Put a Lid on It: Wearing a Helmet When Skiing
Updated: 2 days ago
There are many arguments to be made against wearing a helmet, but fundamentally they help the safety of you and everyone around you.
Helmets are a critical piece of safety gear for you and your ski buddies. They have shot up in popularity in recent years as attitudes towards safety have changed and improved correspondingly, and, as a result, a vast majority of skiers and riders now where helmets when on snow.
That being said, it is still a personal choice to where one, and many people will choose not to out of habit or other reasons. This guide will break down the reasons to buy a helmet and what to look out for when buying a ski helmet.
It will also dive into a couple of secondary technology, such as MIPS protection system and helmet headphones.
Why Should You Wear a Helmet?
There are so many good reasons to wear a helmet, the biggest amongst them is it keeps you safe when out skiing and riding. Pistes are busier than ever and it doesn’t take a huge amount to happen for a bad accident to become even worse because someone involved wasn’t wearing a helmet.
The same is true for off-piste skiing, too. Most good skiers who are not wearing helmets will be skiing off-piste, and some of the best skiers I know - fully qualified expert IFMGA mountain guides - won’t wear helmets when skiing off touring routes. But you still don’t know when you’re going to hit a patch of ice or fall on to a rock, and that could have serious consequences should the worst happen.
Many people will counter this by saying that they can’t hear when wearing helmets (something that is profoundly untrue, from experience) or that the same rock will doesn’t care whether you are wearing a helmet or not, it will still kill you; true, but it is the rocks that could kill you or just concuss you where helmets make a difference.
Secondly, many places are now mandating the use of helmets. This is most common for under-18s or when using snowparks, and you could lose your lift pass or face other consequences for skiing and riding without one in these instances.
Sizing a Helmet
It is really important to get helmet sizing right, as a poorly fitted helmet may not work appropriately.
To measure for a ski helmet, run a soft tape measure around your head, about a centimetre above your eyebrows. This will then give you a circumference at the widest point of your head.
It is also a good idea to understand your head shape, although this may come later when trying on helmets. Different brands manufacture helmets in different shapes - circular or ovular, and this can be the difference between a helmet fitting or not, especially for those of us with larger heads than others.
I am a great example of this. I have a big, ovular head, and as a result I really only fit one brand: Giro. Even the biggest available sizes of something like Sweet Protection - easily my favourite helmet brand - won’t work on my head.
When trying on helmets, they should fit comfortably once the size adjustment has been tightened up. A little bit of forward and backward movement is acceptable, but the helmet should not be able to twist side to side. Check as well that you find the ear pads comfortable, and the chin strap fits well under the chin.
Ski Helmet Features
Your basic ski helmet will still be of really good quality; all helmets conform to the same standards and construction. Each helmet features a standard expanded polystyrene shell coated by a hard plastic outer, helping absorb and disperse any impacts.
Vents are now supplied as standard, helping to keep your head cool underneath. What you’ll find is the ability to open and close vents is offered as an upgrade from the standard model in most cases.
You’ll also have the ability to adjust the size of it – not so much that you can ignore the proper sizing of the helmet, but will fine tune the adjustment especially to the shape of your head. Again, you’ll often fine a better, more ergonomic adjustment in higher end models.
Finally things like MIPS – Multi-Directional Impact Protection System – are now offered as an upgrade for most helmet models., often with an uplift of at least £20. This is a useful feature to add for those that ski hard or are into their freestyle skiing, but are in no way necessary for the everyday skier.
Replacing a Ski Helmet
You should replace a ski helmet every few years, as some of the safety-critical features can erode with use.
You should definitely replace a ski helmet after a heavy impact, even if you can’t see any physical damage. If it is enough to hurt you, it is enough to hurt the helmet, too. Damaged helmets with dents or cracks in the shell are next to useless, and should be replaced.
In theory, the MIPS liner is replaceable if it fails. However, if you have fallen hard enough to damage the MIPS liner, then you have fallen hard enough to damage the helmet, too, and both should therefore be replaced.
Thank you for taking the time to find and read this blog. Please consider liking this piece and sharing with your friends, as it all helps more and more people unlock their skiing!
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