Ski Helmets?

I am just getting back into skiing, bought a seasons pass for White Pass. I skied a LOT from age 3 into my early twenties. The last time I skied was 2000, I am 41 now. I have never seen a ski helmet in person let alone anyone wearing one.

Along with my friends in my teens I skied the most extreme runs at most of the mountains around Washington State; Crystal Mt, Mt Bachelor, Sun Valley etc, we never wore or heard of "ski helmets".

People have been Skiing for 100's maybe even 1000's of years and all the sudden, in the last 5-10 years, you have to wear a helmet? I think helmets are overkill, probably pushed by helmet manufactures. Whats next, jogging or walking helmets?

Now I will admit if you are skiing on "rails" or anything like that where you could hit your head on solid metal, a helmet would be a good idea, but for "normal" or "regular" skiing I don't buy it.

Just my 2c,
Brad

Welcome to the forum Brad

brad1138 wrote:

People have been Skiing for 100's maybe even 1000's of years and all the sudden, in the last 5-10 years, you have to wear a helmet? I think helmets are overkill, probably pushed by helmet manufactures. Whats next, jogging or walking helmets?

Brad 

It's only in the last ten years that there has really been an option to wear a helmet when skiing and boarding. People have been skiing for hundreds of years without health insurance. As you are in the States, I assume you have health coverage. Do you think it would be responsible as a 41 year old with all the responsibilities we take on by that age, to risk everything by skiing without health care coverage ?. One bad crash and you could be bankrupt. Helmets are a similar insurance (only much much cheaper).

Would you bat at baseball w/o a helmet or go back to the good old days and just turn your cap backwards ? Would you play (American) football w/o a helmet or would you trust those old leather hat things ? The world moves on and we generally benefit.

On a practical note, helmets are very warm and comfortable. Most helmet wearers would not go back to hats for just these practical reasons, yet alone the safety issue.

On a couple of very warm days last season, I skied sans helmet, But only because the slopes were quiet and I didn't need to go near any hard hazards.



Trencher

I'm afraid to say I do not wear a helmet. It's out of sheer laziness rather than anything. I'm rather of the mind, if a gentleman can't get it in his pockets he doesn't need it.

I am thinking of it this season though.

Welcome to the forum brad1138. One of the main differences between resort skiing way back and right now, is grooming. Modern resort slope preparation leaves a rock hard base, which feels just like tarmac when you hit head 1st.
Can't blame the resorts, they need to make a firm base to last the season.

I wear a helmet unless I'm using my skins. I'd consider carrying it with me if the descent was rocky.

More insurers seem to be asking the question about helmet wear in the event of a medical claim.

Of course you don't "have" to wear a helmet, or a back protector, but many folks do, me included. Average skier speed within resorts seems to have increased and not everyone ski's in control. Some of us feel that the safest place to ski is off piste, I just wish I had the skills to make the best of the terrain.

I'm thinking of all the developments made to skis made since 2000. Enjoy

Personally, I dont think I would wear a helmet unless it became compulsary. I often dont wear a hat at all, as I like to feel the air on my head, and hats make me too hot (unless its minus 20 of course!)

I see the reasons why people choose to wear them, but I guess my thoughts are that I wont need to worry about things like that, and thats despite having a bad collision in Austria on Xmas Day 3 years ago with an Austrian woman who was all over the place. She went down like a sack of spuds and hit her head on the ice, but was wearing a helmet. I dread to think what would have happened had she not been doing so.

I guess with a lot of people, its something of a fashion statement not to wear one, as they do look a bit "nerdy".

I actually believe that they have become more acceptable as they have started to become more stylish and fashionable.

New school skiers, freestylers, big mountain skiers, and the likes have all started wearing them.

With these type of skiers wearing them more thought has been put into design bringing them more up to date.

Hey guys, I'm the first vote for "always"

I live in an area (Nova Scotia) where the meaning of "free world" is slipping day by day, or at least changing to "you do what the government tells you to do - or we will fine you". The politicians decided (based on useless advice from the medical people) it was best for "us" to be forced to wear bicycle helmets when on a bike. (I'd like to say to them "on your bike"!) So I stopped riding my bike. It has cost me a loss of fitness level.

When I took up skiing I decided for myself that a helmet was potentially wise move - so I went with that. There have been a few occasions in which this was proven to be a wise move indeed. The helmet provides a good location for storing the goggles. It also has a warming effect and has saved me from a few headaches.

I expect in a very few years the Canadian government will force a helmet law upon us and in thinking of this I'm glad I have already accepted the "brain bucket". I certainly wouldn't want to give up skiing.

I'm certainly not one of those people who "attack" helmet-less people on the chair lift and preach the use of helmets. Everyone should have the choice

Mike

I must admit that i make my kids wear them all the time whilst skiing,Although i dont wear one myself. Its illegle in Italy for under 14`s since Jan 2005.If you trawl through the threads we had a debate about this very subject. Titled Bicycle helmet on the slopes.
Welcome to the forum



AJ Adele

I have a helmet but i only wear it sometimes, like if im in the park or skiing off piste and in trees. Just normal piste skiing i dont tend to, cant really hear a huge amount with it on?? or maybe im just deaf, who knows!!

More and more people are wearing them though, especially boarders.

bennyboy wrote:

I have a helmet but i only wear it sometimes, like if im in the park or skiing off piste and in trees. Just normal piste skiing i dont tend to, cant really hear a huge amount with it on?? or maybe im just deaf, who knows!!

More and more people are wearing them though, especially boarders. 

We made our son`s super cool by putting a bright turquoise mohawk on it, All the other kids love it and the lift ops always smile and brush their hands over it.


AJ Adele

Yeah thats a good way to get kids to wear them

The ski school in Big White were doing that to the kids who refused to wear them, they did something to the helmet that they liked and the attention that it attracted meant that they wanted to wear it all the time

Then there's the 'grown ups'