Style and personal wellbeing are two things that have, sadly, always been at odds. If you look at any average snowboard park at a resort, the odds are that most of the riders there will not be using snowboarding helmets. It certainly isn’t a funds issue since a good bit of these snowboarders are rocking this year’s park board and jamming out to an mp3 player that sells for just as much, but they didn’t throw down fifty bucks to shield their cranium. And the figures back up what you witness. Less than 50% of skiers and snowboarders even own a helmet. For children, nearly two thirds are dressed in helmets because their parents are proactive about their wellbeing, yet the parents believe that they are skilled enough that they can dodge possible injury.
Anyone can give you reasons why a helmet is or isn’t a necessity on the slopes. Perhaps a prior crash has made someone come to a decision they will always wear a helmet. Concussions are not unusual among riders. If you’ve had one before, you most likely realize that the danger of considerable brain injury doubles with every successive concussion you incur. After two concussions, you’re running a significant risk of serious problems later on in life such as memory loss and even possible mental illness.
Even as snowboarding helmets don’t assure your life will be saved in the occasion of a bad crash, it does offer you protection that you otherwise don’t have. But what do riders who don’t use helmets have to say? Sure, no one is campaigning to stop riders from wearing helmets, but there are some people who would never wear one. Lots of riders have had unpleasant experiences with helmets that were too weighty and caused neck pain. Perhaps they just wore a helmet that didn’t fit well and was bothersome to have on. Some riders just don’t like the way they look. They’d rather be seen in a bandana or a idiotic hat. It may be personal preference, but for many of these riders the only thing that will get them into a helmet is finding out the hard way why they are so suggested.
Some high profile deaths such as Sonny Bono or, all too recently Natasha Richardson have made more evident that you can get hurt on the mountain in many unique ways. Even a lesser knock to the noggin can set off a reaction in the brain that may later be fatal. In fact, it is these lesser smacks, the more common ones, that helmets are intended to safeguard you against. Missing a rail can go from headache to infirmary if you’re not using a helmet. Even snow, which seems to be designed for soft landings, can be deceivingly solid. Packed snow, unseen ice or a piece of snowboard park equipment can end your snowboarding very quickly if you choose not to look after your head.
It’s a never ending argument as to whether or not snowboarding helmets can ever be fresh. What is important is what matters the most to you. A helmet may be gawky at first and it may make your head overheat or scratchy and, yes, you may get the feared point and snicker from your friends. But the truth is that a helmet is just a way of safeguarding your snowboarding future. Lacking a helmet, you may possibly end up with a life-threatening, but avoidable, injury that might terminate your season or worse. The social consequences won’t be as significant as you might think and you will be able to have the benefit of your favorite pastime for a long time to come.
