| How many SnowHeads wear a helmet when skiing or boarding? |
| Skier: Never |
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62% |
[ 80 ] |
| Skier: Sometimes |
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14% |
[ 19 ] |
| Skier: Always |
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13% |
[ 18 ] |
| Boarder: Never |
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0% |
[ 1 ] |
| Boarder: Sometimes |
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0% |
[ 1 ] |
| Boarder:Always |
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7% |
[ 10 ] |
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| Voted : 127 |
| Total Votes : 129 |
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 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Snowy wrote: |
| Jonny Jones wrote: |
Buy in the resort (N America) or in the UK?
- What's it like to wear one? Does it make temperature regulation and hearing difficult, or does that depend on the style?
- How do I choose? Is there any reason to believe that some offer more effective protection than others? Or is it just a style and comfort thing?
- Is it ever necessary to wear a hat / balaclava / etc under the helmet to stave off the cold? |
- It cost the same to buy the new Giro helmet in Whistler last season as it does in this season's Snow and Rock catalogue. Other makes may vary - I don't know.
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My Giro 9.9 was about $80 (US) in resort at the end of season. That worked out at less than 50 quid at the time. Far cheaper than I could have got one in Britain.
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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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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
I've been pretty late joining this debate. It's been a fascinating read - thanks to all contributors for making me think and laugh in equal measure.
Before reading the thread, I'd planned to buy a helmet this year. I still do, so that's a small victory to the helmet mob. But I've a few questions:
- Buy in the resort (N America) or in the UK?
- What's it like to wear one? Does it make temperature regulation and hearing difficult, or does that depend on the style?
- How do I choose? Is there any reason to believe that some offer more effective protection than others? Or is it just a style and comfort thing?
- Is it ever necessary to wear a hat / balaclava / etc under the helmet to stave off the cold?
I need your expert advice. |
My wife and I each bought a Giro 9.nine (or possibly nine.9) for about CA$80 in Canada lateish last season, even cheaper than in US, and a lot cheaper than in UK. We bought what they had in the shop; the old lady has a bright blue job with flames around the edge and a removable visor thing, I have a camo green one (no flames, regrettably).
Wearing it is fine, but not quite as comfortable as not wearing one. The Giro9.nine has removable inserts in the shell to allow ventilation; it will have to be bloody cold before I'll want to put them in, and I doubt that I'll ever need anything underneath it (apart from my head). I suppose at -30 I might, but I'd be in the bar well before it got that cold, or if you spend your days upside down in deep powder a liner might be a good idea. Hearing is OK, especially as I can remove the ear flaps (my hearing is poor anyway). The flaps can be replaced by ones incorporating speakers for your personal stereo or for that and your mobile.
The old head sweats a good deal under the helmet; I suspect that fluid intake needs to be increased accordingly. My hair (what there is of it) is, quite frankly, a mess when I take the helmet off; it's straight to the salon for me at the end of the day.
I don't know about performance; I seem to remember that the Giro conforms to some performance standard or the other. I assumed that anything from a reputable manufacturer would be up to the job, and went for the lightest I could find.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Lager wrote: |
My Giro 9.9 was about $80 (US) in resort at the end of season. That worked out at less than 50 quid at the time. Far cheaper than I could have got one in Britain. |
It sounds like you got a good deal Lager! 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pretty comprehensive answers - thanks.
I guess we'll wait until we're in the resort (Big Sky) to buy as it doesn't sound like it's going to be more expensive that way, and we're likely to have more choice than in Cardiff. I don't think my wife will be too keen on soggy hair, though. I imagine she'll put appearance before safety and use it as an excuse to ski even more slowly 
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I got a similar deal as richmond for my 9.9 - also in Canada, also late season. In fact I'd echo everything he say except the bit about the hair. I find a hat makes more of a mess of my hair than a helmet.
This may possibly be related to the exceedingly dry conditions encountered in the Canadian Rockies, which are ideal for static electricity generated by pulling synthetic hats off hair: results in a somewhat startling Don King effect.
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Kids under 14 skiing/boarding in Italy have to wear a helmet as of January 2005....it's da law!
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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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Has anyone got or used a cp-helmet ? The local ski shop is doing a good deal and Mrs Ise wants one.
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I'm looking into getting one this season, because of what i saw in Baqueira last on my last day last season.
A bloke about six chairs in front of us had lifted the bar and was in the process of getting ready to ski off when the chair stopped very suddenly and he lost his balance when the chair lurched forward. With his skis not far enough onto the flat run off, he slipped backwards falling down the build-up of snow made for the run off. As this was the only lift without any safety netting on the mountain, he only stopped when he hit the pylon at the bottom some 10 feet away.
The guy was out cold for about five minutes, and eventually they air lifted him off to hospital as a precaution. He was wearing a helmet then and can only think that the helmet and his ability to slow himself down with his skis whilst sliding saved his life.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SteveG, it also shows just why chairlifts normally have safety netting 
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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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D G Orf, I can imagine there was one there very soon afterwards!
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| comprex wrote: |
Annehillskiing, it's even cheaper in Canada, and you might actually find a top model. (I won't even mention the VAT refund).
(I am not really put out over having paid premium rate for a 3-rd tier helmet (Leedom) locally. Much. So, having kept my cool head  I ordered the next one from Montreal. (Salomon Mach 2- the Boeri is just too big for airlines) ). |
Thanks for the advice, do not know whether I will be able to get over the border while I am there but if I do I will take a look!!
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You know it makes sense.
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| ise wrote: |
| Has anyone got or used a cp-helmet ? The local ski shop is doing a good deal and Mrs Ise wants one. |
Me probably being dense but what is a cp-helmet????
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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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| Annehillskiing wrote: |
| ise wrote: |
| Has anyone got or used a cp-helmet ? The local ski shop is doing a good deal and Mrs Ise wants one. |
Me probably being dense but what is a cp-helmet???? |
It's a make of helmet, they have a website here. The answer to my own question is they're a Swiss company making helmets that are far more competitively priced than the Giro ones, the spec’s look rather better as well comparing the cp-helmet fizz or greyhound against the Giro 9 for example. They’re widely available here in Switzerland, at least in all our local stores.
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Poster: A snowHead
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D G Orf, I have the opposite problem - a very small head, and also find it difficult to buy hats of any description. Even the standard child size is too big!
I would actually like to wear a helmet, but seriously, I'm afraid it would frighten off my clients. If nervous beginners/intermediates saw their teacher wearing one, the message would be clear. I like the slalom face protectors though, and wish I'd been wearing one when I had my accident (see the thread about being crashed into).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, difficult one isn't it, one of the snowboard instructors in Wengen fell and broke his wrist a while ago, guess what he wasn't wearing, yep thats right wrist protectors 
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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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| easiski wrote: |
| I would actually like to wear a helmet, but seriously, I'm afraid it would frighten off my clients. If nervous beginners/intermediates saw their teacher wearing one, the message would be clear. |
I've had plenty of ski instructors who wear helmets while teaching. They don't put me off. It just makes them appear like they ski well enough to need a helmet, rather than just being a piste-cruiser type of instructor. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When my son worked for the American Ski Company it was mandatory for instructors to wear helmets. Setting a good example etc.
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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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| Quote: |
D G Orf, I have the opposite problem - a very small head, and also find it difficult to buy hats of any description. Even the standard child size is too big!
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easiski, me too, the kids were made to wear a helmet at Castleford Xscape on Saturday, but as they were just told to choose a helmet, I feel it was just as liability thing and not for their safety at all.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi guys,
Have just stumbled onto the site and been reading all the posts and this one compelled me to register into the global community that is and offer you my two penneth.
My fiancee is a Neuro intensive care nurse and has had first hand experience of the effects of not wearing helmets. The last few seasons she has had a number of patients in with head injuries from skiing. Whilst the injuies themselves had not been severe enough to cause death, they were severe enough to cause brain damage. The resulting outcomes ranged from loss of limb mobility at the mildest level to vegetative state at the worst level. All of which were serious enough to put an end to the persons skiing careers and in the worst cases left them with no quality of life at all.
Remember, the brain is one of the few bits of the body that cannot regenerate itself. Broken bones, busted ligaments and the like can be fixed, once your brain has been damaged it can never be fixed using medical intervention. Is it really worth taking the risk of ending up in a vegatitive state for the sake of wearing a helmet? Quite often it is felt that death would have been a more preferable outcome.
Of course, this argument can be reversed and people will say that an acident that would normally have sent you from this mortal coil could be mitigated by wearing a helmet and leave you alive but incapacitated. I suppose that people have to weigh up the risks and make their own choices.
A crash big enough to kill you is going to kill you no matter what you are wearing. Medical treatment is so good nowadays that if you are alive when they get to you, you are more than likely going to survive. It is what happens once all the other parts of your body have been fixed that the real problems start. Just be aware that quite minor head injuries can have devastating effects on not only your life but of those of everybody around you. 
Oh and yes I do now wear a helmet after the best part of 20 years of haring around the mountains doing silly things.  I have to agree with the compelling argument from my betrothed that the slight inconvenience is far more preferable than the potential outcomes of banging my nugget against some steep, icy piece of mountain. 
Anyway I do not advocate compulsory wearing of helmets as everybody should be free to make their own choices, but please be aware of the potential outcomes.
Keep up the good work, and here's to an excellent season 
Gareth 
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Welcome to snowHeads, Big G
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Welcome to snowHeads Big G you make a convincing discussion a no brainer. Im just ordering a Giro nine.9 from America for £49.00 plus post. Postage should be cheap best I can get one in the UK is £90.00 less any discount S & R will give me.
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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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Russell, Smart Move - I bought my Giro nine.9 at the 2003 Ski Show from Beans of Bicester at a very good UK price of £60. The only trouble with buying goods from the US is that sometimes UK Customs will slap on import duty and VAT which you have to pay before you can receive the goods
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Virginpowder list the nime.9 at £59.99. About 5th down the page. Mind you, I guess you have to check the fit at an expensive store, which actually has it avaibe for you to try....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Is it now time for another poll to ask who will wear a helmet next season?
I have to say my answer will remain unchanged 
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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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Virgin powder, Have very limited stock of Giro nine.9 helmets at£59.99 they go up to about £85.00 when new stock arrives. Just Ordered mine today. Didnt want to take the risk of import tax from the USA
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T Bar, I will, at least some of the time. Bought a Boeri helmet from Facewest and I'll use next week in Tignes. Actually I'll wear it next week but I hope I won't ever have to don't really use it!
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FAQ
