When a helmet isn't enough

[auvgeek]

Vibes dude. My helmet story:

I was always supposed to wear a helmet growing up. The one time I didn't wear it, I was skateboarding down a hill, got speed wobble, and hit my head pretty hard. Definitely a "Groundhog Day" scenario. I actually remember it happening and getting up thinking how much it was gonna suck to walk home. But the next thing I remember was my friend yelling at me to stop saying "It all feels like a dream," and my cute babysitter's low-cut blouse as she was bending over to see if my pupils were dilated. Her prognosis: everything was fine. It wasn't until years later that I figured out I actually had a pretty severe concussion. Oops.

Anyway, I always wear a helmet now. I actually upgraded to a full face after having jaw surgery. It's pretty awkward to wear around the hill on a regular basis, but I can handle people thinking I'm a pretentious bro-brah.

[farmer]

Inspector Gadget, I am so glad you are going to be ok. Send me a PM and I will send you a new Smith Helmet. Get well soon because this winter is just starting up and you need to get back to having the time of your life.

And this is why this place is so awesome!

Heal up quick!

[LongShortLong]

Here's hoping IG has a speedy recovery.

I have to admit that heretofore I've been ambivalent about 100% helmet usage.

And I still am ambivalent. Other endeavors have shown the effectiveness of safety devices (seat belts in cars, helmets on cyclists, etc.) Has there been any such study for snowsports? Last I heard was a study saying helmet use had no effect on death rate. (It didn't say anything about injuries, but death should be a rough proxy for injuries). So, to all you helmet promoters, show me the way out from under my rock... where's the studies?

Lou's article is somewhat encouraging, as prior to reading that it seemed to me that a helmet could make concussions more likely - the helmet presents greater surface area on contact with snow, resulting in lower pressure on the snow, hence less compression of the snow, and higher deceleration of the head. The article's g-force snippet shows theory to support helmet benefit on icy days. And I'm more likely to wear one on those days (Otherwise I prefer the superior comfort, warmth and thermal control of a hat and mask).

[rip]

Its a free country and you can do what you want, but the helmet debate comes down to this simple fact.

something > nothing

[dre4]

i had a nasty crash at vail last February. suffered an orbital floor fracture (eye socket) and cracked my helmet straight through in 2 diff places. it saved my life

[SB]

Years ago when I first saw folks kayaking with full face helmets I thought that shit was whack. Found out later the guy had facial reconstructive surgery and could not afford to take a hit again. He still wanted to get out and do the things he loved to do.

Moral of the story, wear the pro, it could save your face or your life.

[InspectorGadget]

^^^ Mr. Altagirl was telling me about a guy at Alta that skis in a full face helmet. Apparently he is a good skier and chooses to use a full face because he is protecting the investment he's made in his brain. Another guy I know crushed his face while riding in Moab years ago; he now rocks a full face whether he is skiing or riding his bike. I have tried one on, but I'm not rad enough nor would my fragile male ego allow me to ski in a full face. Maybe another session in one of Gordy's camps . . .

This discussion reminds of a day skiing trees at Powder Mountain. I ducked and thought I had plenty of room only to get knocked flat on my ass when the top of my head hit a large branch on a mighty pine. I guess skiing trees would be the fourth reason I wear a helmet when I ski.

LDD - Wear your helmet son.

[grskier]

Glad you had your dome protected... my falls come at the weirdest times... hence why I ski with a helmet 99.5% of the time.

[DNAisCool]

And I still am ambivalent. Other endeavors have shown the effectiveness of safety devices (seat belts in cars, helmets on cyclists, etc.) Has there been any such study for snowsports? Last I heard was a study saying helmet use had no effect on death rate. (It didn't say anything about injuries, but death should be a rough proxy for injuries). So, to all you helmet promoters, show me the way out from under my rock... where's the studies?

Journal of the American Medical Association
February 2006
The link is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16493105 if you want to check it out. But to save you some time, the major point would be:

"Using a helmet was associated with a 60% reduction in the risk for head injury (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.55; adjusted for other risk factors) when comparing skiers with head injuries with uninjured controls."

Also, their conclusion:
"Wearing a helmet is associated with reduced risk of head injury among snowboarders and alpine skiers."

There is plenty of research looking at helmets in snowsports, mostly in children. The studies are out there, if you wish to look.

[Tye 1on]

how's the brain IG?

[Ivan Oder]

I hope you're doing well, and grats on the free helmet!

We keep a few busted up helmets in the patrol room to show people who wander in without helmets.
It's really sad to see young children with out them and sometimes I scold parents about it.

I had a lady who fell and bashed her head pretty good, no helmet. She insisted that she was fine, I asked her if she had children and what were their names, and she got that 1000 mile stare in her eyes and started crying.

[InspectorGadget]

how's the brain IG?

Thank you for asking. I still have headaches, but they're not nearly as bad as they were a couple days ago. I am trying for follow doctor's orders and taking it easy for a couple weeks.

That should also give Ullr and his fickle mistress, Mother Nature, time to bring some massive storms to North America for the new year.


Thanks Ivan, and everyone else that has offered kind words. I don't like what I had to do to get a free helmet, but I am pretty stoked on Smith's generosity.

[freshie247]

And this is why this place is so awesome!

Speedy recovery IG! It's not just this place, Super G stands for Super Gracious & he is magnanimous regardless of the setting.Last time I saw him I was blotto from being force fed gratis noxious beverages at a ski film premiere,it was entirely too much like having a concussion,albeit I awoke with a temporary brain damage & somehow managed to hold on to the goggles he gave me.

[BackCountryNC]

Nothing wrong with wearing a full face, I think they look pretty cool. I'd certainly wear one if I lived out west and skied the trees.

[jfost]

Thank you for asking. I still have headaches, but they're not nearly as bad as they were a couple days ago...

but how was the emergency driving lesson with mini-gadget? scarier than the concussion?

[whippersnapper]

...I still am ambivalent... Has there been any such study for snowsports? Last I heard was a study saying helmet use had no effect on death rate. (It didn't say anything about injuries, but death should be a rough proxy for injuries). So, to all you helmet promoters, show me the way out from under my rock... where's the studies?

Good point, the makers say "we make a 2-layer helmet" like that is sufficient for human-rating a product. Except POC: they talk a little about the physics of collisions. What *no* maker tells you is how much the helmet attenuates acceleration from different impact directions. The number is embarrassing and would shut down sports like football (good riddance). Helmet technology is piss poor, there is no published manufacturers' research! Football and motorcycle helmets would be safer than ski helmets (except for the odd neck injury), but wouldn't be as much fun to wear.

But they are much better than nothing. I would be dead without a helmet. I scored a subdural hematoma from a crash on hard snow last February, those are estimated to be fatal in 80% of occasions. (Recall Natasha Richardson RIP.) Mine was enabled by a blood-thinner med, but the dynamics were the same.

...Lou's article is somewhat encouraging, as prior to reading that it seemed to me that a helmet could make concussions more likely - the helmet presents greater surface area on contact with snow, resulting in lower pressure on the snow, hence less compression of the snow, and higher deceleration of the head. The article's g-force snippet shows theory to support helmet benefit on icy days. And I'm more likely to wear one on those days (Otherwise I prefer the superior comfort, warmth and thermal control of a hat and mask).

Good that you pointed out how a prior article(s?) was irresponsible. The most important measure is the the ratio of head acceleration with helmet vs. without helmet across a range of collisions, and helmets make a big difference. Any increase in contact acceleration stemming from the increased impact footprint (and sometimes the opposite occurs) is more than offset by the reduction caused by the straining of the helmet.

[Turnipking]

The rule in the Gadget house is you are wearing a helmet if you're on snow or wheels, e.g., skis, snowboard, skateboard, bicycle, motorcycle, etc.

TomCrac - thanks for sharing.



Thanks powdork, I was just about to post the same information. Had I not been wearing a helmet, I have little doubt I would have been getting my head perforated like Powstash, thanks for the reminder Trackhead. Or worse, I would be eating through a feeding tube or dead.

I wear a helmet for the following reasons: it's warmer than any hat I've ever owned; it doesn't itch like just about every hat I've ever owned; finally, and most importantly, it is safer than any hat I've ever owned. Back when I had hair, I loved the feel of the breeze rushing through my hair whether I was on my bicycle, motorcycle or skis. Now I feel like I should do what I can to mitigate risk - we all should, but that's another story. The safety argument is the same as wearing your seat belt; say what you will about seat belts, but they save lives every day. If you choose not to wear a helmet or your seatbelt, that is certainly your prerogative, but I think you're a dumb ass. No need for arguments, that is my opinion.

I could buy a less expensive helmet, but as the Bell helmet advertisements used to say "If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet". My head is worth more than $10 and so is yours. My next helmet will be a Poc Receptor Backcountry because it uses MIPS technology. It's not available with MIPS technology yet or I would definitely buy the Synapsis 2.0.

Like I said, be safe out there.

I'd buy a POC helmet if it fit my gigantic head...

[bendtheski]

Scary,
Glad you're ok gadget.

My brother had a mid mountain collision yesterday and ended up with a crease in his G10, but otherwise fine. I told him he needs to replace it, and he went out and got a new one today. Much cheaper option than the mess he'd have been in without a helmet.

In 2003 I was working in a shop at Sugarbush. I took a header under the Castle Rock chair and bumped my noggin with the tail of one ski. When I took my glove off to feel the back of my head and then saw my hand all covered in blood, my mind was made up. Took a giro 9 off the shelf that afternoon and never looked back.

Aside from the obvious impact protection, I've found all my helmets to be warmer and more versatile than a hat, and just as comfortable, as long as you get one that fits your head shape. I've worn a helmet cycling since giro came out with the prolight in the 80's. Not sure why I waited so long to get a ski helmet, but considering that I ski faster and more agressively than I bike, with just as many opportunities to run into something unforgiving; it's a no brainer.

[Tye 1on]

; it's a no brainer.

heh-

glad yer healin' up IG-

[Piggity]

IG, glad you're OK. Scary especially since mini IG was there and waiting for you. Must have sucked for mini IG to feel helpless while you waited for the Mrs.

[bern43]

Glad your ok. I've gone back and forth on the helmet thing. I always wear one skiing now but didn't until a few years ago. Better than nothing. When I was young I crushed my face (broken jaw, tons of stitches) riding a mini ramp on my bike. Rode with a full face for years after that but it just got too cumbersome. Still have the full face for bigger ramps, but never really use it.

[freshies]

Scary stuff. Glad you are OK!

Several years ago, before helmets were "cool", I wore one anyway, and was skiing an early season groomer @ Alpine when I got blown up by some gaper. I went down hard and slammed my head on the ice and also hurled, etc. I'm convinced the helmet is why I can still (sort of) type up replies like this.

Stay safe out there!

[Dj Nebula]

Glad to hear you are ok and on the mend. Give it some time, heal up all the way before you start back to the 11/12 Utah firmness.

We have had an unusually hard snowpack in the Wasatch this season. Lack of snow and a lot of man made has made the resort a "firm" place to be riding. I used to snowboard all the time without an helmet. Then one day riding at the canyons a few years back, I watched a skier pinball his head off some Aspens with no helmet on. I stayed with the guy while my friends ran and got patrol. He was not all there mentally, mumbling incoherent stuff to me, and I just did the best to keep him settled until patrol got there. I found out later that season that guy had a brain contusion and had to have surgery. It was the motivator for me to get a helmet. We were having a pretty similar season that year as the one we are currently having, when I first got a helmet. And what do you know, first day out with it and I caught a bad edge on a landing off a cuttout we were jumping at Brighton, and went down hard! Head smacked the surface so hard. I know when I sat up I had to have the tweety birds circling my head. But I shook it off and was able to run a few more laps before the ringing of the bell just wore me out. I have not ridden without one since. Even take it touring with me for the ride down. There are no guarantees in this life, but the studies I have seen suggest the difference when wearing one and not is the difference of getting up and just walking away and death from a nasty fall. That is good enough for me.

[looseofforangejuice]

Calling something "my last run" is bad juju.

it always has to be "two more, skip the last" if you're gonna go in after the next run. i have some superstitious friends who are mega serious about this, haha

[~mikey b]

bump cuz I was doing some SEARCH FUNCTION JONGing




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cuz my lovely and talented wife ate shit today, smashing her Variant Brim and coming away with "just" a concussion and whiplash

I've had a couple two three four closed head injuries over the years (can't you tell?) - but this is her first - happy she was wearing the lid -

took her to ER - CT scan and xray were fine - but she's a hurtin' unit

time to start monitoring her for PCS - it can take quite a while to recover from a concussion