It usually happens after the fact. You catch an edge, lose your balance, an out-of-control skier clocks you. Whatever the incident, get thumped on the head hard enough to ring your bell and you'll soon be shopping for a helmet. When Dr. Rob Williams walked away from a serious cycling accident in 2001, the avid skier and snowboarder had his helmet to thank but he knew that not everyone - especially those outside of the cycling industry - would be so lucky.
"Our sport's changed a lot," Williams declared at a National Ski Patrol Conference this spring. "This is not your dad's mountain." Resort operations glade areas to encourage tree skiing; there's off-piste, backcountry and side country skiing and there are terrain (aka trauma) parks. "Glades, terrain parks, and off-piste skiing have led to a decrease in the speed that people ski and ride, meaning that many accidents are at slower speeds, where helmets can be most effective," Williams explained. "I have no doubt that if Nastasha Richardson was wearing a helmet, she'd be alive today."
That's exactly why more and more people finally give in and get one. So many in fact, that people with helmets are beginning to outnumber those without. The old stand-by excuses - difficulty hearing, restricted field of vision, awkward heaviness, and dumb fashion look - are just that, old. Today's helmets are lighter, more comfortable, more stylish, less restrictive visually and physically, and 10 years of research back the intuitive sense that helmets save lives. They come in all sizes, shapes and prices for kids, men and women, and newer models sport features that make taking the plunge easier...and more fun. Here are a few of my top picks:
- The Bern Berkeley Hard Hat
for women (~$50) gets you into the lid biz cheaply and can be used year-round for skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, mountain biking and BMX . With MP3 stereo compatibility, vents with a completely adjustable operating plug/liner system, and eyewear channels so you can wear sunglasses without a headache-inducing pinch to the temples, this a top choice for young female riders. - With the Giro G10 ($116-150) for men and women, you'll barely know it's on your head. Lightweight, adjustable dial-in fit, three ventilation settings and optional TuneUps audio system with Bluetooth LINK that enables a wireless cell phone connection, round out its features.
- Kids will beg to wear a helmet when it's the Giro Slingshot ($60. www.giro.com).
- Burton's R.E.D. Aletta womens helmet (~$125) has a natural hemp fabric cover and a removable Goggle Gasket that eliminates the gap between goggles and helmet while remaining windproof and breathable. The GlovesOn Buckle combines a tri-side buckle and away-from-collar positioning so you can keep your gloves on while fussing. FineTuning technology lets you personalize the level of warmth, padding and protection and you can add REDphones headphones.
- The hard-to-find POC Receptor BUG helmet (~$130) is winning props from terrain park rats for its slick style, stellar peripheral vision and Ventilated-Double-Shell-Anti-Penetration (VDSAP) technology which funnels air between the inner and outer shell for protection and airflow.
- Then Smith Variant (~$160) comes with an AirEvac 2 design that lures wind through the helmet brim and away from goggle fogging. It's also compatible with Plantronics Bluetooth and Skullcandy Twin-tip audio systems.
Keep in mind, every helmet manufacturer makes goggles, so if you're worried about fit and the dreaded "gaper gap" (where wind freezes a tiny strip of your forehead because the goggles don't match up perfectly with the helmet brim) try to stick with one company for both.
If you truly hate the aesthetic look of every helmet you see, customize. Look around for companies like Towr13 in Utah (435-655-1206), who will airbrush your lid any way you like for an extra $200-500. Consider it a personal work of art on your head. Still not convinced to buy a helmet? Rent one from a resort retail shop. You can keep your dome safe for as little as $5 per day.
There are 17,000 head injuries a year. A 1999 report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that 7,700 of those - nearly half - could be prevented every year if skiers and snowboarders just wore helmets on the slopes. That's an impressive statistic and one you might want to consider the next time you pack for your ski vacation.
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