Going to sound really lame here but - helmets

icedfortunately its mandatory at most mountains near me but I do agree it would be good to see with top athletes. I personally find someone wearing a bunch of protective shit and absolutely ripping cool. All I want to do is ski at my top level for as long as I can, and if an entirely preventable accident wrecks me for life, I'll be regretting that shit till I push my wheelchair to the grave

driftshelmets are cool and I wear one most of the time but mandatory helmets is whack. people should wear a helmet because they want to not because some dickbag thinks they need to force everyone to

driftshelmets are cool and I wear one most of the time but mandatory helmets is whack. people should wear a helmet because they want to not because some dickbag thinks they need to force everyone to

doubleblackjack11000% agree. I had a nasty slam on a box that would’ve given me a concussion or worse for sure if I didn’t have a helmet on

eheathYou probably got a concussion if you hit your head, a helmet doens't prevent a concussion.

270on420outIf you suck ass and you go out and throw dub backflips without a helmet on because your favorite skier does the same thing then I’m sorry but that’s just natural selection.

**This post was edited on Dec 9th 2020 at 8:54:02pm

eheathYou probably got a concussion if you hit your head, a helmet doens't prevent a concussion.

BurritoThere's a pretty simple way to accomplish the OP's goal - getting pros in helmets more often on their public-facing social media. Build it into their sponsorship contracts. If I'm a helmet company and a skier wants money to rep my product, then it is perfectly reasonable as the company to say to said skier that they only get that money if they're actually wearing the helmet. This has always been a given for comps (since they mandate helmet use), but it would be easy to write it into a contract for social media, too. If a rider doesn't want to give that concession, no biggie. That's their choice, but no helmet = no sponsorship.

As far as I see it, it's a win-win-win with regard to the OP's goal. Pro riders make their money, brands get their marketing, and a good example is set for groms. Again, no hard feelings if that's not how the pro wants to go - just no money, either.

Full disclosure I work for a helmet brand. As far as I know this has never been discussed, but I'll float it by our team manager the next time I see him.

gravelhelmets don’t always prevent concussions but plenty of the time they do, or at least reduce the severity

VISHNUHelmet discussion aside, I am a strong advocate for wearing a mouth guard.

VISHNUHelmet discussion aside, I am a strong advocate for wearing a mouth guard.

driftsMouth guards do more to protect you from a concussion than a helmet

SlowbroLuckily skiing seems to be the most pro helmet sport out there. I feel like no one judges anyone for wearing a helmet other than crusty "OG" park skiers. Fashion wise I think they look good on skiers/snowboarders too. Outerwear, goggles etc are already pretty bulky so helmets don't stand out. If anyone is impressionable enough that an instagram post makes them not want to rock a helmet that's on them lol.

I feel like the reason skateboarding is so anti-helmet is because helmets look dumb worn with street clothes and skateboarders are too self-conscious to compromise their outfits with one.

icedfortunately its mandatory at most mountains near me but I do agree it would be good to see with top athletes. I personally find someone wearing a bunch of protective shit and absolutely ripping cool. All I want to do is ski at my top level for as long as I can, and if an entirely preventable accident wrecks me for life, I'll be regretting that shit till I push my wheelchair to the grave

BradAusNzCoCaI’m looking at all you guys on insta - Cody Laplante, Tom Wallisch, Joss Christensen, Candide, etc. etc.

I grew up as an impressionable teen in the 2000s. I ONLY threw on a helmet because I saw it on a lot of skiers and I wanted to be cool. I’m seeing a lot of skiers posting content now without helmets and I’m noticing it’s a lot more commonplace now.

I don’t care about 95% of us not wearing helmets. I think it’s not the smartest, but it’s our decision to make. What I care about is the kids coming up who are not wearing helmets and putting themselves in danger. Those kids are not talented enough or educated enough to make a decision on the matter. They see Candide do a dub backie with no helmet and think that’s real life.

Then they head out with an arsenic anywhere cap on and dome themselves trying their first unnatural slide ever. (I saw a ~10 year old kid attempt a single barrel and potato sack it yesterday. Thank for his helmet).

All I’m asking is could we please have some more helmet awareness. I’ve been skiing park for over 16 years and I’m glad park skiing (as opposed to park snowboarding) pushed helmets when I was younger. I will always wear a helmet until the day I die. I have done without, and I know I can do without, but it’s not worth the risk.


Shoutout to E-Dollo for continuing to push helmets

**This thread was edited on Dec 9th 2020 at 7:45:49pm

eheathSkateboarders don't wear helmets because they have a much lower chance of actually hitting their heads, aside from the culture and style aspect, but like do you see anyone riding motocross without a helmet? No way, because they could slam their dome at any time, skateboarders, especially at a pro level, have so much control over their body/board and have been falling in the streets without a helmet since they learned to skate.

eheathI don't know anyone who looks down on someone for wearing a helmet, people assume because one doesn't wear a helmet that they think it looks dumb or hate on others who wear helmets.

Skateboarders don't wear helmets because they have a much lower chance of actually hitting their heads, aside from the culture and style aspect, but like do you see anyone riding motocross without a helmet? No way, because they could slam their dome at any time, skateboarders, especially at a pro level, have so much control over their body/board and have been falling in the streets without a helmet since they learned to skate. Thats why guys who ride vert ramps wear helmets because its more risky than skating street, you don't see a vert skater without a helmet.

danbrowneheath in my opinion this is an awful take. there's no lower chance of hitting their heads. maybe for dinking around on a manual pad, but not for any kind of bigger rail or drop or gap or hill bomb or anything. i'll never buy the argument that "they've been falling for a long time and have body/board control". have you watched a skate video ? have you seen bail segments or misses? their falls are fucking gnarly and brutal, every single one onto concrete. they don't wear helmets because it's an image that needs to be maintained.

eheathThis so much, people don't seem to understand a helmet does almost nothing to protect your brain from slamming into your skull, a helmet can absorb a little bit of the blow (mips is another discussion) but if you want to prevent a concussion, wear a mouth guard.

driftsIt’s mostly people that don’t play contact sports that think a helmet is some magic anti brain damage device. It helps but there’s only so much it can do

eheathWe can agree to disagree, I think skiing has a much higher chance for a head injury because of higher speed, more variables, ability to control fall, etc.

I didn't say they didn't have gnarly falls but I think that if helmets we're going to help out skaters so much, don't you think they'd be like other action sports that have embraced helmets? The 'no helmet culture' thing exists/existed in every action sport and all but skateboarding has gravitated to wearing helmets, not to mention skating is hands down the most popular action sport in the world, you'd think they'd have the highest rate of helmet use if it was actually something that helped skaters have less injuries. I'm not saying skaters don't get head injuries, but I think there is more to skaters not wearing helmets than the culture.