Who Wears A Helmet Snow Skiing? Do Your Kids?

[jyl]

Self-explanatory topic, I think.

I'm teaching my 7-year-old daughter to downhill ski this year. In my youth I skied a lot, so I took her for one day last year and she loved it -- we decided to do lots more in '04.

So, I'm trying to find out how many adults and kids wear lids.

[ronin]

check one for a lid. hehe, do a poll

[andy s]

Owning a chain of retail ski, bike and snowboard shops, i wear one and sell tons. Depends on the area you go to. some hills out here have up to an 85% helmet use. you feel like a dork if you don't have one on.

Do you race your car without one?

a

[vash]

now that they have snow sport specific ones, i bet the use really goes up. i will start next time, because i just banged my head on a snowboard lesson trip.

[jyl]

Just ordered her a Pro-Tec Ace full-face. A little over the top, I guess, but I'm a guy who bought a full-face to AX in. I'll go look at adult helmets.

[Stanley]

I've been wearing a helmet when snowboarding for the last 3 seasons. I feel very "naked" when I don't have it on. It's like wearing a seatbelt on a car for me, its second nature. For snowboarding, another good piece of equipment is wrist guards.

[n8marx]

After taking a concussion-inducing, high speed fall at Squaw Valley 3 years ago I haven't clicked my boots into my bindings without a helmet on. Mine is an older flat black Giro Ravine and I like it a lot.

My kid, who is 4 days old so has plenty of time before learning to ski, won't get the chance without wearing a helmet.

That said, she will not be required to wear a helmet while playing in the yard like most of the neighborhood children.

[Eric 951]

I don't wear one. But when I have kids they will.

[v9ff]

I would were a helmet... I've had some bad falls that ended up with me losing minutes of my life in a blackout.

[cegerer]

Started wearing one a few years ago. They're light and warm. I make my kids wear them although it is becoming a battle with my 14-year old ......

Got a good first hand view of the consequences of not wearing a helmet last year. A first-time boarder somehow figured it would be a good idea to try a black diamond run. This was midweek, 15 to 20F below zero and nobody on the mountain. We were laughing at this idiot as he kareened down the slope, but then he did a nice eggbeater move and went into the trees headfirst on his back. We knew it was going to be big and told the lift operator to call the patrol as we got off the chair. Had we not seen him go in, he would be dead from exposure, no question.

I was the first one to reach this moron and he was motionless with his board still on and his legs twisted arund like pretzels at the bottom of a ravine. Sheared a 4x4 wood post off with his head on the way down. I lifted his eyelids (not sure why? But that's what they do in the movies right? ) and his eyes were rolled back into his head - I yelled up to my buddies that I thought he was dead. Eventually found a pulse. The ski patrol that showed up 15 minutes later was an idiot and was too fat to get his ass down this steep ravine. So me and my buddies wound up strapping this guy to the sled and hauling him out and then carrying him all the way down the mountain (they couldn't get the snowmobile up there due to steepness). All told, about an hour and a half episode in extreme cold weather. Heard later that the guy basically cracked his skull open and was in the hospital for a week or 2, but lived. Scary *****.

[joehahn]

interesting. when i used to ride motorcycles i rarely wore helmet but now find that i am not comfortable skiing without a helmet. perhaps maturity. for those on the fence and wonder about warmth, excessive heat...my helmet has ear flaps that snap ina nd out. never once been cold nor too hot. daughter in picture below had second ski lesson last saturday (i was not there). did not know wife was taking her on chair lift. since she is quite obviously a shredder now I must buck up for a lid. andy s...anything on sale yet for 4 year olds? or how about helping a fellow pelican out w/salomon x-wave 9s???

[GrindingGears]

I've had three concussion in my life. Two from snowboarding, I think... I got the concussions when I was on the Univ. of Oregon snowboard team. After the second concussion I bought a helmet. I like it on cold days and really dislike it on warm/hot days. If I had kids I'd force them to wear a helemt while snowboarding or skateboarding.

Cheers,
Grind

[RickC]

Seems like a trend that's gonna get us all. But I still never use one for skiing - nor my kids. For motorcycles, bicycles - yes - wore a helmet on a motorbike from my first ride in 5th grade. Was briefly on the UC San Diego (really) ski team (Mammoth, Snow Summit). Never felt the need for a helmet.

Having said all that, during my most intense skiing days in the late 1970's and 1980's, the trend from the Mahre (sp?) brothers on up was speed and control and racing. Now it's the early 1970's again in fashion and tricks and freestyle - esp. with snow boards. Maybe helmets make more sense when you're trying out a new trick or jump....probably will give into it someday.....

BTW - I'll ski more when skiiers (women) wear stretch pants again instead of those snowmobile/grunge suits that pass for ski attire today.