 Poster: A snowHead
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Just read the interesting opinions in PG's thread on back protectors & thought I'd ask the same quetion re helmets. I noticed in France that they were compulsory for the kid's lessons & a reasonable percentage of skiers seemed to wear one.
I went around all the stores in C1650 recently trying as many different types as I could. None felt comfortable and all had minimum venting - heat build up is a concern of mine as I've never worn a hat and only occasionally worn a head band over my ears.
One of the guys in the chalet had a Giro helmet he'd bought in Banf - very light, comfortable and with loads of vents (approx 9/10) . It also had removable ear pieces and a removable inner lining that totally exposed the vent holes. The only Giro helmet I've found on the net is not this model - no I don't want to listen to the radio whilst skiing!.
Your opinions please & can anyone help re sourcing the full Giro range?
Jon
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I really like the Marker M3 that I bought this year (together with Infinity goggles).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Giro is the only range that I;'ve found that ar really comnfortable, I'm leaning towards getting the Ravine rather than the Nine9 : this difference is that the ravine has hard covering over the ears.
Your local outdoor / ski shop should be able to order in helmets, but they ski helmets are imported by someone other than the company who import the giro bike helmets so don;t bother with your local bike shop./
Another point is that prices were noticeably (20% or so) lower in north america, if you;re going out there at all, but availability may be an issue ; I couldn;t fiond the helmet i wanted in my size hence I still don;t have one.
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I've been using a Giro9.9 for several seasons (this sounds like the one you describe), fortunately I've not yet had to test it out fully but I find it very light and comfortable. I've used it in very cold weather and it's kept my head warm, and very warm weather and with the plugs out its been cool enough - it's so light thet I really don't notice it most of the time, it's also a handy place to park the goggles without them steaming up.
I bought mine in Whistler (they seem very popular there), so I can't help you with finding one here, but you could try http://www.giro.com/
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'm also a Giro 9.9 wearer, and during my weekend in Austria, I skiied the second day with ear pieces, etc removed, and didn't overheat at all.
Really like it, and don't notice I'm wearing it, but then again, some people say that seat belts are uncomfortable and a bad idea...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Apologies bit of a stupid question but How easy / comfortable is it to wear sun glasses  with a helmet or do I have to start wearing googles
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bladeski, it's not a problem, you might just look a bit strange.
The Giro 9.nine was available recently at Snowlines in Edinburgh. Bear in mind that Giro sell an identical helmet for cycling (without the ear pads and insualatin/vent plugs) for 1/3 the price - hcekc good mountain bike shops for this.
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IT's not really identical the cut on skiing / snowboarding helets isa lot lower arou d the back of the head. The closest you would get is the Giro Zen, which retails around £80 i Think.
bladeski, you canget different lenses for goggles - I think I've only worn sunglasses on one skiing day in the past two or three years, mostly I wear goggles anyway, so when I get a helmet it'll make no difference. My pal who has a helmet and goggles has just got a spare lens, takes about 60 seconds to swap them
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Let me repeat myself. Giro sell an absolutely identical helmet to the 9.nine for mountain biking, it just doesn't have the insulation around the ears and chin or the vent plugs. The shell and foam is exactly the same although there are some extra colour choices on the one sold for biking. The skiing helmet is called the 9.nine, the cycling one is called the semi. They are both available with a visor and are then called the 9.nine mx and the semi mx.
It costs about £30 - compare that to the £110 I paid for my 9.nine. If you don't want a lid with insulation because you have a hot head then this is a pretty big saving for the same helmet. Buy the cycling one here if you want it: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5300002250
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Well I never. YOu're absolutely right Kurt, My apologies.
You can buy the ear pads separately, at least the ones with headphones in anyway - I think snow and rock were selling them for £30 for the pair
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think you can buy them online for $30, which is about 20p
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Wear The Fox Hat, do you have any dollars you want to sell at that exchange rate? 
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It's probably a good idea to check out this link:
http://www.ski-injury.com/helmet.htm
(obtained from the Blades thread in this section) and then read the reviews at the site linked to near the bottom of the page.
That's not to say don't buy one (I'd never say that) but that seeing as the only reason for wearing a helmet is to minimise head injury, it's probably best to know just what different helmets will and will not do, before buying one.
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You know it makes sense.
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I bought the Giro nine.9 in Banff this year. (Though I'm not the man sharing Spyderjon's chalet)
I findit pretty comfortable and well ventilated, and I didn't stew my brain wearing it in warm sunny conditions a fortnight ago. I paid $Can145 for it (approx £60). Not a bad price to protect what Woody Allen described as his second favourite organ.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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HI Guys. 2 things. 1st, skiing in Whistler last week, had a bit of a crash and put an inch long crack in shell of my helmet, so very pleased i was wearing it!! Therefore, i had to buy a new helmet, which leads me to thing 2. Giro have a new helmet out, upgrade on the 9, the Giro Fuse, much better venting and plugs, and even more confortable. Worth checking out, i tried both and really liked it (and so am now the proud owner of one). Point 3 (oops) sunnies wiht a helmet - bit of a fashion faux-pas
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Poster: A snowHead
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Robbie, the fuse is also about 3 times the weght. It is not strictly an upgrade, just a different, more sophisticated model which has a broader fit. The giro is sold as superlightweight and is fairly narrow; I think it is pretty much the only one that fits people (like me) with narrow heads.
Sorry to contradict so much today, I am being a bit of a helmet nazi. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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All
So much info. Many thanks.
That ski injury site of Shanky's makes for interesting reading. I'm still undecided wether to go the helmet route or not, especially as there's no real proven safety reason to make my mind up for me.
I think comfort will be my main criteria as my 'hot head' much prefers sunglasses in good weather. Even the Giro 9 with the vent cover & ear pieces removed has to be quite a bit hotter than no hat and shades, especially with goggles. The other problem with a helmet is that it's a bulky item to carry around, especially in cafes/bars etc.
The one thing I have learnt though is that sunglasses worn with a helmet breaks the first rule of skiing, namely look good at all costs!
Came across http://skihelmets.com in my research which is well worth a visit.
Jon
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Guys I hate wearing goggles, It has to be seriously snowing for me to put them on.
Next time you are out I'll be the idiot with shades and a helmet, so keep an eye out for me.  I can see this is going to be more difficult than I thought as comfort is going to be an issue!! Cheers for the info.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've worn my sunnies with my helmet (Giro 9.9) briefly - they fit fine, it's just I don't like skiing in sunglasses as no matter how wrapped round they are, as soon as I get any sort of speed up my eyes start streaming.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Stuarth - maybe we can start a new trend, helmet and sunnies, the ultimate fashion statement
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My helmet protects my head and is comfortable; my sunnies protect my eyes and are comfortable. I really couldn't give a stuff what it looks like.
There were plenty of people with helmets and sunnies in Whistler a week or so ago (it was far too hot/bright for goggles)
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Personal choice... 
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FAQ
