Riding with a Helmet

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I finally found a helmet that fits my giant head. I also don't wear it all the time. I got it for my trip to BC last month. It definitely took some getting used to.

Yuke! From one big head to another. I am an XXXL.  Those helmets aren't easy to find.

ScottyJack wrote

Obvi if you were skiing with proper bindings this facial incident would never had occurred.

This is true, unfortunately.

The Tele binding has many advantages, but fore/aft stability is not one of them.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

The Tele binding has many advantages, but fore/aft stability is not one of them.

Other than wearing a full face mask, anything you can tell people to do or not to do so that doesn't happen to us? Getting slashed (by skis, kitchen knives while chopping vegetables, whatever) is a big fear of mine.

Harvey wrote

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I finally found a helmet that fits my giant head. I also don't wear it all the time. I got it for my trip to BC last month. It definitely took some getting used to.

Yuke! From one big head to another. I am an XXXL.  Those helmets aren't easy to find.

I too are in the big cranium club

I don't fall much, but when I do fall, I tend to fall forward and do a "tuck & roll" kinda thing because every once in a while , I can ski out of a fall like this one (skis catch on something, feel myself pitching forward, go into a forward roll, land sort of on my feet, ski away).

I've come to realize that this strategy might not be the greatest idea, particularly on less pitched terrain where the forward dive has to be well in front of the ski tips. It not only opens me up to injuries like this, but if I don't tuck my head down correctly, I could injure my neck.

So, I'm going to start falling in a different way. If I feel myself falling forward, I'll dive forward and to one side or the other (away from my skis) accepting that I won't be able to ski out of it. It's time to dial back the athletic compensation and start accepting my limitations.

I'll still try not to fall backwards. Backwards falls lead to knee injuries and I really don't want one of those.

I stand corrected.

campgottagopee wrote

Harvey wrote

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I finally found a helmet that fits my giant head. I also don't wear it all the time. I got it for my trip to BC last month. It definitely took some getting used to.

Yuke! From one big head to another. I am an XXXL.  Those helmets aren't easy to find.

I too are in the big cranium club

Big brains.

campgottagopee wrote

Harvey wrote

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I finally found a helmet that fits my giant head. I also don't wear it all the time. I got it for my trip to BC last month. It definitely took some getting used to.

Yuke! From one big head to another. I am an XXXL.  Those helmets aren't easy to find.

I too are in the big cranium club

Too bad there isn't a direct relationship between the size of the head and size of the brain.  

MC, I respect your personal choice.  I also like your style!  Rolling out of a fall on to your skis and continuing on like it never happened, or you intended it, is pretty cool.  I’ve done it a time or two in the falls on Slide 1.  Not on purpose, however....pure instinct!   You experienced a freak and probably one in a million result, but smart to alter your style.

Not for nothing.....and I’m not encouraging you to change your habits.....but there are so many dynamics involved in a fall like you took that I’m not sure you can say with 100% certainty that a helmet wouldn’t have altered the outcome.  Part of the ski (it’s a long edge) glances off the brim of a helmet at any point......who knows, a few mm of movement one way or another at any point in the fall and the outcome is maybe different.  Not necessarily better, but again, who knows.  Also, had the ski come across at a different angle, in a different spot, maybe you lose an eye without the helmet there to deflect the ski a bit.  Or maybe not.

Yeah, all what if’s, and I know you don’t like that game.....but seeing shit like that makes me feel better about MY helmet, not that you should wear one.

Marcski wrote

campgottagopee wrote

Harvey wrote

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

I finally found a helmet that fits my giant head. I also don't wear it all the time. I got it for my trip to BC last month. It definitely took some getting used to.

Yuke! From one big head to another. I am an XXXL.  Those helmets aren't easy to find.

I too are in the big cranium club

Too bad there isn't a direct relationship between the size of the head and size of the brain.  

Well, big head, big hands, big feet

CampTinyWeeWee

ScottyJack wrote

CampTinyWeeWee

Oh sure, this coming from a guy would had a hard time peeing outside the gondola

MC2 5678F589 wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Obvi if you were skiing with proper bindings this facial incident would never had occurred.

This is true, unfortunately.

The Tele binding has many advantages, but fore/aft stability is not one of them.

Question: what’s the deal with tele leashes? I didn’t even realize that was a thing until I broke my binding and rented a set up on Harv’s platty birthday beer bash. Non releasable bindings freak me out a bit but not as much as having a leash. Back in the pre brake days I’ve received some cuts bumps and bruises from flailing leashed skis. Are they mandatory? Do I need to get a set for resort skiing? What about BC? It would suck to lose a ski in the pow but suck even more to to get impaled by it. Did leashes cause or affect your injury MC?

gorgonzola wrote

 Did leashes cause or affect your injury MC?

No, my skis just had regular brakes (NTN Outlaws)

Agreed, I worked almost a decade between Greek Peak and Jiminy and I saw several deaths due to blunt force trauma to the head.  None of them were wearing a helmet.  I also had a friend who was an excellent skier, and instructor at Hunter, who died because he caught an edge on a green trail and went right into a tree, again with no helmet.

Were you at Greek when the dude killed himself on Zues?

I've had helmets save my life before. Hell, I' used to ski with a full face back when I was jumping off of a lot of stuff. There is the argument that at some point even a helmet won't save you, especially with things like tree strikes but I'd imagine that you are always better off wearing one regardless.

That being said I don't always ski with one. I really love rocking old school ski beanies with large pom poms on the top.

Freedom first is my motto.

raisingarizona wrote

.
That being said I don't always ski with one. I really love rocking old school ski beanies with large pom poms on the top.

That's my go-to look! It's my favorite, too. Easy to toss on, then I just swap the goggles for sunglasses and I'm ready for Apres.

Harvey wrote

A few years ago I hit a wet gun at the bottom of Sunway at Gore. Not sure exactly how I fell, but my ski stopped dead and I ended up in a pile on my chest with my ribs hurting pretty bad. I was basically ok, but when I took my gear off I noticed the tail of one of my twin tips had hit me in the back of my head.  The divot is maybe 3/8"?


Harv, Being at the tent sale this morning reminded me of this. Did you replace this thing yet? Now’s the time


(Yeah I know I should replace my helmet).

Haha! And it looks cool af!