Why I hate Sonny Bono

[Lorenzzo]

I guess every drought needs a helmet thread.

 

[antigonowhere]

Being new here, I was wondering if I had started to participate in some black hole abyss of a thread, or series thereof.

 

[Don in Morrison]

...black hole abyss of a thread, or series thereof.

Helmet thread defined

 

[SkiNurse]

I wear one because as a critical care nurse in Denver at a Level I Trauma center, I see all too often at work what can happen if you don't wear a helmet. Personal choice, yes. Just make sure your loved ones know what your wishes are just in case you make it into my critical care unit.

 

[Dave Marshak]

...but I'm just gonna go faster and do dumber stuff...

There's a lot of truth to that. Safety experts call it risk homeostasis or compensating behavior. The ski industry commissioned a study maybe 10 years ago that found that skiers/riders with helmets skied about 6 mph faster than average.

dm

 

[cantunamunch]

Think about it. The helmet keeps your head warmer than any hat. It's just way more windproof. So, the likelihood of your face getting sweaty increases especially with exertion. So, if your face is sweating, your goggles are going to fog. So you better unzip those pitzips before hitting those trees, even if it's in the single digits.

That...and the helmet can often block the top vents of the goggle.

 

[James]

I just wish they'd make warm helmets again. It's moronic to have to wear a liner under the helmet as s.o.p.

 

[cantunamunch]

And that stupid Kennedy offspring for making ski helmets so mandatory that people shame you for free skiing without one.
.

There is a fix for this.




Give up your alpine gear. Seriously. Get some T4s and some cable bindings and some massive facial hair and you can totally go headband and sunnies. No one will care.

And the proof is:

 

[cantunamunch]

I just wish they'd make warm helmets again. It's moronic to have to wear a liner under the helmet as s.o.p.

Ahahahahahaha.

That's just you and your Smith, sorry.

 

[antigonowhere]

OK.

At the risk of going further down the rabbit hole, drilling down:

I ski no safer, or take more risks, because I wear a helmet.

I don't drive wrecklessly or take risks behind the wheel just because I have a seatbelt on.

I don't get on the wrong side of my saw because I have chainsaw pants on.

I don't drop shit on my toes because I'm wearing safety boots.

I get the premise behind compensating and risk thermostat, I just haven't read anything that goes further than pointing to confirmation bias. However, what I do get from it kind of floats back to the folks least likely to give a damn about helmet law/policy - the beginner to intermediate. The ones that might need it most, and also the ones who may become more bold with their use.

So if I can reference the hierarchy of hazard controls, PPE, in this case a helmet, is always the last line of defence.

 

[crgildart]

I wear one because as a critical care nurse in Denver at a Level I Trauma center, I see all too often at work what can happen if you don't wear a helmet. Personal choice, yes. Just make sure your loved ones know what your wishes are just in case you make it into my critical care unit.

here to post in this very important thread..

Agree with above but need to add the following..
Also make sure they know what kind if diapers you prefer and what kind of goo you would like to be fed through the tube for 30 years of being a burden to whoever gets stuck having to feed you and wipe your butt until you finally die..

In before the thread lock..

 

[Core2]

Wouldn't be ski season without a fresh helmet thread.

 

[Lorenzzo]

Not every head is worth saving. Ok...I didn't mean that and I'm sorry I said it.

What I meant to say is more research is needed on the increased tendency towards neck trauma resulting from the neck having to handle not just the weight of your head but also your helmet. Wool hat, headband and earmuff mfrs. need to step up and fund this.

 

[François Pugh]

My trapper fur hat is warmer than my helmet. Just say'n.

Also, I just thought about it, and I ski much safer now (with a helmet) than I did 30 years ago (with no helmet).

 

[RuleMiHa]

There's a lot of truth to that. Safety experts call it risk homeostasis or compensating behavior. The ski industry commissioned a study maybe 10 years ago that found that skiers/riders with helmets skied about 6 mph faster than average.

dm

The evidence based review published in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery @antigonowhere posted doesn't show that (not disputing your study they just looked at multiples). That review looked at five different studies none of which showed an increase in risky behavior by multiple measures. However, there are small problems with some of the studies they used.

 

[Scruffy]

I have better Hat Hair with a helmet than with a Hat. YMMV.

 

[JayT]

Helmets used to be heavy and uncomfortable, but now they're so light and cozy I'd feel naked skiing without one. Plus they hold your goggles in place, particularly during landings.

 

[Johnny V.]

Just one anecdote, but as I was getting my first crash of the year out of the way on opening day, I spun around fell backwards and hit the back of my head (with helmet on) pretty hard. I got up thinking "glad I had a helmet on-that would have hurt without one".

 

[Rod9301]

Is it just me or do your glasses fog worse with a helmet on?

That is the #1 thing I like least about wearing a helmet.

Never never wear sunglasses with a helmet.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

Helmet threads are a waste of time. Personally, I can't stand wearing a helmet. That said, I still wear one. I'm superstitious
that way.