Ski Helmets top off winter sports gear
John Baden bundled up his 5-year-old daughter at Mount Southington Ski Area Thursday — puffy parka, ski boots, gloves. Before hitting the hill, he secured a pink helmet with cartoon decals to her head.
“She’s already been saved a couple of times,” said Baden, a 38-year-old Plantsville resident, of the protective plastic. “They definitely help.”
Although no legislation mandates helmets on U.S. slopes, their use has boomed over recent years as more skiers and snowboarders have accepted the comfort and sleekness of new models while gaining awareness of the risks of head injuries.
“It’s a little bit of monkey-see, monkey-do,” said Troy Hawks, spokesman for the National Ski Areas Association. “Other folks who haven’t traditionally worn helmets are thinking this is something they should do.”
According to the association, about half of skiers and riders nationwide wore helmets last year, up from 25 percent six years ago. In the Northeast, including New York and Connecticut, helmet usage is close to 59 percent. Sales of ski helmets have jumped 43 percent in the last two years alone, with models ranging from $50 to $200 or more, complete with venting systems, multiple shells and wireless audio systems.
“There are a lot more sizes and model varieties,” Hawks said. “Technologies have come a long way. They are a little more comfortable. And they have removable ear flaps so they are more comfortable in warmer conditions.”
Ski helmets received a boost in publicity following the death of actress Natasha Richardson, who died last year after suffering a head injury during a ski lesson. Singer Sonny Bono and Michael Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, died in ski slope collisions while not wearing helmets. Over each of the past 10 years, an average of 39 people have died each year on U.S. ski slopes, according to the NSAA.
Studies show helmets can reduce the incidence of head injuries from anywhere between 30 and 70 percent. But Jasper Shealy, a researcher with the Rochester Institute of Technology, concludes the reductions are limited to cuts, bumps and mild concussions rather than more serious fractures or severe concussions. Fatalities have not decreased even as helmet use has increased, he argues.
SOURCE: http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/459784.txt
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