THANKS to all Ski Resort Employees who promote Safety by wearing a helmet

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Permalink Reply by trudeska on March 18, 2009 at 5:12pm

I think this year the helmet wearing employee ratio was way down at least during my January trip when temps were almost what they are now. Something to do with the spring like weather maybe?

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Permalink Reply by Luv2Ski007 on March 19, 2009 at 9:02am

Wear a helmet when it's in the 40s and 50s and the head will sweat and probably explains why many adults will don only the headband or hat.

I agree it's a good thing for kids but individual choice and personal responsibility should prevail, not legislative rules. NSAA said in a statement yesterday following Richardson's death, "the increase in the use of helmets has not reduced the overall number of skiing fatalities. More than half of the people involved in fatal accidents last season were wearing helmets."

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Permalink Reply by Matt on March 19, 2009 at 9:51am

I'm definetly not saying we need a law or anything to force people. I realize that if you slam into an aspen tree going wide open on a black run then you will probably be "cooked" even if you were wearing body armor over your entire body.

It's the those freaky little accidents where people really wish they had wore a helmet. Working in the hospital you get to see/hear about these all the time. Examples:
- A kid is standing in the lift line when an out of control skier coming in way too fast slams into the kid. The kid gets whipped back and his head slams into the lift line gate.
- Standing in the Gondola line a skier, with his skis on his shoulder, slips on some ice - whips his skis around as he is falling down and splits open the side of the head of a skier who was standing next to him.

In both of these cases the people turned out to be okay, but they could have probably prevented a trip and costs of the emergency room visit with a helmet on.

It doesn't matter how safe you are - there will always be some accident waiting to happen that can take you out!

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Permalink Reply by jensen on March 20, 2009 at 2:27pm

Matt, I agree that helmets can help protect against freak accidents, but they are by no means a fix all solution. This brings to mind a story of professional skier, CR Johnson.

He was filming with his normal group of skiers. Totally normal day and they are hitting a small, very easy jump (at least for their standards) one after another as they often do. CR falls, while wearing a helmet, and the skier's ski behind him hits him directly in the head, between his goggles and helmet. CR falls into a coma for nearly a month. He is now learning how to ski again.

Clearly, CR was wearing a helmet and did not turn out to be okay. While this is a freak accident, it was not prevented by a helmet. I stongly believe that wearing a helmet is a personal choice and should be nothing more than that. Too many people get caught up in the belief that a helmet makes them invincible to head injuries and that is FAR from the truth. I have grown up competitivley skiing and have seen an uncountable amount of head injuries while wearing a helmet. If wearing a helmet makes you feel more comfortable go for it, if you don't want to wear one, don't do it. However, creating a new pressure from your employer to wear one is unwelcome. These guys have enough going on. There is no need to make them feel under apreciated just because the other guy working has a helmet on. A think a better idea is congratulating employees for showing up to work on time and giving 100%.

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Permalink Reply by Nelson Wingard on September 28, 2009 at 10:38am

Great Point.

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Permalink Reply by Kup on March 19, 2009 at 10:33am

couldn't agree more about the need for a helmet is more based on the 'little' things that happen. As ofr 2 years ago, only my children wore helmets. Then my wife fell going about 5 mph and hit the back of her head. She went immediately to the ski shop and bought a helmet. They talked me into getting one before going to the boat this year. And sure enough, on our last day there, I was going a whopping 5-10 mph and fell back and hit my head. If not for my helmet, it couldve been worse.

I know the boat is a resort, and making money is the bottom line, but I think they should 'throw in' a free rental helmet when you rent skis and boots.
Again, just my 2 cents
Kup

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Permalink Reply by Chris Rogers on March 25, 2009 at 12:54pm

When I started instructing 5 years ago, I bought my first helmet because I thought it was important to set a good example for students. In 18 years of snowboarding I've only had a couple of wrecks where the helmet might have helped, but in 5 years of teaching I've transitioned to where I'm now more comfortable riding with a helmet than without one.

Over the past few years, helmets have really progressed, they're now much lighter, more comfortable, and better looking. There really are very few arguments to not wearing a helmet, but they shouldn't be treated like a cloak of invincibility. Learning proper techniques and riding in conditions and on terrain that is within your ability level, is much more important than any kind of protective equipment you put on.

In my opinion, defensive skiing/riding will do much more to protect you than a piece of plastic and foam rated to protect you from impact at 14 mph, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wear a helmet as well.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Rogers on October 8, 2009 at 12:45pm

Thought it was worth updating this older discussion to add that Intrawest has new helmet rules for 09/10.

"
VANCOUVER, Oct. 1 /CNW/ – Intrawest today announced that, beginning with the 2009-2010 winter season, the Company will increase awareness of the importance of helmet use at all of its wholly-owned ski resorts in North America. Intrawest will recommend that all skiers and snowboarders visiting its resorts wear helmets and there will be mandatory helmet requirements for all children and youth(1) participants in Ski and Snowboard School Programs as well as all students participating in freestyle terrain park programs, regardless of their age. The new helmet use guidelines underscore Intrawest’s commitment to guest safety and have the support of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA).

...

Looking ahead to the 2010-2011 winter season, Intrawest will require employees to wear a helmet at all times while skiing or snowboarding on-duty in any freestyle terrain park at its resorts. Staff at Intrawest’s Ski and Snowboard Schools will also be required to wear a helmet if they serve as a guide or an instructor for any program that requires mandatory helmet use by a resort guest. Several Intrawest resorts will begin to implement these new employee helmet use guidelines this winter and the remaining resorts will be fully compliant by the beginning of the 2010-2011 winter season.
"

You can read the whole thing here: Intrawest Recommends All Resort Guests to Wear Helmets, Requires He...

Instructors at Steamboat have previously been required to wear helmets in the park when in uniform, so the only new piece is that between now and 2011 the rule goes in that instructors must wear a helmet if teaching students that are required to wear helmets. Since all kids lessons will now be required to wear helmets, it certainly seems that all kids instructors will be required to wear helmets (although the press release from Intrawest never actually says it, which I find interesting).

As an instructor who always wears a helmet when teaching, and 99% of the time when freeriding, this won't affect me much. However, I am curious about OSHA regulations on required safety equipment. I had heard previously that one of the reasons we didn't require helmets for instructors was that Steamboat would then be required to provide helmets to instructors. Was that incorrect? Have the regulations changed? Did Intrawest find a way around the regulations? Or will Intrawest be purchasing large quantities of helmets? The press release doesn't mention it, but it's an interesting aspect.

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Permalink Reply by patti (snowflake) on October 8, 2009 at 6:15pm

i have never worn a helmet and i am thinking about it this year. Do they rent helmets there at the resort? sf

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Permalink Reply by SteamboatRider on October 9, 2009 at 8:40am

Yep, you can rent them at all the rental shops....my brother rented one last year and I *think* they were about $5/day?

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Permalink Reply by patti (snowflake) on October 9, 2009 at 3:41pm

thanks..i may be old but i gotta protect everything inside that head!! took me too long to learn it.

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Permalink Reply by trudeska on October 10, 2009 at 10:09am

Hi Patti. I never wore a helmet either until 2 years ago a simple caught edge at high speed flung me down face first like a mouse trap. My goggles smashed into my face and I ended up with a black eye and some ugly abrasions. A helmet would have braced the goggles. I skied down to Sport Stalker and bought a helmet right then. Now I am my own micro climate! I am much warmer, my goggles or sunglasses never fog up and I could even play music in my helmet if I was that type of skier. Sound dampening is the only drawback. It's a bit comical to hear a group of helmet wearers trying to have a conversation... what?, what was that? say again? what? what? what?

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