Head Gear - What to do? Is a helmet overkill?

[SamuiKitsune 0]

Heading out this weekend for my first time on a snowboard. The girlfriend has been snowboarding 16+ years.

 

She tells me to just get some foam padded "thing a ma jig" and cover it up with my favorite pimp beanie hat. She told me my head looks very big in the helmet (I really wanted to make a joke here =D ).

 

So, what do you guys and gals recommend based on your experiences.

 

I plan to just try to get decent control this weekend and ride down the mountain. Hopefully avoiding large objects and small children.

 

How long before I can ride down the pipe? In which case, I will definately want to wear a helmet regardless of how big my head is looking.

[Fattwins 0]

if you fear it that much just buy a helmet. the padded alpen thing doesnt do much

[tsondaboy 0]

I have 2 brain buckets, (just got a new one).

No wrong ever came out of covering your upper head.

Its equally important as covering the lower one.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

If some other skier or snowboader comes from behind and takes you out...what are you going to do? I wear mine backcountry and on the slopes - cuz I am worried about outta control people, not myself.

[Ezorisu 0]

Helmet highly recommended - for exactly rhe reasons that Creek boy outlined - you can be sure/unsure of your own abilities, but you can't predict when some out-of-control person will come from behind and take you out.

 

Better to get it before the first time you crack your head really hard on the concrete-hard beginners' course rather than after.

[tsondaboy 0]

And its far warmer than any beanie.

[Oyuki kigan 0]

a helmet isn't a bad idea. a padded beanie or pad that fits under the beanie will also help more than nothing.

 

As for pipe riding, i depends. Until you are confident turning on blue (intermediate runs) i wouldn7t reccommend heading into one. And how long that takes depends on how much time you log in on the hill, and who is teaching you.

 

If you are going all out on gear, i also hope you will go all out and make an investment in lessons. A good instructor can have you shredding in no time. I have seen beginners on their 4th day slide boxes in the park!

[indosnm 0]

I don't wear one. the gaijin scene round here has most people wearing em..

[osiris 0]

Totally agree with CreekBoy.... When boarding in Whistler one year I witnessed an out of control beginner launch off a hump and smash his freshly tuned snowboard into the back of an unsuspecting boarder who decided to take a break and sit on the run below the hump.

Wasn't a pretty sight to say the least....................

[thursday 1]

here you go: my pleasure

[Rag-Doll 0]

Where a helmet. No matter how good you are there will always be situations, whether due to snow conditions, tiredness, poor vis, other snow riders etc, where your head will be smacked hard. Seriously, there is no down side to wearing a helmet. they're light, warm, keep your goggles in place no matter how much you rag doll and, they let you get back up and into the game when, completely unexpectedly, you've smashed the back of your head against ice. After you've gone to all of the trouble to get up on the mountain for the day or the weekend, the last thing you want to have happen at 10 am is to suffer concussion and spend the rest of the day/trip with a killer head ache.

[Mantas 3]

Helmet definitely , I never ride without one.

[skidaisuki 0]

Cover your cranium! I got a helmet for the first last season and found it gave me more confidence when skiing. As most are pointing out here, apart from the cost, there's no downside to wearing one. I've seen enough crashes to know that it's definitely a good idea.

 

Boarders in particular fall over a lot (especially as you are a beginner), so I'd get one before you go. It needn't break the bank but it'll make you feel safer when you inevitably lose control.

[thursday 1]

boarders also have this god given right to sit in the middle of the run whenever they feel like it. So a helmet is a very good idea.

[SamuiKitsune 0]

Great Advice guys. I especially like the advice about other numnuts running into someone. So, I will be purchasing a helmet tonight. Hopefully, I can get a matte black one.

 

I am going to be getting lessons. Hopefully, the resort I go to this weekend will have an English speaking instructor. Which reminds me, I need to send them an e-mail asking.

[rubix 0]

 Originally Posted By: Mantas

Helmet definitely , I never ride without one.

Pretty much covers it

[aranarthx 0]

I don't wear a helmet. I like the feel of the wind blowing by, and the overall feel of snow jumping up everwhere around your head when you eat it on the slope and you go one way while your goggles go one way, and your beanie goes the other.

But even discounting crazy people that are out of control, you have your own accidents to deal with. My roommate was Heli-vac'd off of Mount Baker in Washington after landing a jump on his head. Good of it was the nurse in the hospital told him he was cute and would be a nice match for her daughter, as she was holding his tool and telling him to pee in the bed-pan. . . He has health insurance that covered it, luckily, as just the heli ride was 10k+ USD.

So. . . Maybe you should wear a helmet, but I still don't, and neither does he. May as well live life to feel young and stupid to remind yourself when you truly were. . . or still are.

 

-Daniel

[spook 0]

erm, i don't want to be one to judge, but not wearing a helmet after an accident like that doesn't seem very bright

[Mike Pow 52]

Just started wearing one.

 

Loving it at the moment what with all the Sasa and brush.

[neversummer 0]

I've been wearing one since '97 and never ride without..it feels really weird now even walking out the door without it on my head.

 

You get out today Mike?

[Go Native 70]

Never worn one and probably never will. Have tried a couple on before in shops and just couldn't really imagine myself wearing one whilst skiing. I think they are a great idea and that it's probably best to wear one but it's just not for me.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

 Originally Posted By: neversummer

I've been wearing one since '97 and never ride without..it feels really weird now even walking out the door without it on my head.

You get out today Mike?

you bet he did, haven't you seen the pics?

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/238357/fpart/5

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I just replied to the other thread but I will add my comments here too <coz I can!>

 

First trip: No helmet for me, although the cubs and Papabear all had them (I was not going to be ski-ing or boarding you see...LOL!). I DID smack my head pretty hard at one time - the gog's and beanie ending up over 1 meter away...

 

Second Trip; just the Papa and me...still no helmet. I was gaining confidence on a board and didn't like the idea of cramming an uncomfortable helmet on the noggin!

 

Third Trip: Took the bear cubs again and it was all about setting an example - so I bought one. Hated the feel of it in the shop, and was real concerned about how it would effect my ride. But half way down the mountain I realised it was WARM and gave me more confidence. I would not be without it now.

 

Bear Cub story: Mr 8 yr old smacked his head with a nasty scorpion and chipped the helmet - without the helmet it would have been a very different ending. KIDS need LIDS!

[SamuiKitsune 0]

TO UPDATE EVERYONE:

 

Tonight I headed back into Spotaka for the third night in a row (Thankfully, I got all the gear on this last trip). Anyways, I purchased the Smith Venue in glossy black, size L (about 15,000 Yen before 15% discount). It fits nicely with my Oakley A-Frames.

 

I picked up some cool beanies for lounging after my rides.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20071204/snowboarding-skiing-head-injuries

 

taken from the jong site:

 

Planning to ski or snowboard this winter? Wearing a helmet on the slopes may cut your risk of head injury by 22% to 60%, a new report shows.

 

"We strongly recommend the use of helmets by all skiing and snowboarding participants," Canadian researchers write in Injury Prevention

 

They report that traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries are rare but rising among snowboarders and skiers.

 

Data came from 24 studies on skiing and snowboarding injuries from countries including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria.

 

Here are the key findings:

 

Traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury appear to be rising among skiers and snowboarders.

That trend matches the rise in acrobatic and high-speed moves on the slopes.

Young men are the most likely snowboarders and skiers to sustain such injuries.

Snowboarding and Skiing Safety

The report includes these tips on choosing a skiing or snowboarding helmet that fits properly:

 

The helmet should fit snugly. Don't buy one for kids to "grow into."

Use the helmet sizing chart. Each brand has its own chart.

If your helmet measurement falls between two sizes, choose the larger size.

Try on several helmet brands before picking one.

There shouldn't be any red spots or pressure spots on the head after using the helmet.

The reviewers -- who included Charles Tator, MD, PhD, of the University of Toronto's neurosurgery division -- also list these injury prevention tips:

 

Never ski or snowboard alone. (check)

Maintain and check ski and snowboard equipment. (check)

Exercise and stretch before each day of skiing or snowboarding.(why??)

Stay on marked trails. (F'that!)

Ski and snowboard responsibly. (check)

Be alert to physical and environmental hazards. (check)

Wear the appropriate gear, including helmets. (check)

Ski and snowboard on hills that are within your ability and ski level. (never)

Quit before becoming too tired. (tired?)