J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by SwingBeep

The Head Magnum and Rally are too wide, you need something that is <70mm under foot. The Head iSupershape Speed would be a better choice, but make sure you get them with PRD 14 bindings and not PRX 12 bindings (the PRX has a 7mm delta which is too much for most people). There are lots of shops in Germany that will ship them to you, they won't charge German VAT, but you will have to pay shipping costs, a customs fee and Swiss VAT
http://www.ski-outdoor-shop.de/produkte/head-isupershape-speed-2015-16#

They would cost CHF 729 if you bought them here http://www.albanisport.ch/balsthal/balsthal-ski-men-15-16/head-supershape-i-speed

Aldi ski helmets are made by a German company called Cratoni and normally retail for €99.95 http://test.cratoni.de/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=category&layout=cratoni&virtuemart_category_id=25&Itemid=823&lang=en Aldi are just bypassing the normal distribution channels and applying a smaller mark up than a sports shop would.

As there hasn't been a reduction in the number of severe head injuries suffered by skiers since helmets have been widely used it is likely that the current standard is inadequate. 250g is pretty high and 12mph is pretty slow, in the tests the helmets are dropped crown first onto a flat anvil which isn't a real life occurrence.

In 2014 a Swedish insurance company asked the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm to test 13 helmets in a more realistic manner. Unfortunately the full report is only available in Swedish http://www.folksam.se/polopoly_fs/1.121986!/Rapport_Folksams_skidhj%C3%A4lmtest_2014.pdf but there is a summary in English http://issuu.com/go_out/docs/folksam_test_results_in_english_10-

Might be worth a look if you're thinking of buying a new one.

Ski helmets are only designed to absorb a single impact, if you drop one on the ground whilst putting it on it's buggered. The recommended replacement interval is 3 – 5 years, the materials used to make them degrade over time.

You paid more than a wee bit over the odds for that helmet. They cost less than 15 quid in a German Aldi, it looks like Aldi are ripping off their UK customers just as badly as the major supermarkets do!

All ski helmets sold in the EU have to meet EN 1077, unfortunately it's not a very demanding standard. The impact test requires that a deceleration of no more than 250g is transmitted to the head in an impact at 5.42m/s (a little over 12 mph). Concussion occurs at around 80 to 120g and serious injury or death can occur at 200g, as the risk of a severe brain injury increases with age. I wouldn't select a helmet just on its ability to meet EN 1077.

You could probably make a helmet that performed better than some of the helmets currently on sale out of cardboard!

This is from the Verbier 2015/16 winter press dossier.

"NOUVEAU ! Drones Hexo+

Exit les caméras embarquées, les drones sont les nouveaux accessoires à la mode pour immortaliser les plus beaux paysages et les exploits sportifs des vacances d'hiver. Grâce à une nouvelle collaboration avec la société française Hexo+, Verbier fait office de précurseur. En première européenne, la station permet aux skieurs et snowboardeurs de louer des drones suiveurs. Sans télécommande, ces drones innovants accompagnent les descentes et les figures grâce au système Bluetooth et à une application smartphone. Si l'utilisation de drones privés est interdite sur l'ensemble du domaine skiable, les drones Hexo+ peuvent survoler des zones définies à l'avance, telles que le funslope à Savoleyres ou le snowpark de la Chaux. Prix : entre 250 et 400 CHF
Encadrement sur place par un professionnel afin de garantir la meilleure expérience. Réservation sur le site internet des remontées mécaniques de Verbier : www.verbier4vallees.ch"

As yet there is no mention of the service on the Verbier website.

Alain Baxter would also be my first choice, but he doesn't carry much stock so he might have to order some in for you. Karla Mason at Craigdon Mountain Sport in Perth and Shona Anderson at Nevisport in Glasgow also have good reputations. Make sure you ring to make an appointment first.

Here in Upper Valais we got a bit more than expected, 30-50cm at 2000m. When the weather comes from the west it often passes us by. Temperatures have fallen dramatically and there is hardly any wind, ideal snow making conditions. The cannons are running at full blast.



Zermatt is aiming to make 1.5 million cubic metres of artificial snow over the next few weeks.

CdMB have bought a 62% stake that was owned by the village for €13.6 million, 22% of the rest belongs to the Rothschild family. They have agreed to invest €80 million over the next 10 years which is badly needed as some of the lifts date back to the early 1970s.

In 2019 they plan to take over Saint Gervais and Saint Nicolas de Véroce, presumably they will build a better link to Les Houches at some point.

There's company in Italy just over the border from me that makes fishing rods and skis http://www.baronesport.it/ If you could convince your bosses top stock the rods you might be able to get a good deal on a pair of skis.