What is the current obsession with.....

[ComedyPilot]

...helmets.......when skiing?

Going in 2 weeks, and find the increasing number of people advising I wear a helmet to be puzzling....

 

[ComedyPilot]

[QUOTE 2250911, member: 259"]Keeping your head warm?[/quote]
Got some really good fleece hats for that job.

 

[TVC]

Come on
CP isn't this thread just a way to make sure everyone knows you're going skiing?

 

[thom]

I think it's an attitude shift to safety as people get more ambitious on the slopes. Natasha Richardson's death having fallen awkwardly while standing still on a gentle slope, made people are more mindful that accidents happen on ski slopes with odd consequences, even if they are unlikely.
I've been on ski holidays where helmets were compulsory. If you intend to go off-piste (more and more people are keen to do so) it is a good idea.
Friends of mine had a scary fall on a double diamond run at Lake Louise years ago (in the US I think helmets were more prevalent earlier). Since then, they just wear them as a matter of course. I like them because they are very warm, even in harsher weather.

 

[Silver Fox]

Protection in the event of a tumble ?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Because a sleb died, then all of a sudden it was helmets all round.
Would be interesting to know the stats for head injuries and deaths for skiing.

 

[biggs682]

its no different to wearing one when cycling and more likely to be needed

 

[ComedyPilot]

Interesting point by Thom, that people might be getting more adventurous/pushing the limit, and therefore crash more?

 

[Steve H]

I've been skiing most years over the last decade and there has been a massive shift.

In the early years you just saw wooly hats. Then the kids would wear them in ski school and the occasional out of control boarder would have one.

Gradually more and more people started wearing them and now they are absolutely in the majority. I continued skiing without as I thought they would be heavy and claustrophobic. However I tried a mate's out and was surprised how light they are.

I took the plunge last year and got full helmet and goggles. They are great. Not going back now. Feels warm and safe.

Skiing again this year in a couple of weeks time - can't wait!

 

[thom]

Interesting point by Thom, that people might be getting more adventurous/pushing the limit, and therefore crash more?

Well, even if you aren't caning it off piste, it's just you are more likely to fall until you get more skilled. The British Ski Federation require you to have helmets on some of their holidays.
I remember colliding with someone on one, bashing heads. We were both dazed but OK. I don't like to think what a skull to skull knock would have felt like. I've lost enough brain cells to heading footballs in times past...

 

[LarryDuff]

In Italy they are compulsory for under 18s.

Last time I went skiing in France it was the general consensus that to encourage the kids to were helmets then all the adults would too. Ended up with everyone wearing helmets except me - the hire shop didn't have one big enough for me.

 

[Drago]

I thought limb breakages were the most common skiing injury. You'd think they'd do something about that first.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Discussing it with Mrs CP, she wants me to be safe.

The only bad fall I had was when trying to pass a slower skier. I passed to her right, at the extreme right of the slope, expecting her next turn to be left. Sods law she did a right then left, I crashed and almost hit a snow cannon concrete mounting plinth. She skied on blissfully unaware that I was there or had crashed. I was in the wrong, and paid for it with a bad/fast fall, but luckily no injury.

In 30 years I have never turned into another skiers path.

Yes, people do look uphill before setting off, but in my experience, there aren't that many who look where they're going once underway.

 

[fossyant]

They will be making you wear helmets on bikes next.

 

[Globalti]

It's a bone of contention in our family. Mrs Gti and Gti Junior wear them and keep going on at me to get one to the point where last year I actually raised my voice at them (scary, eh?) so they've backed off a bit now.

I've been skiing for around 30 years and have been hit on the noggin a couple of times but I've fallen and bashed my hips very many more times. As somebody else wrote above I reckon a shoulder or arm or hip or knee injury is far more likely.