On Wednesday, the state senate passed SB880 by a 21-11 vote, and the assembly approved AB1652 by a 43-19 vote.

SB880 — introduced by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco — would require skiers and snowboarders under 18 to wear helmets at all California winter resorts; according to the bill, violators would be fined up to $25.

Heavenly Mountain Resort fully supports both bills and commended California legislators for spearheading the way to safer slopes, said spokesman Russ Pecoraro.

“We absolutely support the law and we think it’s a great way for California to show leadership,” said Pecoraro. “We think it’s a positive story to tell.”

Pecoraro said like many other resorts in the region, Heavenly has taken the initiative in safety planning by requiring all employees and those participating in their ski school to where helmets. As a resort, he said safety has always been the underlying priority.

“At Heavenly we’ve taken a leadership stance early on,” he said.

Pecoraro preferred not to speculate on what financial impacts the bills might raise for California ski resorts but reaffirmed safety as fundamental in the resort community.

Sean Kristl, marketing manager at Squaw Valley USA, said the resort supports helmet requirements, and it already requires the use of helmets by all race team members and ski school participants.

“As a ski resort we are safety-oriented,” Kristl said. “We’re supportive of any type of safety initiatives.”

Michael Gross, Squaw Valley’s risk manager, said he is familiar with both bills but is still reviewing their wording and fine print — especially that of the assembly bill — before offering the resort’s official stance.

Rachael Woods, public relations manager at Alpine Meadows and Homewood Mountain resorts, shared a similar stance, in that the resorts support the helmet bill but still need time to review AB1652 before an official comment can be made.

At Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, Public Relation Manager Jessica Van Purnis said their resort willingly supports the state’s decision to use bicycle helmet legislation as the model for its ski helmet mandate for children under the age of 18.

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1. Another Bill in CA would require Ski Helmets for employees

New Jersey is also making great progress on their bill (S130). The legislation is very similar to the California bill and was passed with a staggering 33-2 vote. Once again, this bill is now waiting for approval from the State Assembly.

Both bills would require children 17 and under to wear a ski helmet while skiing on any California or New Jersey slopes. Fines will range from $25 for first offenses all the way up to $100 if caught again being unsafe. One of the finer points that we at SkiHelmets.org applaud in both of these bills is the fact that the penalties (fines) for non-compliance is not only for parent and legal guardians, but for any supervising adult, which we assume means schools, church groups, travel groups etc. There truly are No More Excuses in these two states (assuming that both bills will eventually pass).

This news is fantastic news in our opinion but it does make us ask some additional questions. For example, who were the 20 people who opposed the vote in California? Did they fall prey to the lobbyists from Ski Associations? Do they not want to make skiing and snowboarding a safer sport? We know that there is massive debate on the safety of ski helmets, but in the end it has never been proven that Ski Helmets are not as safe and we have seen countless reports demonstrating that Ski helmets are safer in many situations. We know that ski helmets are not going to prevent fatalities on the slopes. Skiing and Snowboarding are dangerous. It’s a fact. Just like driving a car. The idea of not wearing a helmet to us is about a absurd as driving a race car without a seat belt. It’s just plain stupid. (please feel free to comment away below, we know there will be LOTS of opinions on that last statement.)

We are curious to know what kind of accommodations will be made for people that are not able to wear a ski helmet. While there may not be many, we have seen heads that are honestly too large to fit in even the biggest ski helmet as well as people that have medical issues (like cochlear implants) that prevent wearing ski helmets. So far, we have not seen those issues addressed in these bills though we are sure it will come up in the news eventually.

Additionally, we are very curious as to why states like Colorado have not taken such bold and progressive action. When we think of skiing, our minds immediately move to Colorado and their rich powder days and crisp blue skies. Why has Colorado been so quiet about this movement? It might be time to write your senators if you live in CO and ask them why they are waiting so long to take action. Colorado should be leading this charge, it’s a shame they haven’t jumped in this game yet.

Congratulations to both California and New Jersey for your progressive and public safety focused efforts. We applaud you from SkiHelmets.org.

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1. Heavenly Supporting the Ski Helmet Bill

The 1st Senate District in which they are running contains the largest single concentration of the state’s ski slopes and the ski industry has endorsed the measure, Senate Bill 880, which would require helmets for those 17 years old and younger.

Gaines, of Roseville, spoke for and joined most Democrats in voting for the measure, Senate Bill 880, while Niello, of Fair Oaks, denounced and joined other Republicans in voting against it. The final vote was 41-20, returning the measure, authored by Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, to the Senate for final action.

The two are rivals in a Nov. 2 special election to fill the seat of Cox, who died last month. If no one receives an outright majority, the top Republican vote-getter will face a Democratic candidate in a Jan. 4 runoff.

The district has a strong Republican registration and former Assemblywoman Barbara Alby is also weighing whether to enter the race. Ken Cooley, the mayor of Rancho Cordova, is likely to be the Democratic candidate in the runoff, if one occurs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shaun White competes during the snowboard slopestyle portion of the Alli Dew Tour on Feb. 20, 2009, at Northstar Resort in Truckee. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/ Getty Images)

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1. Heavenly Supporting the Ski Helmet Bill

Last week, the California legislature advanced a bill that could make helmets mandatory for junior skiers. The bill would require all skiers and snowboarders under age 18 to wear helmets, but doesn’t place the enforcement burden on parents. Instead, Sacramento Assemblyman Dave Jones’ bill looks to ski resorts for compliance. The bill also requires “all California ski resorts to report every injury and fatality on the slopes, coordinate with other resorts to adopt standardized safety signs and equipment, prepare annual safety plans and make all that information available to the public,” according to an Associated Press story.

Doing what we can to encourage young skiers and snowboarders to protect their developing brains is, pardon the pun, a no-brainer. After all, states require parents to strap small children into safety seats in motor vehicles, and California law already requires kids under 18 to wear helmets when they’re riding bicycles. The government has decided that they need to play a role in overseeing children’s safety on the slopes, and California has decided to take the lead. Most parents already make sure their children wear helmets. According to a study done by the National Ski Areas Association, 77 percent of children 9 years old or younger and 66 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski helmets.

While the intention is admirable, asking ski resorts to take on the role of helmet police is ridiculous. What if a kid decides to strap his helmet to his backpack and not wear it? Are ski patrollers going to be forced to chase down teenagers who aren’t wearing helmets? Suddenly, it’s no longer a parental responsibility, but a responsibilty of the business operator.The impracticalities of enforcement hasn’t escaped notice of the California Ski Industry Association which voiced their opposition to the proposal and has pointed out its an invitation to lawsuits.

How about taking California’s law a step further? I didn’t imagine it would happen so quickly, but New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz hasn’t hesitated, apparently feeling that it’s in society’s best interest to legislate adult helmet usage. He’s proposing that New York state require ALL skiers and snowboarders, including adults, to wear helmets while on the slopes. Ortiz doesn’t ski or snowboard, but he sure is concerned about the safety of adults who choose to take part in this risky activity. Ortiz has developing quite the reputation in New York. Earlier this month, he proposed a bill that would have banned all forms of salt from the preparation and cooking of restaurant food.

Once upon a time (about 30 years ago), no one wore ski helmets except for downhill racers. Skiers who launched the freestyle movement with inverted aerials in the 1970s didn’t wear helmets. In 1984, Phil and Steve Mahre wore ski hats while winning Olympic medals in slalom. When I purchased my first ski pass at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 1996, the only helmets visible in the tram line were worn by kids. Over time, helmet design improved and there was a shift in public opinion. Now, helmetless skiers like myself are in the minority, amazingly without any government intervention at all.

Ortiz’ legislation isn’t addressing some massive public health crisis­. According to the National Ski Areas Association, there were 39 fatalities and 44 serious injuries to skiers and snowboarders each season over the past 10 years. Both injury and fatality rates are less than 1 per million skier or snowboarder visits. It’s wonderful to want to protect children, but I don’t envision the California law wll have significant impacts if enacted, except for raising the sky-high liability insurance rates ski areas pay even higher.

I do own a helmet and strap it on periodically. I started wearing it when I learned to snowboard, because the type of falls I was taking frequently involved me smashing into the snow headfirst. I wear a helmet when I’m ski mountaineering to protect me from falling rocks or ice chunks, or when descending a route where a fall would likely result in an uncontrollable slide that would involve pinballing off of rocks. I won’t argue the scientists and physicians who point out the benefits of helmets, and I encourage anyone concerned about safety to choose to wear one.

The majority of the time I’m resort or backcountry skiing, I choose to go helmet free, as I have for the more than 30 years I’ve spent on skis. I accept the risk of skiing in trees, just as I accept the risk of skiing slopes that have the potential of avalanching. Skiing symbolizes freedom to me, and I want to continue to have the right to decide whether I need head protection when I’m on the slopes. In states like Wyoming or Montana, I doubt a law like this will ever be forced down my throat. In California, it may only be a matter of time before someone like Felix Ortiz is forcing adults to strap on helmets. I have no idea if New York’s legislature will decide it needs to take the lead in extending the nanny state concept to the ski slopes, but I hope not.

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Some experts are calling for a mandatory helmet law, one year after the death of British actress Natasha Richardson following a ski lesson at Mont-Tremblant.

Richardson, the wife of actor Liam Neeson, was taken off of life support and died last March 19th, two days after she hit her head during the beginner lesson.

She was not wearing a helmet.

While her death was shocking at the time, trauma experts say there are 200 to 250 cases of brain injury a year in Quebec.

And while helmet-use on ski slopes is up, experts including neuropsychologist Dr. Alain Ptito want governments to make them mandatory.

“It seems obvious to me,” Ptito told CTV’s Caroline Van Vlaardingen.

“It seems obvious to me that if you’re going at a certain speed and there is a risk of impact — the obvious thing is to protect yourself as best you can.”

Dr. Ptito, who works at the Montreal Neurological Institute, has been studying the effects of head injuries on memory and the thought process.

He has scanned the brains of athletes with and without head injuries to compare their brain function.

“What we see is the more severe the symptoms, the less the activation patterns.”

Financial costs

He said that the effects can last months and even years and that if public safety doesn’t prompt governments to act, politicians should be motivated by the financial costs.

“If the government wants to save money I think they should make (helmets) mandatory because it’s very expensive to treat a head injury,” said Ptito.

Think First, a Quebec group that promotes brain-injury awareness, says it could cost $8.2 million to care for a healthy 20-year-old who’s unable to work after a head injury.

Stats

Quebec ski hill operators say helmet use on the province’s slopes has grown from just over 10 per cent to close to 80 per cent over the past decade.

But that still means one in four skiers and boarders aren’t wearing them.

Human cost

Benoit Ballard knows first-hand the effect that head injuries can have on quality of life.

On April 15, 1999, Ballard was snowboarding down a beginner’s run called Cameron’s Trail at Lake Louise, Alta. when something happened.

“They said I was screaming . . . ‘cause I hit my head very hard on the ice, I guess,” said Ballard, 31.

He was not wearing a helmet.

Ballard spent the next 40 days in a coma and he awoke with only limited use of his left side.

He can move his right hand but it takes effort to open the left. The toes on his left side are always in a curled position.

“Every step I take from morning ‘till night, I have to think of the step I’m going to take,” he says “That’s my life.”

Ballard spends several hours a day in a rehab centre. He says he’s lucky to be alive but still has regrets.

“I’d give anything I have just to go back on April 15th because I’d be wearing a helmet, that’s for sure.”

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“I know I should have one. I make the kids wear one, so I should as well,” said Tolzman, in Utah for a week of skiing from Portland, Ore. “I guess it has to do with a speed and risk thing. The kids are younger and they take a little more risks, and I don’t ski that often so I guess I don’t feel like I need one.”

The reluctance of Tolzman — and other snow enthusiasts like her — is in part behind proposed legislation in California, New York and New Jersey that would make it illegal in those states to ski or board without a helmet. Several of the proposed bills target only children; others are more far-reaching. In either event, such a law probably would have a tough time in Utah, where the wearing of a motorcycle helmet, unlike in California, remains optional.

“Helmets definitely make you safe, but shouldn’t people be responsible for themselves?” said 24-year-old snowboarder Kaitlin Elliott of Salt Lake City. “I have the right to be safe or not to be safe depending on the amount of risk I’m taking. I know I should wear one, and I have one, but it is, and should be, my decision.”

A proposal by California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco who is a child psychologist, probably has the best shot at becoming law. His bill would require skiers and boarders under age 18 to wear a helmet with the responsibility of enforcement placed on parents.

Adam Keigwin, Yee’s chief of staff, said the bill was prompted by concerns from the California Psychological Association.

“They were seeing an uptick in the number of skiing-related accidents, especially among children, and with significant damages,” Keigwin said. “Simply having a helmet would have alleviated a lot of the damages in most cases and been less severe to almost nonexistent in other cases.

“We have heard from some parents who say they have a hard time getting their kid to wear a helmet,” Keigwin added. “If they have the force of the law behind them, their kid doesn’t have a choice but to wear one.”

Officials at Snowbird say the resort has a high rate of helmet use for both skiers and snowboarders, but would not mind seeing everyone on the slopes wearing one.

Statistics from the National Ski Areas Association show that 48 percent of skiers in the United States wear helmets, up from 25 percent in the 2002-03 winter season. The British Medical Journal reported in 2005 that helmets reduced the risk of head injuries by 29 percent.

“Some Utah resorts have mandatory helmets in their ski schools. We want to do everything in our power to make people safe,” said Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah.

Stanley Shulman, Tolzman’s father-in-law, has been wearing a helmet while skiing for more than five years. He thinks everyone should have one on whether or not they are shredding fresh powder in the backcountry or spending time on the bunny hill.

Shulman, 67, was skiing with his grandchildren at Snowbird this past weekend when an out-of-control snowboarder slammed into him.

“It was the worst I’ve ever been hit. I think he got me shoulder-to-head or head-to-head,” he said. “My helmet may have helped prevent injuries to my head.”

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By Gabriella Le Breton:
A split-second after I registered that I was no longer skiing but flying, I realised that landing was going to be painful. Coming to a few seconds later, I picked myself off the snow and slowly pieced together what had happened.

I was in Andermatt, a small resort in Switzerland, with six experienced skiers taking part in a new “Mystery Powder Tour” run by the Verbier-based guiding company Powder Extreme. From our warm-up run I had judged that I would need to be on form to keep up, so I had been concentrating intently on the second run. So intently, in fact, that I had failed to see a deep, hard rut in the snow, which I hit at speed. I was thrown from my skis, and landed face first on the piste.

Dazed and seeing stars, I tried to assess what hurt most. My trusty Salomon helmet had borne the brunt of the impact, but my head still felt as though it had been through a wine press and my ears were ringing. I seemed to have been hit on the back of the head, too, and my neck was making ominous crunching noises. Judging by my reflection in the others’ goggles, my cheek had also taken a battering and was already puffing up and developing a teal-and- magenta hue.

Being something of a concussion expert (this was my seventh), I felt I knew what to expect from the next few days. Determined to stick the course, I tried to ignore the blurred vision, continuous blinding pain in my head and neck, nausea and sheer exhaustion. I was less successful at ignoring the painful spasms that shot from my neck into my back, occasional blackouts and intermittent vomiting.

I kept skiing for six days until I met friends in Sainte-Foy, who insisted I see a doctor. His diagnosis surprised me: suspected fractured neck and broken cheekbone in addition to concussion. I was transferred directly to the nearest hospital for further tests and a CT scan to check for bleeding in the brain. The scan was clear, but the breaks and “severe” concussion were confirmed, in addition to strained neck ligaments.

Despite my injuries, I found it hard to stay behind in the chalet each morning as my friends went skiing. The incident, however, has reinforced the importance of some invaluable ski lessons:

1) Always wear a helmet, regardless of your skiing ability (and of what Boris Johnson advises). It can significantly minimise the extent of damage caused by a head injury. If you do have an accident and your helmet takes a knock, replace it immediately.

2) Always check your own ski equipment. I failed to check my rental skis and didn’t realise they were on a setting that resulted in my being thrown out of both of them.

3) Seek medical attention immediately after any incident involving your head and neck.

My doctors confirmed that my head injuries would have been worse had I not been wearing a helmet. I have already ordered a replacement “lid” from Ellis Brigham’s rapidly depleting stocks. British retailers sold out of helmets last winter following the accidents involving Natasha Richardson, the actress, who died after a fall, and Dieter Althaus, the German politician, whose collision with another skier was fatal for her and left him – he was wearing a helmet – in a coma.

Dr Mike Langran, a specialist in head and ski injuries based in Aviemore, says: “While wearing a helmet should not be viewed as a panacea against fatal injury and should not give the wearer a false sense of security, the fundamental response to the question of whether or not skiers and riders should wear a helmet is easy: yes. The real question is whether helmets should become mandatory on the slopes.”

SOURCE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/7322853/Ski-helmet-debate-a-woolly-hat-wouldnt-have-saved-me.html

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PORTLAND, Ore. — The father of a 23-year-old snowboarder who died at Mt. Hood Meadows Saturday isn’t sure whether a helmet would have saved his son’s life.

But Joe Cryblskey wants Meadows – as well as the entire industry – to require patrons to wear the protective gear. A helmet just might have saved the life of his son, Kyle Cryblskey, of Vancouver, he said.

“They just need to have everybody up there wear a helmet,” Cryblskey said. “No ifs, ands or buts. No $3 rental fee.”

Prices depend on the rental shop, but Meadows charges $10 per helmet for one day.

Amid his grief, Cryblskey spent the two days since his son’s death pushing the importance of the issue with media and the resort, talking to friends and family about what happened and making arrangements for the funeral of his son. Joe Cryblskey said his son suffered a head injury and may have broken his neck when he landed after maneuvering a jump in the resort’s Rose City terrain park about 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Mt. Hood Meadows confirmed the death on Monday.

According to a study by the National Ski Areas Association released last September, 48 percent of skiers and snowboarders wear helmets. That’s compared with 25 percent in the winter of 2002-03.

Notably, 32 percent of skiers and boarders ages 18 to 24 wore helmets – a far smaller percentage than the very young (77 percent of children 9 and younger wear them) and senior citizens (63 percent of adults 65 and older).

Kyle Cryblskey had about a decade of experience on the mountain. He was snowboarding with his girlfriend – an early celebration for Valentine’s Day.

The terrain park – one of several at the resort – is considered an intermediate to advanced area, said Meadows spokesman Dave Tragethon. Its features include metal rails and jumps made out of snow.

Tragethon emphasized that skiers and snowboarders can take measures to decrease the likelihood they’ll be hurt.

To enter the fenced terrain park, skiers and snowboarders must pass through a gate up top, where a sign is posted emphasizing the four main points of “Smart Style.” The sign advises users to pay close attention to speed and test jumps or metal rails in the park before going off of them full force, Tragethon said.

The last time a skier or snowboarder died in an accident at Meadows was December 2007, when Eric McConeghy, a 28-year-old man from Seattle, fell headfirst in deep snow. He apparently suffocated before friends could dig him out.

In January 2007, skier Geoffry Bradeen, 45, died of a skull fracture after what authorities believe was a hit-and-run collision with a snowboarder at the ski resort. Bradeen wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Two snowboarders died in different crashes in 2004 – one of them of massive chest injuries after hitting a log. A skier hit a tree and died in 1999.

Kyle Cryblskey lived his entire life in Clark County. He graduated from CAM High School in Battleground and from Clark College in Vancouver with an associate’s degree in diesel mechanics. He worked at his dad’s auto body shop and most recently at On the Spot Truck Repair in Vancouver.

Joe Cryblskey described his son as a hard and skilled worker, someone everybody liked and a generous young man. His generosity was evidenced by his designation as an organ donor. Joe Cryblskey said that in coming days he will learn which organs doctors were able to use, but so far he knows his son’s eyes were donated.

“He was the nicest kid,” Joe Cryblskey said.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_or_snowboarder_death.html

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Tragically, an 11-year-old girl died last week in a skiing accident at Calabogie Peaks Resort near Ottawa. She was wearing a helmet when she struck a tree. No doubt this sad incident will prompt another round of debate about safety and skiing.

While little evidence can be drawn from these two incidents about the amount of protection offered by helmets, the research available suggests they aren’t the be all and end all of ski safety.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published a paper earlier this month suggesting that helmets are effective in reducing the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders. The meta-analysis of 12 previous studies performed in Canada, the U.S., Japan, and Europe systematically reviewed the impact of helmet usage on skiers’ and snowboarders’ head injuries. The researchers found that the use of helmets significantly reduced the risk of head injury; the pooled analysis of the studies indicated that the risk was reduced by 35 per cent. The study was reported in the Citizen beneath the heading “Helmets keep you safer on slopes, says U of C study” (Feb. 2).

Advocates of helmets such as the authors of the CMAJ paper encourage their use as a means to reduce the risk of head injury, and go so far as to say that “helmets do work.” This is difficult to argue against but reliance upon such figures paints a deceiving picture.

For example, a 2009 study by Karl-Heinz Kristen, vice-president of the German-Austrian-Swiss Association for Orthopedic-Traumatic Sport Medicine, showed that ski helmets provided adequate protection only when the speed of a skier’s collision with an immovable object was no higher than 20 kilometres an hour — slower than speeds reached by most skiers. Kristen properly notes that helmets are not a panacea for skiing accidents.

Jasper E. Shealy, professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology, has studied skier safety at Sugarbush Resort in Vermont and has found that for non-helmeted skiers, only 23 per cent of all potentially serious head injuries are more serious than a mild concussion whereas for helmeted skiers, 67 per cent of their potentially serious head injuries are more severe than a mild concussion. These figures indicate that helmeted skiers go faster than non-helmeted skiers as they are hitting things harder thereby causing more severe injuries. Other studies have suggested that skier and boarder fatality rates are unaffected by helmet usage.

Such paradoxical injury rates may be the result of risk homeostasis. This theory was conceived by Dr. Gerald Wilde of Queen’s University, and it basically notes that people and systems unconsciously calibrate and accept a certain level of risk in order to maximize the overall expected benefit from an activity. For example, football helmets were invented to protect against skull and facial fractures which, at the time, were pervasive in the game. Those injuries have now been replaced by concussions.

While football helmets reduced the likelihood of lethal skull fractures, they also created a sense of invulnerability that encouraged players to collide more forcefully, more often and with hits directly to the head. It is also interesting to note that Australian football players, who do not wear the body armour and helmets worn by their American brethren, are 25 per cent less likely to sustain a head injury — although their incident rates for shoulder and knee injuries are higher. This suggests that players compensate for the lack of personal protective equipment by not being as aggressive and taking fewer risks.

Thus, a control measure designed to mitigate the risk in one area (such as helmets) is compensated by behaviour such as skiing faster, hucking bigger air, skiing in the trees or taking otherwise ill-advised chances which elevate the risk to its pre-existing level. It is admittedly difficult to say whether the skiers increased their risk-taking behaviour because they were wearing a helmet or they wore a helmet because they planned on taking greater risks.

What are we to make of these contradictory findings? In short, helmets are not the silver bullet to skier and boarder accidents. Helmets alone are not the answer and should be part of a comprehensive risk management program at ski hills which includes skiers and boarders not altering their behaviour or taking more risks just because they are wearing a helmet.

Jon Heshka is an assistant professor specializing in adventure and sport at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.

SOURCE: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/helmets+alone+reduce+serious+injuries/2539248/story.html

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OTTAWA — The death of an 11-year-old girl killed in a skiing accident highlights the need for Canada-wide standards for all sports helmets, an expert in the field says.

Nicole Wren, who attended The Stewart School in Perth, was killed at the Calabogie Peaks Resort last Thursday after crashing into a tree during her school’s annual ski trip.

Richard Kinar, a helmet expert, said hockey helmets have to meet criteria set by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to be sold in the country. No other type of helmet has to meet the standards, which means unsafe gear could be sold in Canadian stores.

“Some helmets don’t offer any more protection than putting a baseball cap on your head,” said Kinar, who works with the Brain Injury Association of Canada. “It should be criminal to go to a store and buy a helmet without safety standards.”

An autopsy has determined Wren died of severe head trauma.

OPP Const. Janice Sawbridge said Monday that an autopsy was carried out on Saturday. It determined that Nicole died of severe head trauma. Her death was ruled accidental.

Kinar said the government has turned its back on children’s health by refusing to pass a private members bill that would see standards set for all sports helmets.

Bill C-289 was first brought forward in 2007. The bill would amend the Hazardous Products Act so that helmets for skiing and snowboarding have to meet CSA standards.

“The helmet issue has become the canary in the coal mine because our politicians would rather treat children instead of investing in injury prevention programs,” Kinar said.

Police investigating the last week’s tragedy should examine Nicole’s helmet to see how old it is, if it was a hand-me-down or if it was bought used, Kinar said.

Although he stressed the importance of helmets, he admits there are limitations when children suffer a “catastrophic head injury,” as Nicole did.

“In fairness, accidents will happen,” said an Upper Canada School Board spokesman, Terry Simzer. “You do the best you can to protect them, but there isn’t a guarantee at the end of the day.”

In September 2009, the board was advised by its insurance company to provide helmets to all students on skiing trips. Simzer said the Calabogie Peaks Resort provided helmets to the students who didn’t bring their own last Thursday.

SOURCE: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Girl+death+highlights+flaw+helmet+standards/2539315/story.html

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Skiers should not be forced to wear helmets when they hit the slopes, the manager of a New Brunswick ski hill says.

Safety advocates say ski hills should refuse to sell lift tickets to those not wearing helmets.

But Jason Crawford, the manager of Crabbe Mountain near Fredericton, said part of the attraction of skiing is the freedom involved. He said he hopes all skiers will eventually wear helmets, but a mandatory helmet policy would be a step too far.

‘People should be allowed to make those decisions for themselves.’— Jason Crawford, Crabbe Mountain

“I don’t think we’re at the point where we need to make it a law, to make it mandatory — if you don’t have a helmet, you can’t buy a lift ticket,” Crawford said.

“People should be allowed to make those decisions for themselves.”

Already, most skiers are deciding to wear helmets on their own, Crawford said. The popularity of helmets is growing as people become more aware of the advantages, including safety and warmth. Close to eight out of 10 skiers are wearing them this year, up from about 60 per cent last year, he said.

Although he opposes mandatory helmets for adults, Crawford said Crabbe Mountain has stringent policies for young people. Helmets are required for children in snow schools, racing programs or with visiting schools.

As well, all employees have to wear helmets when they’re on the snow.

Money not the issue

Making helmets mandatory for all skiers could hurt business, and he might have to make them available to skiers for free, Crawford said. But money isn’t the issue, he said.

“I mean, we’re talking about people’s heads here,” he said. “‘How much is your head worth?’ has always been my favourite thing when I’m taking to kids who aren’t wearing them.”

A new study from the University of Calgary found that wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding reduces the risk of head injury by 35 per cent.

Dr. Charles Tator, a neurosurgeon and the founder of Think First, a non-profit organization aimed at preventing brain and spinal injuries, said he wants ski hills to implement a “no helmet, no lift ticket” policy.

“We would like to see everybody on the hills wearing a helmet,” Tator said.

Free with ski rentals

Crawford said Crabbe Mountain does offer free helmets with every rental, but most adults decline them. The ski area also offers discount coupons on helmets to those not wearing them on the hill.

Canadian researchers reviewed 12 different studies involving head injuries in Monday’s issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The study reported that traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and serious injury among skiers and snowboarders.

Estimates from several countries suggest head injuries account for up to 19 per cent and neck injuries for up to four cent of all injuries reported by ski patrols and emergency departments.

But between two and five out of every 10 head injuries could be prevented by wearing helmets, the reviewers concluded.

SOURCE: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/02/03/nb-ski-helmets-crabbe-mountain-1120.html

Photo Credit: MATT SAMPSON/SkiHelmets.com

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ARVADA, COLORADO – As a Colorado Native and long time lover of skiing and the outdoors, I was very excited this season to get my three kids (7,5 and 3) on the slopes again. My wife and I decided this year to put our two older boys in weekly lessons and we committed to bringing our daughter (3) to the slopes a few times this season as well to start getting used to the idea of skiing before she starts lessons next season.

After researching the various options, we decided to try out the programs up at Eldora Ski Resort (Eldora.com) for a number of reasons: We don’t have to drive I-70, the lift tickets are reasonably priced and the resort is small and welcoming like the resorts my wife and I grew up skiing at (a-basin, hidden valley, etc). To top it off, they have a fantatic kids ski school program.

This past Saturday was our second week of a six week program. I have been very impressed with the quality of organization, instructors and facilities up at Eldora, but I have one issue that is driving me nuts.

My boys’ ski instructor doesn’t wear a ski helmet.

Eldora Ski Resort (as well as many other resorts) doesn't require Ski Instructors to wear ski helmets.

When we signed our kids up for ski lessons this fall, one of the very first things we did was go out and purchase three good ski helmets for them. My wife and I already own ski helmets and would never ever ski without them. We spent a lot of time talking about the importance of wearing the helmets with the kids and they really seemed to understand that a ski helmet is part of skiing. It’s not an option, for us as a family at least. The kids ended up all selecting Giro Ski Helmets, which is what my wife and I wear as well.

It seems to me that in this age of “ski helmet awareness” a ski helmet should be habit, if not a requirement, for all employees of ski resorts, but ESPECIALLY for the ski instructors. I can’t believe it’s not a part of their uniform.

What kind of message are resorts like Eldora sending to our children by allowing their instructors the option to skip putting on a ski helmet when he or she starts the day? Do they not realize that these instructors are role models for all these young kids? Do they not understand the statistical proof that ski helmets do in fact reduce the number of serious injuries on the slopes? Are they more concerned about being “politically correct” than doing the right thing?

I don’t know the answers to these questions. Yet. I plan on speaking with management as well as individual instructors next weekend while I’m up there to find out exactly why they have not adopted a ski helmet requirement for employees. Look for a follow up article next week.

I think it is a shame that Eldora Ski Resort (as well as many other resorts, Eldora is not the only one by any means) are not requiring their ski instructors and staff to wear helmets. What’s it going to take to change that law? The death of an employee (like at Jackson Hole last spring)? Or god-forbid the death or serious injury of one of their students not wearing a ski helmet? I find it ironic that the documentation that Eldora provides for parents talks about the importance of a ski helmet, but they don’t even require their instructors to wear them and set a good example.

I’m glad that Eldora is a small, local resort. I love skiing there and recommend it to anyone looking for a low-stress ski day in Colorado. It’s a phenomenal place to ski. I don’t want them to turn into a mega-ski-resort at all, but I do think that when it comes to Ski Helmets and the safety of their employees, students and visitors, Eldora should consider taking notes from Intrawest’s decisions to require ski helmets for employees, ski school students and other visitors. It’s no different than wearing a seat belt. Put it on. Get used to it. Ski Helmets are not going away and the sooner we can embrace that, the better off we will all be.

If you would like to express your opinion about the Ski Helmet debate, especially as it relates to Ski School, please feel free to comment below or better yet, send an email directly to the resorts and let them know how you feel. Eldora can be reached at info@eldora.com.

Source: http://www.skihelmets.org/2010/01/shame-on-ski-i…g-a-ski-helmet/

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WARREN, Vt. –
For longtime snowboarder Mary Simmons, wearing a helmet at the Sugarbush Ski Resort has become second nature.

“Now after so many years, I feel kinda naked without my helmet,” said Simmons.

The hardware is something Simmons has in common with countless other snowboarders, including professional rider Kevin Pearce .

The Vermont native fell hard during a training run last week in Salt Lake City and severely injured his brain, despite the fact that he was wearing a helmet.

Pearce’s injury hasn’t made some snowboarders, who don’t protect their heads, think twice. They argue injuries while snowboarding come with the territory.

“Going that big, as big as they do at the Olympic level, if they knock their head, they’re going to knock themselves out. It’s just the sport, it’s what happens,” said snowboarder Sky Gale, 22.

But Dr. Rob Williams, of Fletcher Allen Hospital, who’s become an advocate for helmet use, doesn’t agree.

“There’s no downside whatsoever to wearing a ski helmet. If you have a helmet on the odds are much better that you’re going to survive an accident than if not,” said Williams.

According to Williams, head injuries on the mountain could be cut in half if more people wore helmets. But until ski resorts start mandating helmets, wearing one will remain a personal choice.

SOURCE: http://www.wptz.com/news/22176800/detail.html

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The truth is, more people are choosing to wear them. In fact, 12 percent more adults are wearing them over one year ago. (The growth rate tripled over a normal year!)

Some have suggested there should be a law mandating them. Others say there are enough laws that impede on our freedoms.

That aside, one of the nation’s foremost researchers on this issue weighs in. Dr. Jasper Shealy, professor emeritus at RIT, says many times the helmet becomes a “risk enabler” because it encourages skiers to do something that they otherwise would not have done.

“Helmets are not panaceas,” Dr. Shealy said recently. “They have an extremely limited ability to prevent serious head injuries.” His research suggests that most snow sports fatalities come after impact with a fixed object – such as a tree — traveling at speeds of 44 kph (kilometers per hour) or more. Most helmets by design will protect to speeds of about half that at best.

“Helmets are fairly effective at preventing minor head injuries such as scalp lacerations…but not so good at preventing more serious fatalities,” Dr. Shealy concludes.

Bottom line: Helmets prevent 100 percent of minor head injuries, and 35 to 50 percent of serious head injuries. But they do not cut fatalities. Now you know the research behind that statement from Wednesday’s news story.

SOURCE: http://www.13wham.com/content/blogs/story/The-Benefits-of-Wearing-a-Ski-Helmet/XSNmCH0E1E6IWf-s-sE5Tg.cspx

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Here are a few other articles you might like:

1. Just Wear the Ski Helmet

(Vocus/PRWEB ) January 7, 2010 — Several recent skiing & boarding accidents, new helmet requirements at major resorts and the death of actress Natasha Richardson have made helmet mandates a pressing issue in the U.S. ski industry this season. Safety Awareness Week is a great time to take a look at how various resorts are responding to growing pressure to mandate helmets, and what it means for skiers and snowboarders.

Dr. Robert Williams of Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care has been studying ski helmet use for years, and can talk about recent medical research, industry trends and about a low-key, low-cost way to get people to wear helmets that’s just been endorsed by the National Ski Patrol.*** His efforts have been covered by the New York Times, Associated Press, USA Today, and many other news outlets around the nation.

Dr. Williams is available for interviews at your convenience. Or come to Vermont and catch him on the slopes!

BACKGROUND:
Why are helmets such a hot issue for the ski industry?

1) The death of actress Natasha Richardson last March put an international spotlight on the issue.

2) The owner of the resort where she died has announced a limited helmet mandate. http://www.denverpost.com/tourism/ci_13461835.

3) Vail Resorts instituted a helmet mandate for employees at its 5 resorts – a first in the industry. http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20090415/NEWS/904149973/1063/NONE&parentprofile=1063

4) Ski areas might be held liable for worker injuries based on recent precedent-setting action by the state of Wyoming.

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4854

***Dr. Williams, an avid skier and snowboarder, has worked with the University of Vermont for the past 6 years to study helmet use, and to develop a non-coercive approach to increasing their use that has proven to be very effective. The program is called PHAT (Protect Head at All Times). See details at www.fletcherallen.org/PHAT.

A federal report estimates 7,700 head injuries could be prevented every year if skiers and snowboarders wore helmets.

About Fletcher Allen
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen serves as a regional referral center — providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York — and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. With more than 30 patient care sites and 100 outreach clinics, programs and services throughout the region, Fletcher Allen is committed to being a national model for the delivery of high-quality academic health care for a rural region. For more information about Fletcher Allen, visit our Web site at www.fletcherallen.org.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/ski_snowboard/helmet_safety/prweb3416384.htm

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Here are a few other articles you might like:

1. National Ski Patrol Partners with Ski Helmet Safety Program
2. Adults dodging ski helmets message
3. Ski helmet use on the rise