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Helmets?

MilkyWookiee

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just curious for any divas who don't ski in a helmet, what's your reasoning? For those who do, when did you start and why? How often do you replace? I've been wearing one for about 3 years now, ever since I started skiing faster and on steeper terrain, and I've been thankful many times! I've been told to replace every 5 years or after a fall that causes visibile damage to the helmet. When I used to ride horses the rule of thumb was replace after any fall where you hit your head, regardless of whether or not damage is visible.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I might be an outlier. I starting skiing last year, at an (ahem!) advanced age. I have no interest in a head injury. I started with a helmet and won't ski without one.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Of course the safety factor is the most important one, but then throw in that it is warmer than a toque, blocks the wind, gives you something to clip your goggles onto, and for some there's there's the audio option. I consider a helmet an essential part of my gear. My only problem is finding one that fits my egg head. And I don't find the adjustable ones comfortable. So I probably kept my last helmet longer than I should have while hunting for a new one. Note to self, next time start hunting for a new one before I need it.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I'm with diymom. It's just plain warm and practical. I had a hard time with goggles and the helmet. I wear a Salomon and nothing seem to fit my face and helmet until Salomon came out with goggles. Don't really like the optics, but I don't have problems with fogging, freezing to my face, or squishing my nose. So I will deal with the optics.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I wear a Salomon and nothing seem to fit my face and helmet until Salomon came out with goggles
My helmet is a Salomon as well. I have been wanting to try some Salomon goggles on for fit, but none to be found around here.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been skiing for 50yrs, I skied, raced without a helmet and was lucky.. about 15yrs ago my Dad who was a SUPERB skier (Ski patrol examiner) was hit by another skier, he suffered a serious brain bleed. I went with him to the brain surgeon and learned the horrible effects of a brain injury. It definitely shortened his life imho.. he was never the same. I IMMEDIATELY went and bought a helmet before I would ski again. I did have to go to 2 shops tried on at least 15 helmets before finding one that fit properly. I can't imagine Not having a helmet on now. I haven't had any 'hits' (except the bar coming down on me) I am on my 2nd helmet.
 

KBee

Angel Diva
I do. I started the first time I skied after having a kid. No helmet in the 70's through the 90's. But I noticed it was becoming more normal, so I when I went for that one day of skiing in my 4th decade, (Yes, that's the sound of regret.) I asked a friend to borrow his, and was amazed at how cozy and comfortable I was. I wished I had had one all along, it was so much nicer. They're like stuffed animals for your head.
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have worn a helmet since about 1992. Back then I spent a lot of time at Whiteface and all the racers had them so I thought it was cool. I mentioned it to my Mom and she got me one. I think I was 12 or 13 at the time. I have worn one ever since. I have owned 5 helmets in that time but none have ever sustained any serious damage, they just were an older style so i got a new one.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I got a helmet when we bought my daughter her first helmet. She was six. When she started ski school two years before, it wasn't required for kids to wear a helmet and it was actually not easy to rent one either at the resort or at the one ski shop in town. By then she was skiing blues and easy blacks in the southeast. So we got them during late season sales.

What I realized was that a helmet was far more comfortable than a hat in terms of keeping warm and dry. In the southeast and mid-Atlantic, skiing under snow guns is pretty common during the early season. As an older intermediate skiing at tiny hills, mostly with kids, I never fell in a way that it made a difference that I had a helmet. As I started skiing faster, it's definitely been useful. Always been useful when not skiing, whether it's the lift safety bar or getting bumped by someone carrying skis or poles or whatever.
 

Divegirl

Angel Diva
I started wearing helmet when I was diagnosed as hyper-coagulant and put on blood thinners. My doctor told me wear a helmet because if she ever saw me for a ski injury she would make sure I never skied again. Been wearing one for 16 yrs.
I agree w/ keeping your head warmer. I hate hats so I would wear fleece head bands or ear muffs. The muffs would go snapping off my head and the head band would get tangled w/ my goggle strap. Helmets are much easier.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I started on one of our trips to Whistler. Everyone seems to be wearing them. I got back home and ended up with the something that resembled a bowling ball. So that would have been 2001. Many different type and styles later. I really like the fit of the Salomon ICON.

But that is the thing about helmets. It has to fit and be comfortable. Just like your boots! Then the goggles...

I really want to try on the visor type helmets. The Salomon one isn't the right fit for me....
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
My daughter fell and got a concussion -- I think it was back in 2002 -- so we all ended up buying helmets. Back then, it wasn't all that common, but now it's more unusual to see someone skiing without a helmet than with one. So that tells you something.

I've heard that helmets degrade over time, so you should get yourself a new one every now and then (not sure of the timeline, though). And if you fall and your helmet is damaged, you should definitely
replace it then.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I started wearing a helmet in 2001 when I moved to Maine. So - 17 years. DH had started wearing one the year prior, as an instructor at Sugarloaf.

I've had several. I also don't recall the time line for replacement, but I believe I recall it being somewhere in the neighborhood of 5+- years??

A few years ago, I took a head-bonk fall. The helmet *appeared* unscathed. Then I was told that ANY helmet-hitting fall necessitates replacement. So I did. It was about due anyway.

Can't imagine skiing without one now.
 

Eupatoria

Diva in Training
I am a pretty new skier, so I am not really familiar with the paradigm of skiing without a helmet and I am happy to wear one. I have audio for my helmet and it is very cozy and warm. The most important thing for me remains safety.

I was in a France over New Year’s, an out-of-control skier crashed into me. I was standing still on a side of a red slope waiting for some friends. The lady was a green-slope skier and just lost control and hit me at full speed. The way she hit me hit my head significantly, but I was fine — I don’t think I would have been ok without a helmet.

A friend of a friend suffered a major brain injury when skiing Vail last year — she crashed into a tree. She is ok, but she had to have many surgeries. She would have certainly died without a helmet.
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
Our house rule is that nobody steps onto the slope without a helmet. I’ve always worn one, and the message was driven home when one day, I watched the 4 year old and her mother struggle to get off the beginner chair lift in front of me. The child slipped, and got clipped in the head by the chair as it swung past her. That was all the reason I needed to hold firm to the house rules.

Several years ago, DH and I were skiing different runs, with a plan to meet at the bottom. I got there first, which was unusual, and waited for nearly 15 minutes for him. When he arrived, he was walking, carrying his board, and had a faraway look in his eyes...and he couldn’t remember where he’d been. We headed straight to the ski patrol, and he got a ride to the hospital for a concussion. We still don’t know what happened...if he was hit by someone or if he just fell, but his helmet was cracked in two down the back.

Helmets on snow. House rules.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I started skiing in 2006--just did 6 days that year and didn't wear a helmet that year. Basically, I didn't know it was thing. Back then I think it felt like only about 50% of people wore a helmet.
The next year, I decided to get one just because that once I joined internet ski forums, I learned that being hit from behind was a "thing" in skiing and I thought a helmet was a good idea due to that. I've worn one ever since and I find it warm and comfortable. Now it seems like 95% of people wear helmets.
I'm on my third helmet since 2007, so I replace every 4 years or so.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've had helmets since the late 90's and wouldn't go without one. Glad I had one on yesterday morning when I got bumped by the side of the chair when a buddy slid in at the last second without time for me to move. I went down flat (I think I felt a ski go over me) to avoid any chance of the chair hitting me. I was down on ice and dirt and don't know if I hit my head or not. Thank god for helmets, aware lifties and knowing instinctively to duck.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Nobody wore helmets when we were kids. I got back into skiing two seasons ago and immediately bought one. Then, very similar to @nopoleskier, I watched a parent go through a traumatic brain injury. I ditched my original helmet and bought one with the MIPS feature.

I was extremely grateful to have it on when I slipped on the ice just outside the lodge last month and hit my head as I came down on the asphalt. Now if it's icy, I make a point to keep the helmet on when walking around in my ski boots.
 

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