1 and now several years later everyone is wearing one.

Clearly they should make helmet use on the slopes compulsory.

Are we [i]trying[/i] to squeeze out one more helmet debate before the end of the year? 😉

FWIW I'm against compulsion (both on bikes and snow) but I suspect insurance will eventually force the issue, on snow at least.

Ok so you helmet cracked, doesn't mean it saved your life. I've banged my head many a time skiing like that and im still around. And wasn't wearing a helmet. In fact I am sure that I would have been through about 10 helmets by now if I had used one...

I bought my first cycle helmet in 1997 or 1998 but for some reason, I didn't use a helmet on the slopes. That all changed in Austria (Zell am Zee) in 2004. Whilst boarding I caught a heel edge and flipped myself backwards. I landed on my head and spent 2 days in hospital in Kaprun. When I went boarding the following year, I bought myself a helmet and I have worn one ever since.

Unfortunately the Zell am Zee accident, caused me other long term problems, which a helmet wouldn't have protected me from. I damaged my C6 vertebrae, so the disc now pushes on my nerves and from time to time I get intense neck, shoulder and upper arm pains on my right side. Physio every couple of months. Luckily I had no long term damage from the head injury though but it could have been worse.

My choice is always to wear a helmet and everybody is entitled to make their own choices. Although I'm sure that in some resorts/countries it is compulsory that children wear helmets?

Knocked my head many a time too when not wearing a helmet... Stupidly mostly on the bike. It hurts, but I've always been lucky in that I could just walk away.

The fact that I was lying there yesterday for a minute trying to work out where I was, what just happened and which way was up means I'm glad I was wearing one. Most likely be in hospital now if i wasn't wearing one.

Defiantly my worst impact to date. Neck still sore.

I've banged my head many a time skiing like that and im still around.

Caught your heal-edge when skiing? Skillz

Didn't even hear him coming when he hit me from behind

So the helmet meant you could not hear properly and caused the accident

Yours

TJ

I wasn't pushing it.

I find a helmet quite comfy on the slopes and almost always wear one when boarding due to falling/crashing more. Rarely feel the need on skis unless I intend to be in trees.

Maybe next time I'll wear my motorbike waterproof one piece suit with full knee, hip, shoulder and spine protection. You can't be too careful 🙄

Unfortunately the Zell am Zee accident, caused me other long term problems, which a helmet wouldn't have protected me from.

So why is it you now choose to wear a helmet, but not neck/spine protection? 😕

Helmets should be worn by all humans during waking hours. Wake up, helmet goes on. It would reduce the risk of head injuries so therefore a good idea. If you don't agree, you're just a fashion victim who cares more about looking cool than being safe. Think of those who have to feed you soup through a straw if you get injured in a furious master bating accident, think of those you leave behind! Etc etc yawn.

Beat myself up badly 10 years again chamonix.... Bought one that night as I always wore a mtb helmet and was skiing much faster than I mtb.... I was utterly derided by my mates, and lo and behold, they're wearing them now too.....

Helmets should be worn by all humans during waking hours. Wake up, helmet goes on

But then what if you fall out of bed in your sleep?

So the helmet meant you could not hear properly and caused the accident
Yours
TJ

Nah 🙂

I don't wear the Ear cover part of the helmet (clip off design) as it gets too warm and I can't hear what's going on.

Just a soft snow day so there was not much "piste noise" as he approached.

But thanks for the input TJ 😉

I'm all for personal choice. Helmets can be hot and sweaty and not always comfy but I can't see why you wouldn't wear one skiing or boarding. It is often others on the slopes that can cause you problems and why not wear something that ameliorates the risk?

Famous case of Natasha Richardson who fell on beginner slopes, appeared normal initially afterwards then died of an epidural haematoma despite medical tx later.

Each to their own.

The evidence for ski helmets reducing the risk of major injury on the slopes is way better than that for cycle helmets.

There is not good evidence yet that they reduce death rates on snow, but deaths on the slope are not frequent enough for simple statistically powerful enough trials. Same thing really applies to MTBing, available studies apply to road not MTBing hence TJ will always have an argument.

I was with a guide when they sustained a pretty severe head injury, on a blue run. Someone pelted into them from upslope. Ironically the other person was wearing a helmet.

Famous case of Natasha Richardson who fell on beginner slopes

Pretty poor example though. She had a simple low speed fall that resulted in an incredibly unlucky injury. Same thing could have happened in the street or at home. Accidents happen.

I find a helmet quite comfy on the slopes

Me too.

That's why I choose to wear one. As there aren't really any downsides that are worth worrying about.

Maybe next time I'll wear my motorbike waterproof one piece suit with full knee, hip, shoulder and spine protection. You can't be too careful

Seems an odd thing to say after already saying you find wearing a helmet comfortable ?

I'm all for choice, helmets shouldn't be compulsory in my opinion.

But people should be aware that its not just [b]their[/b] superior skills that they are relying on.

Sit on any chairlift and watch the slope below, it will be a rare event to not see a collision between two random people given 5 mins watching.

I support personal choice and freedom to make irrational decisions! 😉 Logic tells me to wear a lid horse riding, bike riding and skiing. But:

Horses 100%
Bikes (0% pre triathlon rules) now 85% but still enjoy the occassional lidless MTB ride
Skiing 0% despite skiing hard and fast.

Hard to reconcile those choices. But with a cousin paralysed by MTB this year* I am more persuaded by spine protection in all three sports than by helmets. Saw some v lightweight Atomic ski vest with spine protection in France before Christmas which looked good across sports.

I would hate to see legislation on this though.

* enough to persuade me, at least, that MTB is a (potentially) dangerous sport.

Sit on any chairlift and watch the slope below, it will be a rare event to not see a collision between two random people given 5 mins watching.

I've not been on downhill slopes at a major resort for about 10 years - has this changed since then? Because I don't remember large numbers of collisions between people. Is there a correlation between increased helmet usage (they were still pretty rare when I last went) and increased numbers of collisions on the slopes?

Helmets should be worn by all humans during waking hours. Wake up, helmet goes on

But then what if you fall out of bed in your sleep?

GrahamS, you make a valid point. I'm upgrading my fit of self-righteousness to include helmet wearing in bed. PROVEN through anecdote to make sleeping safer. The only issue I see is washing your hair, but despite baths and showers causing many head injuries, I think it's morally OK to remove your lid if its inconvenient.

Nope, wouldn't say that it's changed at all. Been skiing for many moons now, collisions always happen. 9 times out of a 10 it's slow speed stuff on the beginners slope, but the ones that aren't cant be pretty painful*!

*try a "Y" slalom, still baring the scars from 15 years ago!

Pretty poor example though. She had a simple low speed fall * that resulted in an incredibly unlucky injury. Same thing could have happened in the street or at home. Accidents happen.

She died skiing from a head injury I have no idea why you consider it to be a poor example. What exactly would you want then? That is a serious question.

I get the argument that i could have a head injury anywhere but it is obvious that I am going to fall more often learning to ski than walking as I am proficient at the later and have never done the former.

I would say it is a perfect example tbh and it shows that the nay sayers will never be convinced by any incident - its a free choice thing anyway.

* i read terms like seemed innocuous but no description of the crash from a quick google

or
It remained unclear Thursday exactly how she was injured. Resort officials have said only that she fell on a beginner’s trail and later reported not feeling well.

As her injury is usually caused by a fractured skull I would assume it was severe in some respects

I've not been on downhill slopes at a major resort for about 10 years - has this changed since then? Because I don't remember large numbers of collisions between people. Is there a correlation between increased helmet usage (they were still pretty rare when I last went) and increased numbers of collisions on the slopes?

No it's not changed at all in my time

I spent every day working in the Beginner/Intermediate areas of a mid size resort in Austria and those are the areas that most of the collisions tent to happen.

And one of the main issues is that those areas also tend to be the ones that are "pass through" areas for all the other people in the resort at some stage.
Including those that consider themselves "good skiers" but have no concept of safety for some reason (no proper lessons maybe?) and lack the ability to ski in control and adapt their skiing to different situations.

She died skiing from a head injury I have no idea why you consider it to be a poor example. What exactly would you want then? That is a serious question.

From memory she wasn't even skiing at the time. I seem to remember she just fell over while stood in a line up or some such prat fall. Very innocuous.

As her injury is usually caused by a fractured skull

In her case there was no fracture, or visible head injury, she refused medical treatment twice and appeared to be perfectly fine. They didn't go into medical history but it seems likely she had a prior medical condition or genetic predisposition. .

Basically it was a freak accident, which is (mainly) why it made the news - it was totally atypical of the kind of injuries helmets are worn to prevent. Which is why it is a poor example.

Maybe next time I'll wear my motorbike waterproof one piece suit with full knee, hip, shoulder and spine protection. You can't be too careful

Seems an odd thing to say after already saying you find wearing a helmet comfortable ?

I make my own decisions re my personal safety and protection (when permissable) The bike suit would obviously provide much better protection but you ignored the 🙄 emoticon placed there due to my opinion that safety gear has to be a compromise in some way. What about full face helmets, as most head injuries I've seen on the slopes have been facial impacts? You then get even further into the realms of potential c-spine injuries due to increase in rotational/inertia forces.

I knocked my self out learning to board not wearing a helmet in a similar way Alpin.

I've worn one ever since and frankly, the high speeds and terrain I sometimes do on the snowboard make my mountain biking seem pedestrian. I also wear knee, elbow and wrist protectors. It's not as if it's uncomfortable.

Glad you're OK.

What about full face helmets, as most head injuries I've seen on the slopes have been facial impacts? You then get even further into the realms of potential c-spine injuries due to increase in rotational/inertia forces.

I looked into that a while ago (after my crash I mentioned above) and I ended up with a RuRoc full face (ish) helmet, its adaptable with or without the face protection really easily, and I wear it mainly when it's really cold to be honest.

But it is light and doesn't get too warm as the venting is really clever and it's only really hot if your not moving.

The bonus is that it doesn't really increase the chances of Rotational injuries like a "traditional" Full Face would as its so close to the face at the front.

[img] [/img]

Do you see many others wearing that outside of a Star Wars convention?

Seriously though, on a practical note, is the vent in the front big enough to have a smoke on the chairs?

Edit: should have said will my Riva 1100 fit as obviously I'll have packed in the fags by then 😉

Mine isnt that colour so its nowhere near as "dark side of the force" as the one above.
You don't see that many wearing them, but when it's cold everyone wants one 🙂

The front piece clips off really easily (one finger each side and push) and I have drilled a tiny hole in mine and have a thin bit of chord through it that's attached that I attach so it doesn't fall when I unclip it.

It's an awesome combination though, I love wearing it now as its so comfy. And obviously the Goggle fit is 100%

(I always used Helmet and Goggles anyway, so it's not so different, it's just better.)

Awesome looking helmet - I want one! But it needs a black cape for the complete "look". 😆

They do a white one too.

Full white all in one, white RuRoc Helmet = Imperial Stormtrooper on Holiday 🙂

Cheers grahamS- I get your point now and its a reasonable one

They're getting more and more popular in Europe. I always where one skiing as even if you never fall over, someone can wipe you out from behind (which has happened to both myself and Mrs FF).

Cool thing you see in France is parents writing their mobile numbers on the tops of their kid's helmets, in case they get lost / have an accident.

[img] [/img]

I have you now Skywalkaaa

Cool thing you see in France is parents writing their mobile numbers on the tops of their kid's helmets

Good idea that.
GPS tracking is also useful!

Legend - no inside edges, quite easy to do and get high sided. Also running slalom gates easy enough to catch a tip.

We used to specifically train not wearing slalom helmets as you had to learn correct technique.

A top world class downhiller died a few years back because she was wearing a full face helmet, it snapped her neck. Hence now why racers don't use full face helmets.

The front piece clips off really easily (one finger each side and push) and I have drilled a tiny hole in mine and have a thin bit of chord through it that's attached that I attach so it doesn't fall when I unclip it.

You drilled a hole in your helmet?

We used to specifically train not wearing slalom helmets as you had to learn correct technique.

One of the coaches in Austria used to teach that, a few fat lips and black eyes soon teach good technique 🙂

A top world class downhiller died a few years back because she was wearing a full face helmet, it snapped her neck. Hence now why racers don't use full face helmets.

Who was that ?

You drilled a hole in your helmet?

Yes. As I said, I drilled a 2mm hole in the face part of the helmet.

Do you have safety concerns ?

(I don't)

fourbanger is just being lewd.

All this thread demonstrates in that humans are crap at judging relative risk.

They are warm, comfy and you don't have to trudge 30 yards back up the hill to fetch them and 30 yards across for your goggles. What's not to like?

Not being lewd. Your personal safety is up to you nealglover, I wouldn't comment. Just nipping out to cut some holes in my seatbelts as they can get a bit sweaty in warm weather.

Going off on a tangent regarding slope safety......... as has been highlighted above, many of the concerns are not due to 'personal failures' but the risk of being hit by an out of control or incompetent skier/boarder. Certainly most of the nasty injuries I've seen are due to someone colliding with someone else.

There aren't many hazardous sports or activities where you can quite legitimately go straight to the most challenging area on your first day. How many people do you see side-slipping or even snowploughing down a black before the inevitable loss of control and crash?

Instead of compulsory helmets (not far off I fear) how feasible is a competency test for relative newbies prior to getting a lift pass? Initially greens and blues, then if they want to go to more difficult slopes, a quick test, or ski instructor/ski school ok and the ticket then authorised for more difficult terrain. Difficult to police, of course but the deterrent of lift pass forfeiture if caught, might make some think twice.

Weird thing is compulsory helmets on the slopes wouldn't bother me at all - whereas on the bike, I'd be dead against it.

FunkyDunc - Member
Legend - no inside edges, quite easy to do and get high sided. Also running slalom gates easy enough to catch a tip.

Neither of which whip your head off the ground in the same way catching a heel edge at speed does - just trust my experience on this one please

EDIT: that's not to say you can't have big edge-related crashes in skis, it's just the whipping motion that's absent.

Sorry completely disagree 🙂

You should watch me board then. On a board at 5 mph I can easily hit the ground harder than I can at 50 mph on skis 😉

Helemets are compulsary at work, I always one on the bike so going outside without one sometimes feels weird.

I wear mine when I'm snowboarding about 50% of the time. I just wear a BMX lid - much cheaper - less sweaty - and if they're good enough for the vert ramp...

Neither of which whip your head off the ground in the same way catching a heel edge at speed does

Not being lewd. Your personal safety is up to you nealglover, I wouldn't comment. Just nipping out to cut some holes in my seatbelts as they can get a bit sweaty in warm weather.

I'm not being funny here, but you haven't a bloody clue what you are talking about.

Would I be right in presuming you have never seen this helmet ?
And You don't know what the construction is or where the hole is drilled ?
Or what the face guard is designed to do ?

But hey, this is STW, it's ok for you to pretend be an expert in something you clearly have no knowledge of.

So you crack on.

I wear one now. Was thankful for it after taking misjudging a turn in Verbier last Feb and sliding down the slope head-first.

Each to their own though.

We had an incident last year in Switzerland - one trainee in queue for lift, one barreled in too fast racing with a couple of others and smashed into queue-ee.
Skull cracked just at helmet brow and broken nose, no memory for a week. Docs reckon that without the helmet she would not have survived. 😕
Like biking, you can get away with out one, but why not reduce the risks.

There aren't many hazardous sports or activities where you can quite legitimately go straight to the most challenging area on your first day.

Mountain biking.

Like [s]biking[/s] driving, walking, showering, you can get away with out one, but why not reduce the risks.

Mountain biking.

Two reasons I wear a helmt while skiing now.

1. They're really warm.
2. I watched two guys cannon into each other, their heads banged together. One of them lay on the ground not moving, the other spent a lot of time screaming. Both had to be coptored off the mountain.

Was standing on a piste 10 years ago when a boarder jumped out of the trees blind, went over my head by the best part of an inch. I shat myself, skied to the bottom and bought a lid there and then. A few inches lower we would have literally sliced the top off my head.

The amount of bangs/scratches in my lid also makes me very glad I have one. I also find it very warm and comfy.

Most back bowl skiing in the states requires a helmet and avalanche kit these days.

I realised that I used to go twice as fast on my board than my bike and probably ten times higher over kickers... so wearing a lid was obvious for the slopes if I was wearing one on the bike.

But it still took and knock to my head and being flown off the hill in a Huey for me to finally wear one.

That was getting on for 15 years ago when I was young and bouncy. Now if I think my kids heads are important enough to protect surely thier dad's should be too ?

Helmets can be hot and sweaty and not always comfy but I can't see why you wouldn't wear one skiing or boarding

Is that not sort of answering your own question!

I started wearing a helmet after cracking my head on a rock hard, icy piste. When I sat up I didn't have a clue where I was or what day of the week it was. Bought a helmet after that.....

which lasted 3 days before I gashed the back of the helmet open with the edge of my ski (think head plant to avoid running into the back of someone in the off piste). The ski put a 2 inch dent that was about 3/4 of an inch deep, not sure what the damage would have been without the lid but at the least it would have been a nasty scalp laceration and possibly a fractured skull.