LeeW Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Do you wear helmets or not? I dont. i use 'em whenever im required to for racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Why not wear a helmet - they keep you warm, they are a good place to hook your goggles onto so that they don't get lost, and the added bonus is that they spread the blunt force impact over a larger area of you skull, so after you crash you can keep riding for the rest of the day, instead of taking a stretcher ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmut Karvlow Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Took a ski boot to the head 11 years ago put up with alot of name calling before Sonny v. tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ak_rider Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 used to only wera one when i was reguired to when i was racing. then got taken out by an out of control kid on a board and woke up in a hospital. Now i wear one all the time. A new rule this year for CASI courses-helmets are required for all except the level 1. I've also found that helmet are very windproof, i never found a hat that could block the amount of wind my helmet does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgang Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I like all of my brain functions to function when I am done riding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 helmet fo' shizzle. Great for mikey kennedy style tree buttin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I can handle broken arms, legs, fingers, etc but a brain is difficult to repair with cast plaster. I also wear a seat belt when driving and I would not make a very good vegetable so I wear a helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I don't. I probably should. [edit] I don't actually know why I don't ride with one, I have nothing against them at all, and it makes sense. When I'm hairing about at mach umpty on the bike, I wear a helmet, after all. I think I may go shopping. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokkis Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 There has been earlier discussions differences between Europe and US(including Canada) riding habits, ie in US long sticks on slopes and short sticks on off-piste compared to central Europe. This helmet thing looks same kind issue, in US most ride with helmet but in Central Europe it is not very common. Here in Finland most carvers, like in US, ride with helmet. Me personally, since i got my first helmet in mid 90's, i've been riding constantly with it and now when i saw my friend hit by skier last season, i ride also with DaKine Full Wave Jacket. It gives lot's of safety and it does not feel at all while carving but it gives also nice protection for elbows etc :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alakata Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 of course i wear a helmet, 350's back end of his board removed my lip, glad it wasnt any closer to the brain, helmets are smart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Never used to ski or ride with a helmet. I thought I was impervious to all harm. Then several years ago up at Lake Louise my son was very very VERY slow coming down to the lift. Then a patrol came hustling down the trail and quickly came right up to me and asked "are you Joe's dad?" I had gotten a bit out in front of Joe and figured he was behind me all the way down. Instead, he was lying at the edge of the trail... unconsious. I went out and bought us both helmets and have been extremely pleased with that choice ever since. (at least 3 bashes since). Edit: by the way.... that's Joe (bless his heart) in my avatar showing off that monster perch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I wasn't until recently. I knew it would be better, but for pure laziness I wasn't. Then this Christmas Mrs Claus decided that I should preserve a bit of brain that I still have... The advantages are enormous - besides the obvious safety, it is drier in the wet conditions, warmer in cold, perfect for goggles in use and out of use. The only complaint is due to the funny size and shape of my old melon - the L is too small and XL a tad too large for me. Then again, that allows for extra air circulation when hot, and beanie or ear warmer belt when cold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 My wife and I started wearing them about 6 years ago after both getting our bell rung on the same run. We're both on our 2nd helmet now, just 'cause they do eventually get nasty on the inside after several hundred riding days. In addition, mine is more comfortable than a wool hat, and great in both cold wather and warm. It does get in the way of using a cell phone (Vital for meeting other carvers on the hill - otherwise I would leave it home) but other than that I really don't notice it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crucible Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I started wearing one nine years ago, after having a bell-ringing crash in a boardercross race. Bear in mind that most helmets need to be replaced every five years, as per ASTM recommendations. FIY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tdinardo Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I started wearing one nine years ago, after having a bell-ringing crash in a boardercross race.Bear in mind that most helmets need to be replaced every five years, as per ASTM recommendations. FIY. On a related note, helmets should also be replaced after any impact. Same rule as with motocycle helmets. They are one use devices. You can always send a helmet that suffered an impact back to the manufacturer for inspection if you think it's still good. I used to be sponsored by Shoei helmets and one of their technical guys gave me a detailed run down on what happens to the foam in a helmet during an impact. The gist of the conversation was that many times the helmet will still look cosmetically perfect after an impact. All the damage in these cases is internal between the shell and the foam. Once the foam has absorbed energy, it's toast. There is usually a gap between the shell and the foam in the area where the impact occured. My take on it is that helmets are cheap...head injuries are not. When in doubt, buy a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 bike, skate, snowboard...I wear a helmet for everything. Last night my 18-month old nephew (sister's son) had an "I'm still figuring out this socks on wood floors thing" event, fell over backwards and hit his head. I turned to my sister and proposed getting the little guy a helmet which she could just have him wear all the time. Overkill maybe :) I've actually heard people say "helmets are too expensive, and you have to replace them after every crash." Um...yeah. Because the contents of your head aren't worth $50-$100 to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SITO Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Of course, helmet is very important for me,not only for damage on my head if I fall, also for another colision with others snowboarders, skiers, rocks..... I also ride with wrist-guards, and dainesse jacket and pant protections. Sito Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I watched a local board and ski hero Mickey Schwanckard (without helmet) compete in BX national champs, defending his last year's title. The first banked turn - the first obstacle after start, was particularly nasty and all 4 riders got whipped out. Someone landed on Mickey's head and carved a nice cut into it. He managed to get up and finish the heat 2nd, leaving blood all over the course, and qualifying for finals. At the bottom, they patched him up a bit a gave him an old cycling helmet to keep the head in one piece for final race. He ended with silver in the final run, being beaten only by a visiting Canadian hardbooter... Proceeded to the closest city for stitching afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjvircks Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 speed skaters can wear a neck gaiter for protection. Think about going down in a jumble on short track ice and catching someone's blade on your throat as you hit the sidewall pads. My girlfriend's (longtrack skater) gaiter is somewhat uncomfortable but the kevlar layers are reassuring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tdinardo Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I've actually heard people say "helmets are too expensive, and you have to replace them after every crash." LMAO! Yeah, I'm sure they'd think I'm insane spending $400-500 per helmet for my roadracing helmets (plus paint). One season I went through three helmets. Ouch! My wife is convinced the helmets haven't done me much good. I tell her I was always this way...the helmets just stop me from getting worse! The old adage applies....If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 just bought one. will be here monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Started wearing one several years ago. Worked in Neuro Rehab (PT) for a number of years and worked with A LOT of head trauma/TBI patients. Many injured in ski, and snowboard accidents. VERY involved recovery and rehabilitation process and often very sad. After working with my first TBI patient (involved in a skiing accident) I needed no further convincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Houghton Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Maybe Darwin was right, and we should institute an IQ test before you're allowed to buy a helmet. Not smart enough? No helmet for you. I see it a lot, kids all wear helmets, all the parents have are those high-impact toques. Skiiers and boarders, same thing, sure seems that the kids are smarter than the parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeluxflow Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 last january, i was out on peak 10 at breck. It was probably my third time out on hardboots, so i wasn't very comfortable yet, i was cruising down to the right of the lift(centenial?), still trying to get used to the feel of the drasticly different angles of the plate bindings, when some idiot tourist comes flying out of the trees 20 ft. downhill of me. i throw on the brakes, then wash out 'cause i'm not used the the setup, and go flying down into a snow making machine, spin around, and smack my head on a pine tree. cracked the shell of my Giro Chute helmet, my i got out with only a light concussion. first thing i did was go get a full face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Oh, damn. Now I'm gonna have to go buy one. deeluxeflow's story has just given me flashbacks of seeing a friend smash his jaw to a billion pieces due to having a 'wind in your teeth' non-full-face bike helmet. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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