The Helmet Discussion Thread

You know what to do people....let's have it, or have at it, or whatever.  Overrated, should be law, make you look like a doofus?  What 'cha think.  Bring all your research and scientific backup.

Personally, I have no idea what % of skiing injuries they prevent or lesson.  I'm positive it's some, but definitely not all.  For that reason, that it might just save a life even if that's not likely ever going to happen, me and mine will always use them, despite the fact that I survived 20+ years without one.

How about you?

MC2, as an instructor, are you required to wear a helmet when you teach?  The reason I started wearing a helmet was to set a good example for my kids.  Does that apply for instructors and their students?

My child was skiing last weekend and sustained  a concussion while wearing a POC helmet. We reached out to POC and were told that the helmet needs to be replaced after a head injury. If we return the helmet to POC, they will replace it for half off the retail price. Is this unique or do other helmet manufacturers have similar policies? Also, a question for the pro-helmet crowd, how often do you replace your helmets? Someone told me three years is the useful life of a helmet. Any thoughts?

Hey GoreSkiMom,

As I understand it, many helmets are "one and done" and you should check when you purchase it (ideally ) or after to see if it's a multi-impact device.

If you find a crack anywhere on it it is certainly past it's useful life, and three years of abuse from a child sounds reasonable.



I started wearing a helmet about 10-15 years ago. Walking off a mountain with my dad we saw a sign for a 75% off sale. He asked if he bought me a helmet, if I would stop wearing a hat to ski. I said I didn't see why not, especially after hearing about how warm they were and the fact that it clearly meant something to him.

So I walked out with a bright blue boeri, that I had for maybe 7 years. It was "top of the line" and totally awesome. Warm as anything I could imagine, and I'd probably still have it except while I was hiking for turns in the Adirondacks, I cracked it while climbing over some rocks. Because it had no vents, it was extremely hot, and no doubt it protected my backpack on my scramble but I was sad to see it go. I replaced it with another on sale special, a steep and cheap Bern which kind of sucks but only cost $10. Even a shitty helmet allows branches in the woods to glance right off, and this one sports the generational improvement of many vents. So I wear it every day except the most beautiful spring corn snow days at easy going uncrowded hills like Plattekill. And even that feels weird because I'm used to it or because I ski on the section of trail about four feet from the woods, usually on the right side.

But maybe it will inspire someone who doesn't currently wear one to give it a try.

*I am not an expert on helmets and this is all debatable but that's how I understand it"

In the last couple years I've even seen a couple kids wearing helmets while xc skiing.  At the race at Dewey Mt I can almost understand it:  Narrow, fast downhill where you can't relax.  On green trails... I dunno.  

Way back when, oh say, almost 30 years ago, I skied without a helmet, without a thought.  When I picked it up again three years ago, it wasn't even a thought to ski without one.  For the warmth alone on the cold days it is worth it.  Now that I'm skiing in the woods or close to the edges, and brushing against branches, it's a huge help.  I can't believe how many people I see without one that's for sure.  I thought that Natasha Richardson's death would be enough to convince everyone to wear one, but I guess not.  

Goreskimom wrote

My child was skiing last weekend and sustained a concussion...

So sorry to hear this GSM.

I'm 99% sure I had one concussion as a kid (I was knocked out) but I think that was the only one.  I hope that is true for your child too.

My helmet is really old seriously banged up. Guess it's time for a new one.

Just dropping in on this thread to point out an obvious hypocrisy:

1. Skier dies without wearing helmet at Whiteface, people immediately jump on that point, I say it's not the place for a helmet discussion and get attacked for that statement and fed a ton of pro-helmet propaganda.

2. Skier dies while wearing helmet at Gore, two different people say that it's not the place for helmet discussion, the point is well taken, and the thread proceeds as normal.

Reminds me of the NRA after a mass shooting. It's never the right time to discuss guns/gun safety/mental health/etc. and therefore, the discussion never actually happens. When you don't want one side of an argument to be heard, it's easy to brush away the entire argument with the "now is not the time" strategy.

However, going forward, I'm in favor of that strategy for all future stories like this. Therefore, I won't point out that people who die were wearing helmets, and you pro-helmet folks don't come in with the "shoulda been wearing a helmet" blast every time a non-helmeted skier dies. We can discuss pros and cons of helmets on this thread all we want (but, I will politely decline, having given my reasons for not wearing a helmet here).

Deal?

This may make me look like a disrespectful SOB, but I don't really agree that threads regarding skier death that we engage in on these kinds of discussion boards are not the place to discuss safety issues in skiing, including a respectful discussion of both sides of the helmet issue.  If all you want to do is pay your respects to the dead then go to the wake, give your condolences, support the family.  We are here to talk about all things skiing, and safety is a huge consideration in the sport.  I've said it before, but I believe the best thing we can do in these sport related forums when an injury/death occurs is discuss aspects of the incident, without looking to lay blame, and see if there isn't anything we can take away from the loss that might help another skier avoid injury or death in the future.  That said, I'll roll with the board and refrain, and keep any helmet discussions here.  We won't, in any future injury/death threads, discuss other potentially relevant safety topics like speed, proper equipment, terrain judgement, application of the responsibility code....you know, all those things people should talk about in trying to keep a risky sport as safe as possible.  Teaching moments, like when your kid makes a mistake in life, or someone gets hurt on a ski slope.....who needs 'em ?!?!?

Unfortunately, no helmet will prevent your brain from slapping into the inside of your skull at speed.

I think everyone agrees with that fact.  Is that agreed upon fact adequate justification to question whether helmets provide protection, and determine that a helmet is an unnecessary piece of safety equipment?

Skidds wrote

I think everyone agrees with that fact.  Is that agreed upon fact adequate justification to question whether helmets provide protection, and determine that a helmet is an unnecessary piece of safety equipment?

Not if your head is going to land on a rock or hard ice, but honestly there is no piece of equipment that will keep everyone safe in every situation.

That being said, I have no problem with mandatory helmets for kids.

Skidds wrote

...I don't really agree that threads regarding skier death that we engage in on these kinds of discussion boards are not the place to discuss safety issues...

That's the other opinion, and that's fine, too. So, under this thinking, if I wanted to, I could flame that Gore Skier Death thread to hell with "HE WAS WEARING A HELMET!!! ARGLE BARGLE!! Aaaaaaaaahhhh!"

I mean, I'm not the arbiter of when and where we should discuss things, so I guess everyone can just do what they want.

I just thought it might be nice to confine dumb debates to one thread.

YUKON CORNELIUS wrote

......but honestly there is no piece of equipment that will keep everyone safe in every situation.

Not picking on you or your beliefs YC, just using your truthful comments as jumping off points.

I think everyone will also concede agreement with the statement above.  Does that mean we should do away with airbags in cars, and stop using GFCI outlets in houses......or at least remove them from MC2's car and house?
Hey, most people never avail themselves of the protection provided by their car, homeowners, or life insurance.....why bother with those?

That's fine. I ended up with a concussion earlier in the year when I fell going pretty fast and without a helmet. Effects lasted about a week and a half. It sucked. A helmet wouldn't have prevented it. Oh well.

 I really don't have anything else to add to the discussion.

mattchuck2 wrote

I just thought it might be nice to confine dumb debates to one thread.

I'm fine with that. I guess I would ask this......what's the point of 'skier died at Mountain X' threads on a ski forum?  Sure, I've seen a memorial thread here or there started by someone who knew the person, where the clear intent was to pay a respect.  I get that, celebrate the life of someone somebody knew and leave it at that.  But random deaths of snow sliders that nobody on the board knew....what's the point?  It's not like the family and friends of the departed are out there scouring the inter web for random sites where the eulogizing of their loved one is going to assuage their anguish.  I say the point is to remind us of how fleeting life can be, to provide us all a caution that anything can change, at any moment.  To make us stop and think about all those things we often trivialize, both large and small, that might make a difference in our life, or in keeping our life.  If that involves someone pointing out that a helmet might have played a part, and someone subsequently dons a shell that saves them from a future injury.....mission accomplished.  If that involves someone pointing out the deceased was wearing a helmet, which did not save them from a high speed collision, and someone subsequently slows down and thinks more about control, which saves them from a future injury.....mission accomplished.  Instead, we just won't take the potential teaching moments, however painful, that are put in front of us.  I don't see why the discussion that ensue in those threads, even if we disagree, are bad.

I think those threads are just informative. As in: this happened. Much like a thread called "Burnt Ridge is open". People just want to stay informed on the goings on around the mountain.

Ahhhh.....we are only 'slowing down on the highway to gape at the accident', so to speak.  Ok.  I suppose everything on internet discussion boards is largely a waste of time, but I'd like to think there is some more useful point to be found in most topics than 'it happened'. It's 61 degrees in Bismarck, ND.  Let me start a thread!

I prefer to not discuss death..  I've lost friends on the mountain..

I wear a helmet...  There are times that I do not..  Helmets are good..

Sometimes people wearing helmets take bigger chances because they are wearing one...

Skidds wrote

It's 61 degrees in Bismarck, ND.  Let me start a thread!

Probably wouldn't be the worst thread on this forum.

dmc_hunter wrote

Sometimes people wearing helmets take bigger chances because they are wearing one...

Which was one of Matt's relevant points as to why he doesn't wear.

I hear you, the loss of death sucks and can be painful to talk about.  However, death is a fact of life, and can happen for a myriad of reasons.  I think there can be learning from any death, and as painful as it can be I think it's worth talking about.  I'd like to think something potentially 'good' can come from every death, giving some measure of meaning to the persons life and sacrifice.