Skiers turning to helmets; helmets expected to evolve even more
SUMMIT COUNTY – You can tell by the marks on Walid Hamzi’s helmet that it has helped keep his head from harm.
“Most of them are from skiing in trees. There’s just always random branches,” said Hamzi.
An added benefit, he says, is that he also feels safer on the slopes when he’s wearing a helmet.
“The helmet makes me feel a little more comfortable,” said Hamzi.
It’s an extra feeling of security many skiers and snowboarders like Kevin Cusack say they’ve been getting ever since strapping on a helmet.
“I think you wear it and think, ‘Well, I’m going really fast, but as least my head is protected,’” said Cusack.
But how much is that lid really protecting you?
As manager of the Virgin Island Ski Shop in Silverthorne, Eli Robertson says he’s seen the evolution of ski helmets.
“We used to wear motorcycle helmets that didn’t work,” said Robertson. “When you would go into a tuck, the helmet would fall over your eyes.”
Since then, he says helmets have gotten much better, but even the best helmets aren’t designed for high speed crashes. The helmets are rated for crashes well below 20 miles an hour.
“The U.S. came up with a standard 14 and a half miles an hour,” said Robertson.
Even at that speed, studies show helmets can reduce head injuries as much as 50 percent, but the only way for skiers to reduce the risk of death is by not skiing fast near trees.
“In reality, a tree is a tree. A helmet isn’t going to save you from hitting a tree,” said Robertson.
The next generation of helmets, which are being designed to be used for skiing, snowboarding, biking or skateboarding, will likely be lighter and less durable. Still, Robertson says wearing a helmet is better than wearing nothing at all.
“I think you can look at it in terms of a bicycle. If I’m going to fall down on any surface, I would rather have a helmet on than not have a helmet on,” said Robertson.
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