NY Times - Ski Helmet Use Isn’t Reducing Brain Injuries

[ScottySkis]

[Originally posted by Lisamer]:

Skied Mt. Sunapee for the first time today. Having visited, in the short time I've been skiing, mostly larger resorts, it was interesting to see a place that's slightly less commercial, but not archaic in its operations. The place seems to maintain the charm of a ski resort from "days of yore", while providing the amenities of decent snowmaking and lift operation. And since I rarely get fridays off, it was great to be at a place that was practically empty. Conditions weren't too bad for this time of year, especially compared to last season. Maybe a bit hard packed and slightly icy, but hey, were' New Englanders, we can handle it, right?
I wonder if anyone has noticed that when you go out west, there could be someone whose technique is infinitely better than yours, but if they hit an ice patch they try to start turning and controlling everything, rather than just sliding over the darn stuff. I wonde if they do the same thing in their Ford Explorers, when the Firestone tires start to skid a bit?
Mt. Sunapee has an interesting layout. Across the street from the main lodge is the learning area and extremely green bunny trails. But if you go to the top of the main mountain, the only way down is Blue or Black, eventually leading to some greens. At my level, I usually like to warm up on green to practice form and technique, especially since I learned some cool stuff at Keystone in November, having worked with a teaching Maestro. I had been told that Sunapees Blues are easier than some of Sunday River's greens, so I wasn't too agitated.So my husband looks at the trail map and says "lets go down this way" and I being a "stand by your man" wife {kidding} simply follow, without reading the actual trail markers.
Well, the trail began with one of those steep things that I'm just not great at, feels like your skiing inside a ketchup bottle that's being held over a cliff. I really have to work on short radius turns this year. I started to focus on the feeling of "falling into the turn" but there was no way that was going to happen, and I thought, "man if this is an easy blue I'm in big trouble!". So I found myself doing "survival skiing" most stems, which, I don't care what John Fry says, are NOT okay, with a few ghastly wedges, thrown in. Well, at least I stayed upright and on my skis. At the bottom of the trail segment my husband was waiting for me with a look on his face that my greyhound uses when she's caught eating the cat food. "Oops !" he says. What do you mean "oops' says I??? He says "I read the trail map wrong, that was a BLACK!" She says "Damn!"
After awhile, things opened up a bit, and I did manage to get a few carves done with decent form, still nowhere near the needed 1,000 correct reps needed to change a habit.
Mark {my DH} had some interesting observations about my skiing preferences. Having learned to ski mostly at Sunday River, where the trails are wider, and follow the fall line, I don't do very well on narrow winding trails. So here I am a New Englander, who dosen't really do well at classic New England Skiing. Guess I BETTER work on those short radius turns!

Still waiting to win one this year. Wonder if they will be another contest soon hearing Hunter tickets that would be awesome.

 

[ScottySkis]

Still waiting to win one this year. Wonder if they will be another contest soon hearing Hunter tickets that would be awesome.

I was quoting a the last post here I don't know I guess my phone has a virus don't know were that came from xxx maybe.

 

[Hawkshot99]

let's just pretend, that a helmet does absolutely nothing to protect you it for a concussion. there are still many other injuries that it does protect you for.
Yes you can still hurt yourself wearing a helmet, it is jot a force shield surounding you. There are people who think its a perfect way to protect them entireley.
I just think its crazy for you to sit there and say that it is useless to wear one.
Lets hear the "data" on the number of dr's that have told people if only he hadnt have been wearing a helmet vs the other way around....

Sent from my SGH-S959G using Tapatalk 2

 

[catskills]

hey, nothing wrong with post whoring, it increases the odds for the next give-away

The OP could use a new helmet gift card. :wink: My current helmet is dented.

 

[Not Sure]

This sums up the answer for me !!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.timefortuckerman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15494&highlight=head+injury
Yikes!!!!!!!!!!

 

[steamboat1]

do you ski bumps? come hang out @ sundown in march. we all ditch the helmets and get a nice tan skiing the bumps on gunny.

Make sure he brings his fat boards for floating.

 

[snoseek]

I've had two instances where a helmet likely saved me from horrible head injury or maybe even death, one from skiing and one from mtb. Both times still ended with bad concussion and both times I had injury to my neck (one of those being pretty serious) and both times the helmet was shattered. Believe what you want but nothing anyone can say will convince me helmets are useless.

 

[SkiFanE]

Helmets will not save you from everything...the speed of skiers make that impossible. And last I checked, the front of head was not protected. My husband survived a traumatic brain injury wearing a helmet (hit front of face)...although he was med-flighted, ICU, rehab, out of work 6 months...and we're very lucky he recovered...the nuerosurgeon said on a scale of TBI he was 1, maybe a 2. And look what the outcome was. Like someone above said...it was the sloshing back/forth of brain on impact that caused his contusion. We all wear helmets in my family, and I know for myself it's saved me from some head pain, probably concussion, sticks, chair safety bars...but I ski with such speed control because I know ultimately...I can still get myself killed with a helmet. I am not sure everyone worries about that like I do, can't get myself to go the speeds I see people doing.

 

[Snowlover]

I just think its crazy for you to sit there and say that it is useless to wear one.

I never said that at all. Pay attention to exactly what I said.

 

[bdfreetuna]

If you're worried about head injury, then don't ski tree's. Seriously, A helmet isn't going to do anything if you go head first into a tree.

Not necessarily true. I've smacked helmets into trees plenty of times. Never took a really hard DIRECT hit at speed while skiing.

However mountain biking I've gone head first directly into trees a few times and the helmet might have saved my life each time.

 

[darent]

I love my helmet keeps me warm and hit many stems and branches that would have hurt a lot if not for the helmet. Just got figure out a way of fixing the ear piece.

scotty hit the #2 reason to wear a helmet, keeps the noggin warm, my hat always let the bottom of my ears freezw.

 

[fbrissette]

scotty hit the #2 reason to wear a helmet, keeps the noggin warm, my hat always let the bottom of my ears freezw.

And you don't get the itchy scalp you get with a tuque.

 

[billski]

No. I don't feel it would do anything for me if I hit my head on the snow. I don't do terrain park and I don't ski fast.

Friend of mine wiped out on the groomer and slid off trail into a tree. What have I got to lose by wearing it? I like the other beni's helmets have - great sound systems while I can still hear my surroundings. Warm as can be, especially when the wind is whipping.

Since my neurologist told me my next concussion will be my last and told me not to ski any more, I have reached detente' with her. I looked for the best possible helmet to minimize the potential for injury, even if by a fraction. I researched the hell out of it and settled on a POC Backcountry helmet with MIPS Technology. http://mipshelmet.com/how-it-works Since most impacts are oblique, I am persuaded that this shell, with a shearable pin provides a bit more protection. I also replace my helmet after one good smack. I may be cheap, but this is one place I'll pay top dollar, since I only live once.

 

[Big Game]

Hey I wear a helmet cause it makes my ass look smaller (really). But to each is own. For those who love to mandate safety obligations on others, consider:

The #1 thing we could do to reduce automobile fatalities and TBI is to require all occupants to wear helmets. So should we impose an automobile helmet law? Isn't safety first?

 

[BenedictGomez]

For those who love to mandate safety obligations on others, consider:

Has there been a single person in this 115 post thread that suggested that?

 

[Snowlover]

Has there been a single person in this 115 post thread that suggested that?

Yes powder ridge mandates it and probably more in the future due to savings in insurance policies. The whole point of my posting was to try to show that it's not as effective than people think it is. It does have benefits, but it should be up to the individual to decide.

 

[snoseek]

Yes powder ridge mandates it and probably more in the future due to savings in insurance policies. The whole point of my posting was to try to show that it's not as effective than people think it is. It does have benefits, but it should be up to the individual to decide.

It should be the riders decision, I agree with that. I wear mine mostly to protect from other skiers/riders. Groomers are probably statistically more dangerous than trees. Skis and poles are sharp, people go faster than their ability allows often

 

[billski]

Just as likely to die falling in a bathroom and helmet probably wouldn't have done anything for he sadly.

I never understood boxing as anything much more than a sanctioned street fight. By design, the sport produces concussions, almost promotes them. Headgear and gloves do absolutely nothing.

 

[Snowlover]

I never understood boxing as anything much more than a sanctioned street fight. By design, the sport produces concussions, almost promotes them. Headgear and gloves do absolutely nothing.

Exactly. Gloves protect the bones of hands. Headgear stops bruising/cuts. It does nothing for shaking of the brain/concussion.

Yes, the point of boxing is to concuss the opponent. And the worst part is the repeated concussions. In other words, the person takes a punch and gets a concussion(he's dizzy and can barely stand/knocked down). Then they let the fight continue and he gets repeatedly concussed/knocked down! Numerous research has shown that a second concussion happening too soon after the first one causes massive brain damage. That's why they always pull the guy out of the game in football. They don't pull you out in boxing. It's barbaric.

 

[mattchuck2]

For those who love to mandate safety obligations on others, consider:

The #1 thing we could do to reduce automobile fatalities and TBI is to require all occupants to wear helmets. So should we impose an automobile helmet law? Isn't safety first?

Right. The same arguments that people make in this thread for helmets could be made for Spine Protectors. Or giant rubberized body suits. Everybody draws their own lines in the sand about where safety measures become too burdensome/annoying/unfashionable. And it's just dickish to make fun of people for where they draw their own personal lines.