Why bother with a helmet??

Inconspicuous · 09-02-2015 6:20pm #1

Lads,

I've boarded for 10 years without a helmet and despite a fair few falls and crashes I've gotten away without any serious incidents.

Got a helmet this year and on the last run of the first day (home red in Soll at the bottom before the Moonlight bar) I caught the front edge of my board at a relatively low speed on a relatively flat section cos I wasn't paying attention. I somersaulted and landed on my back and was in quite a bit of pain, but made it home to my bed for the night.

Getting ready for the next day's boarding I was putting my helmet on and noticed it had taken a knock.

I'll never tell people what they should and shouldn't do.....but I for one will never board again without a helmet and hopefully this might give some food for thought for others...

Fattes · 09-02-2015 6:38pm

Watch the "Crash reel" by Kevin Pearce and then decide!

Hi Down Syndrome brother put it best when he said "why you so stupid" he gets it

AlternateID · 09-02-2015 7:08pm

Fattes wrote: »

Watch the "Crash reel" by Kevin Pearce and then decide!

Hi Down Syndrome brother put it best when he said "why you so stupid" he gets it

He's a lucky lucky bloke. They say if he wasn't wearing a helmet he wouldn't of made it. His recovery is truly remarkable from where he was to where he is now.

Inconspicuous, that's a serious impact on your helmet. Clearly it did what it is designed to do. If it was recent and you don't feel right go see someone. Don't put it off and bring the helmet. Perhaps buy a lottery ticket too.

I did the old edge catching backwards flip with no helmet. I got away with a mild concussion but being the idiot that I am I still didn't get a helmet until I met some trees the following year.

MillField · 09-02-2015 7:11pm

Only been snowboarding once. I didn't bother renting a helmet for the week but I definitely would if I was to go again. Way too easy to fall and hit your head off the floor.

fannymagee · 09-02-2015 7:49pm

Inconspicuous wrote: »

Lads,

I've boarded for 10 years without a helmet and despite a fair few falls and crashes I've gotten away without any serious incidents.

Got a helmet this year and on the last run of the first day (home red in Soll at the bottom before the Moonlight bar) I caught the front edge of my board at a relatively low speed on a relatively flat section cos I wasn't paying attention. I somersaulted and landed on my back and was in quite a bit of pain, but made it home to my bed for the night.

Getting ready for the next day's boarding I was putting my helmet on and noticed it had taken a knock.

I'll never tell people what they should and shouldn't do.....but I for one will never board again without a helmet and hopefully this might give some food for thought for others...

Wow, close call!! You must've been pretty dazed if you didn't notice that helmet gash till the next morning?! (Or maybe you were dazed by the Moonlight haha) ;-)

maddness · 09-02-2015 8:11pm

I won't ski without a helmet now as I have a wife and kids and realise that I'm not invincible like I thought I was when I was in my twenties.

Saying that if someone decides not to wear one that's there decision and I'd never have a problem with that, I might not agree with the decision but let them at it.

fannymagee · 09-02-2015 9:39pm

PS dare I ask was that a rental helmet?! ;-)

CardinalJ · 09-02-2015 10:50pm

I got a helmet after a crash in Mayrhofen 2 years ago. One of those ones where someone has to bring you your poles, goggles and skis.

When I look back at skiing without a helmet now I think about how stupid I'd think someone out on a trail mountain biking was without one.

Inconspicuous those photo's are scary.

stevire · 10-02-2015 10:18am

Serious pics, can happen so easily. You don't need to be doing pipe, jumps or serious speed for it to happen. Upgraded my helmet this year the last one took a few knocks.

That home run in Soll does get quite icy later in the day, I'd imagine the surface was like concrete when you hit it!

Inconspicuous · 10-02-2015 10:25am

This happened over a week ago and looking back on it I was probably concussed at the time but didn't realise because the pain in my lower back and left leg was focusing the mind more :rolleyes:

I was grand in the head when I got up the next morning (after 12 hours bed rest), it was just my back that was sore. The helmet definitely did its job!!!

It wasn't a rental fanny (although I'd have taken a perverse pleasure in bringing that back to a shop to see the reaction!). It was brand new and just out of the box!!

But I honestly didn't care!! I was straight down to Snow and Fun the next morning and bought another brand new lid! Didn't care how much it set me back!

All in all though a great trip. A couple of days after this we skied from Soll to Kitzbuhel and back to do the Hahnenkamm run!! My God that was some eye opener!! I've a whole new respect for ski racers after seeing that run!! :eek::eek:

Inconspicuous · 10-02-2015 10:26am

stevire wrote: »

That home run in Soll does get quite icy later in the day, I'd imagine the surface was like concrete when you hit it!

It certainly felt like concrete when I hit it :pac::pac:

lbj666 · 10-02-2015 2:32pm

If the helmet is smashed to bits but your head is ok, the helmet has done its job.

The main no helmet argument in this case would be, you wore a helmet for the first time after 10years , you got brave, you crashed because you got too brave. Which is absolute bollocks in my opinion.

fannymagee · 10-02-2015 3:29pm

Inconspicuous wrote: »

This happened over a week ago and looking back on it I was probably concussed at the time but didn't realise because the pain in my lower back and left leg was focusing the mind more :rolleyes:

I was grand in the head when I got up the next morning (after 12 hours bed rest), it was just my back that was sore. The helmet definitely did its job!!!

It wasn't a rental fanny (although I'd have taken a perverse pleasure in bringing that back to a shop to see the reaction!). It was brand new and just out of the box!! But I honestly didn't care!! I was straight down to Snow and Fun the next morning and bought another brand new lid! Didn't care how much it set me back!

All in all though a great trip. A couple of days after this we skied from Soll to Kitzbuhel and back to do the Hahnenkamm run!! My God that was some eye opener!! I've a whole new respect for ski racers after seeing that run!! :eek::eek:

Yeah exactly, I was wondering what they'd say haha!! Obv great it did its job though, regardless of cost. You'll have to change your username to Humpty Dumpty ;-)

Fattes · 10-02-2015 5:13pm

Helmets work like crumple zones on cars, they are designed to shatter on impact.

Look at Scott McCarthys crash in Kitzbul a few years back! Helmet cracked on half after impact but dissipated the force away from his noggin.

Send it back to the mañana there they may want it for research and might reward you

cormee · 13-02-2015 11:49pm

This is the sort of thread that should be made a sticky

sheesh · 16-02-2015 6:54pm

we could put up pics of damaged helmets!.

First time snowboarding this year on the start of the third caught my heel side edge on a flat section fell down hill felt my head bounce off the ice would have been alot worse without a helmet. didn't snowboard for the rest of the day but got back up the next day.

If you are starting off get as much safety equipment as you can afford. I knew I was going to be falling alot wrist knee ass and head protection. all were used.

duckysauce · 23-02-2015 4:31pm

Getting off a lift last week got clipped in the back of the head by a chair lift , would have been nasty if I had no lid.

AlternateID · 23-02-2015 8:18pm

duckysauce wrote: »

Getting off a lift last week got clipped in the back of the head by a chair lift , would have been nasty if I had no lid.

Both myself and a mate have been hit repeatedly by overzealous people both opening and closing the chair arm too early when nobody is ready.

loobylou · 23-02-2015 10:02pm

Uncannily similar story to OP.
Skiied 10 years or more without a helmet then crashed the day after my wife bought me one for my birthday. Cracked the helmet wide open and burst up all the polystyrene inside.
Needless to say I've worn one ever since.

granty1987 · 24-02-2015 10:13am

Had a similar experience with a back protector, never wore one then decided to buy one of a friend. That day I went boarding with him in The Stash in Avoriaz and when spinning onto a feature I caught my heel edge on the wood and did a reverse jack knife - thankfully the back protector did its job swimingly!

bajj · 25-02-2015 1:40pm

i've worn a helmet since a collision with a mad russian twat in Mayrhofen a few years ago, fortunately no accidents since then but will never ski without one. I can't understand why people won't wear them, they are light, comfortable, warm and in some cases stylish, not to mind safe. Unfortunately in my experience the majority of people you see not wearing helmets these days are Irish?? I even know of a guy who hired one and then never wore it?? I suppose its our desire to be different, whatever, i don't preach and never will but I feel it makes us look bad to the locals.

Northern Monkey · 28-02-2015 3:54pm

I wiped out yesterday 100 meters from the last run of the year. Hit ice,it spun me backwards and I bashed the back of my head hard on the ground. I didn't feel right for a couple of hours after it. Woke up this morning and my head is fine, but I have a swollen elbow and a massive bruise on my leg!

kal7 · 03-03-2015 1:50pm

just back from week in Flaine, I always wear helmet.

There use was reinforced to me by skiing with guy who was hit by skier on a piste and left with mild brain damage, few years before.
He probably would not have made it at all without his helmet.

He is ok and still skis, but never able to return to his job.

Personally I think most dangerous bit is at lift queue, people turning around with skis on shoulders, almost got clocked twice during the week, glad I had helmet on.

AlternateID · 03-03-2015 4:56pm

kal7 wrote: »

just back from week in Flaine, I always wear helmet.

There use was reinforced to me by skiing with guy who was hit by skier on a piste and left with mild brain damage, few years before.
He probably would not have made it at all without his helmet.

He is ok and still skis, but never able to return to his job.

Personally I think most dangerous bit is at lift queue, people turning around with skis on shoulders, almost got clocked twice during the week, glad I had helmet on.

Skis on shoulders, yep. Some tool did that very thing this week except there were about 6 people walking behind him and a few in front. I shoved his skis back in line before he could take anyone out.

Today I got whacked by an over zealous chair bar girl. Left a fine mark on my helmet.

sallymomo · 04-03-2015 11:46am

Aside from the daily bangs on the head with lift bars, I got to appreciate the benefits of a helmet last year for the first time.
It was a bad week for falls and a couple of days before I tore my cartilage I was standing on the top of a red run waiting for the group to gather. Just before I set off down the slope I turned my body to check on one of the group and one of my skis slipped. I fell instantly downslope on my left hand side and did not have time to reach out and landed hard with my head smacking off the ground.
Have to say, I was dazed for quite a while and had a bad headache all day.

That was from a standing position, with a helmet on. I can only imagine what a collision would do, without a helmet on.

It's similar to a seat belt in a car, just use the thing, it's their for yours and everyone else's safety. You don't look cooler without either

Why bother with a helmet??

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