Ski helmets: Yes or no

When I started skiing, nobody, not even racers wore helmets. Your argument means nothing to me.

As I said, I'm not consistent as I won't ride a bicycle or a bike without one, or drive a vehicle without a seatbelt. I did spend a LOT of time in my teens and twenties perfecting the crash on skis. I know how to do it and realize when I'm going to do it. It would be different if I were to race downhill...those are serious speeds and would call for a helmet. Ballet skiing is rarely done faster than a fast walk. You go into the trees and kill yourself at those speeds, you deserve it.

 

The Wasatch is currently on track for the worst snow year in history. And that's not hyperbole.

In an average year, i've done 20+ backcountry days by this time. This season, 4. And 2 of 'em in CO.

Groomed stuff at the resorts is good for a couple hours a day, then gets not so good. If it's not groomed, there's no coverage. Absolutely nothing steepish or where snow isn't mandmade that you won't hit dirt. How will Feb be? We're expecting a pretty solid storm this weekend that will help. Late Feb will probably be getting skiable.

 

Uh..yes.

 

Yes. In fact i need to get one. My parents got our kids new helmets for Christmas, but I’ve never owned one.

What i HAVE done is smacked my face on the ice and given myself a black eye. That was in 7th grade, but I’m probably due for another good fall by now...

One of the kids already took a chairlift to the noggin this season. Helmet saved her afternoon, and mine.

 

My SiL was goofing around on skis in the terrain park....flipped and smacked his head/neck. 6 months out of work and damn lucky not to be in a wheel chair. Would a helmet of helped? Who knows but it wouldn't have hurt either. You know that the pros not only wear helmets but they now have air bag suits too. Maybe only the down-hillers but still.

 

It's been 30 years since I left Utah, (Beats Co, Id, and Ca skiing) helmets were worn only by the Olympics .
The thread made me think it might be a good idea, thought the Han's device would be good and then saw this was confirmation.
I was skiing down a blue run, end of day, flat light and going slow. Didn't see the dip and I was on my back so fast, wind knocked out of me and I was seeing starts.
My head and neck experienced a rear end collision with the ground. Get the helmet and the Han's device.

 

I started wearing a helmet about 15 years ago, when I was getting my daughters started. Since then, I've smacked my head on the ground hard enough to get the "white flash" twice. Pretty sure the helmet prevented more serious injuries.

And agreed that Utah has the best skiing in the US. Great terrain, great snow, and proximity to SLC make it wonderful.

 

I always wear a helmet. Ski raced for years, motorcycle raced for more years so even my free skiing was aggressive, so it seems obvious. But the one that made me wear a helmet EVERY time was skiing backwards with my then 5 year old youngest son between my legs no more than 5 mph and catching an edge and whacking my head on icy snow hard enough to knock me dingy. Since then, ATGATT. Period.

 

I actually worked for jim downing the hans creator... and some dr. dude... and my boss/ supervisor was the 68 yr. old who created the fiberglass mold and original prototype.

do you mean like a neck donut or something? never heard of hans for alpine.... they are owned by simpson racing now so i have no idea.

 

From what little I know of their purpose, I thought a HANS device was primarily intended to keep the head attached to the neck/avoid a basal skull fracture in a high energy collision, in a car. Skiing is a lot more dynamic and diverse in its body use, body position, and impact loads than sitting in a car, more analogous to motocross to choose an obvious comparison. First Leatt, and now more manufacturers like AStars, EVS, Atlas and others, have evolved a different sort of neck brace, similar in concept to a HANS device, but expressly designed for MXers (and far, far more protective than a neck donut), that would probably work far better for skiers off the shelf, or with further adaptations. Here are some examples: https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/riding-gear/dirt-bike-neck-braces I own and use a Leatt. It is restrictive, but it's worth it to me. Still, skiing is not a sport in which a broken neck and resulting paralysis is a common sort of injury. It happens, but I wonder if the risk is enough to make this worth it, and to overcome the restrictive nature. For example, as regrettably common as paralyzing neck injuries are in motocross, not all (or even a majority of) pro racers wear one.

 

I find it hard to figure out why anyone wouldn't wear a helmet skiing or snowboarding. A good one is super comfy and WAY warmer than a beanie...plus it protects your fuckin head. Funny thing is most people not wearing them are terrible skiers/boarders.
I am always surprised when I see pros not wearing them...

 

Cause a beanie is cheaper than a helmet. Never mind that some probably didn't think twice of the price of a nice set of goggles.

 

word

the turning point for me was 1996ish. we did a trip from CO (where, in those days, maybe 20% of folks were on the helmet train) to Jackson Hole. First tram ride, i looked around and realized ALL the locals were in buckets. the difference was shockingly clear.

there's no rational argument against wearing one, but just as with moto helmets, bicycle helmets, climbing helmets, etc... make your own choices.