Just bought one after 38 years of doing without, sensible or a waste of £120 ?

Not just sensible, but essential.

Only takes an ice ball or some idiot (like me) to take you out and you’d be in serious trouble without one.

Some (though I only know of one) insurance companies are starting to make it mandatory

A lot more people are wearing them these days. Probably just as sensible as wearing one on the bike. Spending £120 suggests you don’t really care whether its a waste of money, since you could have got one for £30.

In my haste I didn’t see the price you paid. That is a little steep.

Only takes an ice ball or some idiot (like me) to take you out and you’d be in serious trouble without one

This. I’m not so worried about what’s in front of me, it’s the idiots (or people just like me) behind me flailing around that worry me

I have never not worn one. Keeps yer bonnet warm innit! 😆

I reckon sensible – mainly because other people are wearing them and it will really hurt if they bang heads with you!

Plus they keep your ears warm and mean you can go through trees without worrying about smacking your head off a branch.

I remember reading a scientific report a few years back which concluded that they make sense for beginners but that’s all, as soon as your travelling at any speed they’re good for keeping your ears warm but that’s about it.
Sorry but I don’t have the reference

They’re great for wearing when commuting in winter as well – keeps yer lugs toasty

Definitely a good idea, probably as much if not more so than on a bike, particularly skiing on hard pistes, due to the high chance someone will run into the back of you.

Not essential by any stretch.

I’ve been skiing, racing, doing stupid steep stuff off piste for years, and never had a head injury (not to say it couldn’t happen)

Used a helmet for racing and occassional steep stuff.

If you feel better wearing one then great, but I reckon it gives people more of a FALSE sense of security.

I was knocked flying once, probably about 30m through the air, didn’t touch my head, but ribs hurt like hell and twisted knee.

Personally I would be more concerned about improving technique and having bindings that release correctly

For boarding I can see the point but for skiing there are other things to worry about.

Wear one biking, wear one boarding.

Sonny Bono.

Personally I would be more concerned about improving technique and having bindings that release correctly

Wearing a helmet and having correct bindings aren’t mutually exclusive. Wearing a helmet won’t stop you having correct bindings. So why not have both?

You’re very lucky not having any head injuries. I cycle a lot and have never fallen on my head, but I still wear a helmet.

(the last bit is a lie. I superman over my bars everyweek 😀 )

I remember reading a scientific report a few years back which concluded that they make sense for beginners but that’s all, as soon as your travelling at any speed they’re good for keeping your ears warm but that’s about it.

Ah, That will be World Cup Downhillers don’t bother with them then eh ? 🙄

That’s balls. Sorry but it just is.

Scraping your head along an icy piste at “speed” ….

With or Without a helmet, which would cause more damage to your head do you think?

I don’t need a “scientific report” to figure it out.

Just bought one after 38 years of doing without, sensible or a waste of £120 ?

Quite interesting really, I’m curious as to why you thought after 38 years to wear one?

I have noticed over the recent years that more and more skiers are wearing them, dunno if it’s a fashion thing, given how long skiing has been around without people wearing them..

Each to their own mind you.

I bit the bullet last year after watching my wife get taken out by an idiot. After first day it felt natural. Never over heated. Looked cool IME. Meant I always had goggles on which made me realise how much my eyes used to water with just glasses plus I do a lot of off piste and you never know what’s lurking under that lovely lovely powder.

dunno if it’s a fashion thing, given how long skiing has been around without people wearing them..

Would you consider bike helmets a fashion thing too then ?

Almost nobody wore helmets on mountain bikes when I first started riding. I didn’t know a single person who owned one.

I went to school with this girl

I’m not saying a helmet would definitely save my life, but I guess it might.

Would you consider bike helmets a fashion thing too then ?

Almost nobody wore helmets on mountain bikes when I first started riding. I didn’t know a single person who owned one.

Good point, I was a bit clumsy in what I said 😳

I suppose it’s never having worn a helmet when skiing, and no noticeable increase in risk (idiots slamming into people have been around for ages) to me I wonder why I would suddenly choose to wear one..?

I can see the benefits, certainly the warm ears. Maybe it’s progress and I just need to get on board..

Quite interesting really, I’m curious as to why you thought after 38 years to wear one?

I have noticed over the recent years that more and more skiers are wearing them, dunno if it’s a fashion thing, given how long skiing has been around without people wearing them..

Each to their own mind you.

So am I, maybe its a fashion thing or maybe its daughter who has persuaded me. Now she is a very good skier and we venture off piste most days, transceivers probes and shovels are to hand and she has an avalung. A few people each year die in Cham one of her friends did so very recently head injury.

I used to race a lot as a teenager and never wore one. The worst that ever happend was that I scarred up one whole side of my face on an icy piste (mostly faded now, 15-odd years later), but I know I was lucky compared to some. Now that I live in Sweden there are some areas that won’t let you use the lifts without you showing you have a helmet. £120 is pretty steep though; I think mine cost about £30.

Edit:

slackalice – Member
Sonny Bono.

Wasn’t he playing American football (at a resort), or was that some other singer whose name I forget?
Re-edit: Nope, I was wrong.

and no noticeable increase in risk (idiots slamming into people have been around for ages)

Sorry but I will have to disagree on that one too 😉

There is a huge increase in risk over recent years.

In the past learning to ski was difficult, on old style straight skis, with hardly any side cut, it was difficult to get away from the nursery slopes, and people had to “earn” it by putting in a few hours with an instructor, or similar.

If they tried it without at least learning how to do a few basics, they would just spend all day on their arse getting wet.

The newer style skis are so easy to get to grips with, they get people off the nursery slopes without any lessons and onto the mountain causing total havoc with no training at all. No idea what they are doing and no idea about safety.

mrs xiphon just picked up a brand new (massive price reduction) snowboard/ski lid for £25….

I had a decent crash a few years ago snowboarding. Hit my head on the hard packed piste and suffered abit of concussion. Bought a helmet before the next trip and have worn one ever since. They keep your head very warm and do not affect vision if you are already wearing goggles. I had a similar crash a few years later and got up and carried on riding, not saying the helmet was the be all and end all but i reckon it helped.

Pro-tec helmets are great!

Just googling skier killed etc a mix of with and without helmet. So nothing definitive.
sorry it was 120 euros, cheap there was some at 280 Euros.
Nothing decent for 40/50 Euros, bit like bike helmets you pay for lightness, ventilation and adjust-ability

Think mine was €80? Forget now.

And yes, one of the (hat wearing) people I’ve skied with many times suffered a head injury. Everyone in our group that didn’t have a lid went to the shop at 9am the next morning and bought one.

Fortunately the guy was back on skis at the start of the next season… with a lid of course.

It can’t do you any harm to wear one, but I have resisted so far……I actually like wearing a hat.

I do keep an eye over my shoulder for the dangerous people mentioned above. They are the big concern!

Would you consider bike helmets a fashion thing too then ?

I would. And ski helmets.

It used to be that no-one really wore them and you’d be standing out from the crowd by wearing one. By wearing one, you would be displaying to people that you were a wannabe racer/pansy/more concerned about your personal safety and the risks of the activity than most others*.

Now it’s the case that many more people (large majority in mtb, getting toward the majority in ski resorts) wear them, and by not wearing one, you’re marking yourself out as a reckless, selfish pr1ck/less concerned than most about your personal safety*

*delete as you see fit.

And what’s fashion, really, other than going along with the majority, or deciding not to?

Meh, I don’t bother. But frankly when I ski I’m not pushing myself. The odd red and black, but always on piste, and mainly blues, I’ve not fallen over in years, let alone hit my head. Ergo I’ve concluded I’m happy without. YMMV, certainly wouldn’t judge anyone for using one, or not.

€120 euros isn’t particularly expensive for a decent helmet.

Got mine on sale, but it would have been £140 I think full price ?

(Salomon Prophet Custom Air, so much better than my old Giro helmet!)

don’t like them, I like to wear glasses not goggles if weather permits, and helmet + glasses is a total nono

ski off the pistes, so you avoid the numpties
don’t fall over, so you don’t bang your head on a rock

and you’re good

I do in the ski resort. Too much stuff outside my control (like idiots hitting the back of me etc). Outside the resort it depends.. most of the time I’m touring miles from anywhere and so then it tend not to… unless I know I’m going to be spending plenty of time near trees…

The closeness of some of the trees yesterday skiing unknown terrain and one bounce [down for a bump or two backup and skiing] made me think and at a ripe old age it may be prudence.

Hey Neal, I see where you’re coming from, I learnt on straight skis which were 20cm taller than me. And have witnessed the change in skis and how much easier they are now.

But it never occurred to me that people would go skiing without any instruction 😯 even though the skis make it easier..

Oh blimey, its a variation on a helmet debate! 😯

Probably about the only time I don’t wear one now is when ski-touring, especially when its warm. There may be newer ski rucksacks that allow you to easily strap a helmet on, but I’m kinda loathe to replace my Avalung right now.

I was really surprised only a few years ago when going through the BASI system, that they actively discouraged their coaches to wear a helmet whilst delivering instructor training, as their attitude was that it portrayed that skiing was dangerous.

Idiots do ski, this [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvBusSt2L-4[/video] of me proves it 😳

A quick cross of the skis and bang

The one and only time I’ve hit anyone on a slope, you can just hear the Pardon at the end.

I wear mine all the time. Having often witnessed people out of control on easy runs you probably would too .
Hearing girls screaming as they cant turn or stop ,then they just accelerate away is scary.
Wish I had been wearing one when i used my face to smash another guys collar bone ( he was german )

Been in some resorts where its rained onto the ice . It was so , so slippery people were wearing helmets to walk around the town in .

But it never occurred to me that people would go skiing without any instruction even though the skis make it easier..

Say they do.
Or there mates “teach” them (who never had lessons themselves)

We used to get people in our chalets all the time who scoffed at the suggestion of lessons because they done a couple of hours on a dry slope at home and thought that was enough.
And the “expert” of the group was going to give them a few pointers so they will be fine.

Quite often. They weren’t fine.