J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

tigga69 wrote:So I skydived for 20 years and saw a lot of changes in the sport...
hard hats were for beginners till they got used by the top teams, then they became a status symbol.
Did they prevent deaths - NO
Did they improve the performance of people - YES

That's an interesting perspective. Knowing nothing about skydiving, I'd assume a helmet would be very little use if things really go wrong but guess hard landings or collisions (in the air?) are where they work?

Just like skiing though, I can see they'd have useful non-safety benefits too; a more stable platform for goggles, radios, cameras, etc.

tigga69 wrote:So for skiing, a hard hat will reduce injury if you fall and smack your head.
Wearing one will give some people more confidence.

I think the only time I'm aware of more confidence is among the trees (head-butting spiky branches used to be no fun at all!). 8)

Tony_H wrote:bullying

You're starting to sound like one of Monty Python's peasants... "look, look, I'm being oppressed". :roll:

Tony_H wrote:Fact: skiing has not become more dangerous.

That's not a fact, that's your opinion. More experienced skiers have tried to explain to you (several times) that better skis, faster lifts and more grooming have (in their opinion) increased the speed and numbers of people on piste.

Tony_H wrote:Fact: it is not compulsory to wear head protection.

True, and that's as it should be (IMO).

Tony_H wrote:Fact: A couple of high profile injuries and deaths were blown out of proportion by the media

True.

Tony_H wrote:whether you want to look like a special needs day release

Your regular use of derogatory terms for people with brain injuries is somewhat ironic in the context. Amongst our forum users, we have at least one person who has recovered from a serious head injury - not anyone's idea of fun.

Tony_H wrote:Fact: there is always a chance you could get taken out on the slopes by someone else. Is this good enough reason to feel the need to put your head in a lid?

For many people, yes it is. Collisions often involve head injuries.

For myself, a helmet simply mitigates some of the risks inherent (and rather obvious) in hurtling around in a natural and often unpredictable environment full of ice, rocks and trees.

And if some bloke with a fetish for skiing with a big green tassel on his head tells me I don't look cool... I think I can cope! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: The irony is strong in this one.

Please keep this thread on topic from now on, ta.

Ian Wickham wrote:I think I would prefer to see adders dressed up as Chemmy

:shock: :shock: I really do hope I'm not alone in finding that news rather alarming! :lol:

Marksman wrote:Perhaps if we get enough people to chuck a tenner into a pot for a chosen charity then Chemmy will lend Adders one of her race suits

It would take more than money to make that happen... surgery, probably. 8)

bazule wrote:I have read conflicting articles to just how much safety a helmet offers.

The best source of facts (stats and studies) I've found is at www.ski-injury.com/prevention/helmet.

And there is a summary of the latest research here - www.ski-injury.com/research/isss-2011

To date research has shown that helmets are effective at protecting against the majority of mild/moderate head injuries but hard evidence has been lacking that helmets can protect against more serious injuries such as skull fractures.

bazule wrote:Do most skiers now wear a helmet?

Certainly amongst the people I ski with. Of around 20 people I've skied with this season, only one skied without a lid.

bazule wrote:what are your thoughts?

No downside, plenty of benefits.

Apart from safety; they keep your head warmer and dryer, won't fly off (with your goggles) when you stack it and they allow you to put your goggles up in lifts without them steaming up... etc. etc.

Er, that's it.

Tony_H wrote:Did anyone inform you that off piste in Italy is actually illegal?

Where have you got that from Tony?

AFAIK, it is now mandatory to carry avi kit if going off-piste in Italy - but I'm not sure if that's actually law or locally-enforced rules of the ski areas.

I've only heard of one resort (Livigno) that has banned it completely.

Anyone else shed any light on this?

Quick heads-up for anyone flying out of the UK tomorrow.

Heathrow Airport has cancelled 30% of its flights for Sunday following a weather warning from the Met Office.

Heavy snowfall is expected in the southeast of England overnight and Heathrow said a reduced flight schedule had been agreed to minimise disruption to passengers.

A revised scheduled showing which flights will operate will be published on www.heathrow.com at 18:00hrs today.

Full report from TravelMole

Disruption is possible for all UK airports tomorrow, so check with airports and airlines before travelling.

Quick links for Gatwick and Heathrow Airports.

Snow-Camp's Everest Challenge 2012 raises over £25,000 for youth charity!

"The Everest Challenge has got everything a great fundraising event needs – where else can you combine snowsports, a genuine endurance challenge, loads of prizes and a huge party all for an amazing cause!" Chemmy Alcott

Snow-Camp, one of Britain's most innovative youth charities, has held its third annual charity Ski and board-a-thon in the Portes du Soleil region, between January 26th and 29th 2012.

This year the Everest Challenge was bigger than ever, with 52 snow-sports enthusiasts joining together to fundraise for the charity by doing something they love to do: skiing or snowboarding like never before! The 48 hour team event involved two non-stop dawn to dusk days of skiing, and two night sessions including a night ski and night hike - with a target of 150km to be achieved in time allowed by each team.



Dan Charlish, Snow-Camp's Director said, 'This year was by far the most challenging of the three Everest Challenges we have now run! We had really difficult conditions over both days, but particularly on Day 1 where visability was zero and heavy snow and wind made things pretty tricky – but all the teams remained committed to the task, morale was always high and everyone pushed through to complete the Challenge! It was a fantastic effort by everyone involved and we are so grateful for the enthusiasm and support shown by all the participants!

Teams were tracked by G Trek GPS systems, capturing their route and total distance covered during the event. At the Awards Night which closes the Challenge the Orange Team celebrated victory with a fantastic total of 208 km covered over the 48 hours!

Ellis Brigham once again sponsored the event, and Mark Brigham commented: 'We continue to support The Everest Challenge as it's a uniquely rewarding event for with a very simple concept - ski and snowboard over a massive distance to enable more young people to enjoy skiing and snowboarding!'

Alongside the ski industry, participants from companies such as Ernst and Young, Rolls Royce, Ericsson, RBS, British Airways, Mace Group and Stratum Five joined students, engineers and teachers to make up a fantastic group of people on this years challenge!

Over £25,000 has already been raised and more is predicted as fundraising continues through February and March. All funds raised will go toward Snow-Camp's work supporting inner-city young people through skiing, snowboarding and life-skills development. (Please see www.snow-camp.org.uk for more details of the charities work.)

If you would like to sign up as an individual or team for next years event please contact Dan from Snow-Camp on dan@snow-camp.org.uk. However, due to constant questions about whether the event is held in Nepal, next years event is going to be called The Snow-Camp Alp-a-thon! See you there!

Snapzzz wrote:
Spinosaurus

Is the correct answer! PM me your address Mr Snapzzz and a Pole Position shall be yours.

There'll be some more silly competitions along in the morning to make Friday fly by faster... :lol: