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EVERY pro should wear a helmet AT ALL TIMES IN PUBLIC

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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
IDK if it's been said before but it needs to be said again.

Too many people have died this year as a direct result of not wearing a helmet. My cousin's best friend died the other day, she was a good friend of mine too (RIP Faye x). She was only 18 and it could have completely been avoided if she had been wearing a helmet.

Pro skiers have a responsibility to wear head protection because so many young people aspire to be like them. Professional skiers need to set a good example, otherwise people start saying "Candide doesn't need a helmet and look how big he goes! Why on earth would I need one?"
The point is that it isn't difficult to wear a helmet, they are light and hardly restricting, barely noticeable, and look just as legit as any hat or beanie.

You get 1 chance with your head. Just 1. There are no replacements, warranties or refunds. So look after it.


I'm probably going to get my Karma stripped away now but I feel someone needs to say it.
May 4 2009 6:15AM
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dangerdad
Posts: 2228 - Karma: 317
after watching my friend fall right in front of me in a train, break his binding in half, slam his head, and go into seizures for a couple minute, I will ALWAYS wear a helmet when i ski.
May 4 2009 12:03PM
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Trashpuppet
Posts: 529 - Karma: 123
agreed.
May 4 2009 12:13PM
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Capurnicus
Posts: 9947 - Karma: 1,886
It's not a pro skier's job to be a walking PSA ad.
May 4 2009 12:28PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896

Before someone trashes me for being callous, I want to say that I am way sorry that the creator of this thread lost a friend.   That sucks, and I've been there.  This is something that's being argued across the entire skiing community right now.  You can go to about any ski site and there will be a thread about whether helmet laws should be created and inforced for skiing and boarding.  I'm a pro choicer on this one, but it's tough.

I agree with the thought on this.  Pros should be held to a higher standard, but it's the responsibility of the companies that sponsor the pros to hold them accountable.  It's not just helmets either.  If you are a pro and you have been invited to speak to a high school class, you shouldn't be out pulling tubes in the parking lot before your visit.  What you do in private is your business, but when you get paid to promote the sport and your sponsors, you have to realize that you are under a microscope. 

On the other hand, pros in general have never been outstanding role models.  What's great about our sport is that it is so much cleaner than most professional sports.  I don't ever see steroid use or blood doping being a factor in freestyle.  Still, pros are regular Joes.  They are going to screw up like the rest of us.  If you want to put pressure on them to wear helmets, not get DWI's or not start dog fighting clubs, you have to put pressure on the companies that write them the checks. 

... and yeah.  I am sure my Karma is going to take a beating on this. 

PS:  Maybe Nipples should have been wearing one of the above when he went whaling.  yaha!!!

May 4 2009 12:37PM
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Snowgoner
Posts: 5047 - Karma: 964
wear a helmet
i got a concussion and i was wearing a helmet. if i wasn't wearing a helmet i mostly likely would have broken my skull
May 4 2009 1:00PM
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Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9092 - Karma: 3,022

There shouldn't be a rule mandating that pros wear helmets 100% of the time, but I hope that pros have the moral composure to see that they should wear helmets since hundreds of kids all over look up to them as role models (I know I do).

There is literally no reason that anybody should ever ski without a helmet. Helmets are past the "uncool" stage in the freeski scene and are very comfortable if fitted correctly and worn correctly. There are countless ways that you can fuck up your head while skiing (hitting a rail, hitting ice, impact with a gaper, ect.) and almost all of them can be prevented by wearing a helmet. You won't die from breakin your arm or spraining your ankle or getting stitches in your knee, but you can count on a chance of fatal injury if something impacts your head.

Wow that was a long-ass post.\

May 4 2009 1:13PM
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slevin_kelevra
Posts: 416 - Karma: 13

My parents used to make we wear a helmet. I don't know if its habit or what, but I still wear mine all the time.  Plus its warm.

I don't think that it's the responsibility of the skiers to promote wearing helmets. People should be responsible enough to make decisions for themselves.

Sorry about your friend..+vibes
May 4 2009 1:16PM
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Bren-Ten
Posts: 1187 - Karma: 24

i motion to move to the previous question.

Straw poll:

everyone who agrees who everyone no matter what they are doing or skill level he/she posseses they should wear helmets say "I"

May 4 2009 1:29PM
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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
Thanks dude, I agree with what you are saying. Everyone has a choice, but there are risks and responsibilities that come with every choice that we make.

I think people should have the choice but people should set better examples to those who will be making the choice.

IDK, If I was a professional skier (who didn't wear a helmet) and I found out that someone using my pro model of ski etc had died or injured themselves because they hadn't been wearing a helmet (like me) I would feel very guilty.
A lot of people on this website may claim to make their own decisions but we all aspire to be a pro or like a pro, and in an effort to do this, many people will copy everything that they do.


May 4 2009 1:35PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896

It's not that simple.  It's one thing if you are a sponsor. You can say "wear the helmet, or no $$$".  Then it's the pros choice to wear the helmet or find another sponsor.  I am really concerned that this is heading in the direction where you will get kicked off the hill for not wearing one.  I don't want to see that happen.

May 4 2009 1:41PM
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T-Holt
Posts: 5020 - Karma: 639
Same here.  There's no reason to not wear a helmet, you can seriously hurt yourself doing something easy if you catch an edge and slam your head on the ground even on an easy run.
May 4 2009 1:49PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
I'm really concerned that we're going to lose more raw talent through lack of head protection.
May 4 2009 1:49PM
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*Johnny
Posts: 403 - Karma: 19

some helmets are now light, look great and they are super confortable and more warm than a little beanie... the only time that I'va not wear my helmet, I overshooted a jump and knocked myself out... so wear a helmet ;)

May 4 2009 1:56PM
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MoistAbode
Posts: 1132 - Karma: 37
ive seen some wicked bad crashes and injuries that couldve been prevented with helmets, it is a good idea to wear one. and also idk if its just me but i think that doing urban without a helmet is just a stupid idea, it has 10x more risk of hitting your head on concrete
May 4 2009 1:57PM
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djikstra
Posts: 2471 - Karma: 6,014
I've cracked so many helmets, definitely necessary at least for me
May 4 2009 2:03PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896
I get it and I am not anti helmet.   I wore mine everyday this season.  Are you cool with it becoming a law?  I think you should do anything you can to make it safer, I just don't want people to be required by law to do something.  Someone may come out with statistics that show that you are 50% less likely to be injured in a terrain park if you have trained on a water ramp.  I am even trying to build one, but I don't want corporate America to say that you have to spend X amount of hours water ramping before you can session a park.  That's all I'm saying.
May 4 2009 2:11PM
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skihood
Posts: 903 - Karma: 154
If you choose not to wear a helmet, dont be an idiot and try things your not 100 percent positive about.

I wear mine though. Most of your guys's helmets dont fucking work anyway
May 4 2009 2:26PM
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CakedWiddit
Posts: 268 - Karma: 13
Glenn Plake should do a service announcement about wearing your helmet
May 4 2009 2:48PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
"Professional skiers need to set a good example, otherwise people start saying "Candide doesn't need a helmet and look how big he goes! Why on earth would I need one?" "

If people think like this they shouldn't be skiing.
May 4 2009 3:08PM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
Yep^ lets make pro's stop hitting huge features too...
May 4 2009 3:16PM
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olly124
Posts: 53 - Karma: 10
lol u made it off easy, the day i tried snowboarding i broke my wrist on the bunny hill xD
May 4 2009 3:16PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
Yeah, they probably shouldn't tbh, its not safe to hit huge trannys or gaps or tables. Someone could get hurt.
May 4 2009 3:30PM
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TonyTheTiger
Posts: 863 - Karma: 68
You know what, you are fucking right. Seriously, pros have so much more influence than they think. All the little kids are looking up ar them. I don't say they got to wear their helmet, but at least advocate the fact that it is not uncool to protect yourself. To tell the truth, if Tanner and the vast majority of them didn't smoke the chron, I would've been less likely to do it myself!
May 4 2009 3:56PM
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tylerskis
Posts: 130 - Karma: 28
Pros can do what ever they want.

now that it is spring time, its not safer to not wear a helment than to wear one. The helment is harder and more painful than the snow
May 4 2009 3:57PM
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Raptor.
Posts: 784 - Karma: 255
i laughed at the title because i thought it was a joke thread but it isnt
i hope you know that they would have to wear a helmet for walking or shopping if you get what you want
May 4 2009 4:04PM
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bob_dole
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 1,580
im sorry for the loss of the person but you cant honestly pin this on pro skiers not wearing helmets sometimes. thats just straight silly. if you dont wear a helmet just because your favorite pro doesnt wear one then your an idiot. its each persons OWN responsibility to decide on their safety.
May 4 2009 4:05PM
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Dhane
Posts: 3866 - Karma: 1,722
i agree with some points being made in this thread, but disagree with the whole vibe. just because these people are higher up in the industry and people like the thread creator copy everything they do, doesnt mean they should wear helmets. people have the choice to wear a helmet or not, porfessionanl skiers are people to. sure, there are many risks to skiing, yes, i have seen many injuries concerning not wearing helmets, but i have injuries where helmets almost killed people. a fellow skier i know over rotated a spin, caught edge, and nailed his head. his helmet cracked and fell back and the strap jammed into his neck and began to choke him. this kid was having serious seizures, and had someone not been around to get the helmet off him, he very well could have died.
you say the chances of that are one in a million of that happening, but so is that of some landing on your head. if you know what you are doing, are comfortable with what you are doing, the risks are just as high as if you werent wearing a helmet/
i agree that helmets should be worn, i just wanted to present a different side to this argument other than forcing professional skiers to wear a helmet because the youth is impressioanable.
May 4 2009 4:09PM
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traylortrash
Posts: 1935 - Karma: 2,450
this.
May 4 2009 4:20PM
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D_War
Posts: 266 - Karma: 34
if you had the power to influence that these pros have dont you think you might try to use it in a possitive way. ei. helping to prevent head injuries but wearing a helmet when people are watching 
May 4 2009 4:22PM
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tride
Posts: 1038 - Karma: 26
Everyone has lost their sense of perspective.....

First off, yes, wearing a helmet is a good idea, I am not going to argue that.

However, just to keep things in perspective, statistically there is a MUCH greater danger of suffering severe brain injury on a trampoline, than there is while skiing. Traumatic head injury is very common on tramps, but I would bet that the thread creator doesn't throw on a helmet when he gets on the tramp.

Mandatory helmet use in cars would save countless lives too, but do you throw one on when Mom drives you to school?

So yeah, wear your helmet, by all means. But demanding that all the pros have to wear a helmet at all times is just as intrusive as it would be for me to demand that you put one on everytime you jump on a trampoline.


May 4 2009 4:59PM
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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
.
May 4 2009 5:29PM
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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
Ok that didn't work

I meant to say:

. :-) Here is you...

looks like you missed it.
May 4 2009 5:30PM
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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
wtf? Basically you completely missed the point. And for some reason that is very hard for me to demonstrate on NS. Holy fail.
May 4 2009 5:31PM
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prophet
Posts: 4734 - Karma: 1,007
it is a choice, but a couple of concussions will certainly aid in making it for you. definitely wont see CR or someone who's gotten rocked riding without one. it makes sense. i get pretty sketched skiing without mine now.
May 4 2009 5:40PM
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kiwisdontbounce
Posts: 663 - Karma: 12
Helmets are an absolute necessity. You never know when someone might hit you or you might lose control. I will always wear a helmet.
May 4 2009 5:43PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8784 - Karma: 6,232
+karma, + vibes
May 4 2009 5:46PM
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RoadRash_Skier
Posts: 457 - Karma: 44
 in quebec, we cant hit the park without helmet
May 4 2009 5:53PM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
winner
May 4 2009 6:04PM
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Trojan~Man
Posts: 1996 - Karma: 1,357
i use my helmet all the time but when i get tired at the end of the day and start falling all over the place, is when i get hurt. so sometimes to stop myself from doing something stupid when im really tired i go take my helmet off so i just go do laps with my buds and chill-ski for the rest of the day...
May 4 2009 6:07PM
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Pee_and_Ski
Posts: 1869 - Karma: 57

should they, yes. should they be forced to no.

I think mountians should make people under 18 wear them then after that its on the adult.

May 4 2009 6:15PM
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3mania
Posts: 2613 - Karma: 10,361
here's an idea... if you wanna wear a helmet wear one, but I don't believe you have the right to impose your idea of what necessary for Pro's or anyone else on the rest of us. I've skied for 25 yrs and over 3200 days and i've never been knocked out or had any kind of head injury. I believe many people are given a false sense of security when they have a helmet on and try things well beyond their ability level. I know it's not steezy or cool, but actually going out and working on your turns, body position, pole plants, and being able to make turns of all sizes and speeds would do a lot more than helmets to prevent head and all other types on injuries.
May 4 2009 6:18PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
i feel it's your own choice. I wear one because i just feel safer in them, but i don't go around preaching to wear a helmet
May 4 2009 6:23PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
Sarcasm detector fail tbh
May 4 2009 6:38PM
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Smuffy
Posts: 4686 - Karma: 3,408
Lets face it people. Pros set an example. Thats the reason they're PROFESSIONALS for gods sake. they are paid to set an example. If they wear tall t's, the masses wear tall t's. if they wear tight pants, then i bet you the masses will wear tight pants. helmets are the same thing...
May 4 2009 6:40PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
I usually never wear a helmet which is dumb because multiple times i could have died without one its my choice and its the pros choice to if they want to wear them or not
May 4 2009 6:45PM
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flexpattern
Posts: 1090 - Karma: 45
Lids are Legit cos' yo can stick dem stickers on them crazzeeee! yeah boi!
STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS!
Yeah! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS!
STick 'em on real good! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS!
Slap 'em on tight! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS! STICKERS!
May 4 2009 7:14PM
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hedgehog
Posts: 1595 - Karma: 167
i thought you meant in public like everywhere
May 4 2009 7:23PM
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skihood
Posts: 903 - Karma: 154


May 4 2009 7:31PM
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n8myton
Posts: 395 - Karma: 24
Well, I agree, helmets are a must for me, and I wish pros would wear them too, it'd set a great example. But it's their own choice during their personal ski time. Also, "AT ALL TIMES IN PUBLIC" is a bit strict don't you think? Helmets at the after-party? Helmets in the grocery store? Helmets in the mall?
May 4 2009 8:08PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Sorry about your loss but that definitely doesnt warrant forcing your view on the masses (not like this would ever happen anyway). People need to learn to take personal responsibility for what goes in there lives whether that means wearing a helmet or blindly hitting jumps. The ski industry DOES NOT NEED MORE RULES!! It is already crippled enough by frivolous law suits and insane liability insurance. If people really need a role model to show them how to act maybe a good blow to the head will be good for them to get the brainwashings of our society out of there head.
May 4 2009 8:15PM
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