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> The transition on attitude towards skiing helmets (at least in European resorts) has been really interesting to watch. I agree. Ten years ago, only racers w
by luca_ing 10y ago
> The transition on attitude towards skiing helmets (at least in European resorts) has been really interesting to watch.
I agree.
Ten years ago, only racers wore helmets.
Five years ago, some people did.
Now, I suspect it's the majority who wear a helmet.
I bought one too, a few years ago.
- rkangel 10y agoYup. The people who don't stand out - and they're almost universally the older generation of serious skiers (>= retirement age) who are too stuck in their ways. To quote my Dad (who admittedly hasn't skied in years) "You wear a helmet? Why? I never needed one".
- ghaff 10y agoYeah. For me, it's pretty much: I don't ski much these days. I don't ski particularly aggressively. I've never worn a helmet and I'm not about to start now. It's not that I think they're stupid or anything. And I do wear helmets for various other sports. I just never have for skiing and don't feel compelled to change.
- rkangel 10y agoBut that's what the Natasha Richardson accident proved - it's not about your skiing, it's about other people's skiing. In much the same way as you wear a seatbelt even if you're a perfect driver - someone else can still crash into you. Also, the fact that I've never had a potentially fatal car accident doesn't mean that I don't see the need to wear a seatbelt. The safety numbers made a risk obvious and the behavioural pattern changed to manage the risk.
- ghaff 10y agoI'm certainly not going to argue that people shouldn't wear helmets or that you can control all the factors that could lead to being glad you had a helmet on. But there's risk in everything and, for me, I'm not going to worry about the incremental risk of downhill skiing without a helmet a couple days a year.