Local skier, CSA team up to certify ski and snowboard helmets
Richard Kinar wants to see fewer serious accidents on the ski hills he loves.
Kinar, a former professional freestyle skier who patrols Cypress Mountain, was shocked to learn that Canada has no minimum safety standards for ski and snowboard helmets.
“I saw a very slow-speed crash, and a child wearing a helmet was knocked unconscious,” said Kinar, 47, a West Vancouver resident. “Then I started doing some research, and realized anybody could sell a helmet that didn’t have to meet any standards.”
Kinar, whose son Connor survived a bicycle crash thanks to a CSA-approved bike helmet, is now working with the Canadian Standards Association to develop minimum standards for snow-sport helmets.
“We undergo testing on bicycle helmets, ice-hockey helmets and ringette helmets,” said John Walter, a senior director with the Canadian Standards Association. “We support the value of having a minimum Canadian standard for ski and snowboard helmets.”
Walter wants to work with sports organizations, manufacturers and government regulators to come up with feasible standards that are satisfactory to all parties.
“There is no point in setting up a standard that sits on a shelf,” he said. “My commitment to Richard is that the CSA understands the value of this.”
Kinar said consumers do have some things to look for in choosing a helmet.
“Consumers can look for other countries’ stickers — ASTM 2040, Snell RS98 or CEN 1077,” said Kinar.
He warned that some stylish helmets don’t provide enough ear and face protection.
Still, he said, “wearing a helmet is always better than not wearing a helmet.”
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