Natasha Richardson

One Bournemouth terrorist :lol:

ise wrote:

Mike from NS wrote:We all realize we are in a high risk sport and accidents can easily happen.

no we don't because we aren't, the number of accidents per skier days is very low, it's an extremely safe sport with very little absolute risk.

Well I'm not going to debate how high or low risk skiing may be. Too many factors come into play. For some of us, the places we ski sets the level of risk. In some parts of Atlantic Canada we ski mostly on ice and in my mind this elevates the risk level over that if skiing in powder. Also the risk level I suppose may be related to opinion. There are many opinions out there which consider skiing as a high risk sport.

Just as Tony and Ian are not fans of the anti-helmet side of the equation I am not a pro-helmet type of person. Wearing a helmet for skiing works for me. It helps keep my ears warm and helps to avoid bumps with the safety bar. And since I absolutely refuse to wear a hat or toque, the helmet is my choice of head gear. So far forcing people to wear helmets in the rinks is just talk but more and more are wearing them during skating. I'm not one - I don't mind the cold of the rinks. Wearing a helmet here as on the slopes is likely a sensible choice but ... each to their own.

What is also sad about this whole incident of the accident is as Rose pointed out of how this tragedy has been used to market helmets in the name of safety. Although it strikes me this is simply cheap fear mongering in extremely poor taste. I for one would be sure not to purchase anything from an outfit looking to profit in such a manner.

From the little we know or will ever know of the accident, we will likely never know if wearing a helmet would have brought any different conclusion.

Mike

On the news tonight in Canada on all channels, every first story is about skiing and helmets. How they should be the law to have to wear one.....just like when riding motorcycles .

Mike from NS wrote:Well I'm not going to debate how high or low risk skiing may be. Too many factors come into play. For some of us, the places we ski sets the level of risk. In some parts of Atlantic Canada we ski mostly on ice and in my mind this elevates the risk level over that if skiing in powder. Also the risk level I suppose may be related to opinion. There are many opinions out there which consider skiing as a high risk sport.

There might well be but presumably held by people who don't actually understand risk as a concept. Recreational skiing on and off piste are low risk activities, a lot of people measure and monitor this not least insurance companies so it's pretty well understood.

bandit wrote:

AllyG wrote:

Does anyone know how you pick a good helmet?

Ally

Buy the one that fits you, it's that simple :D

I would imagine all helmets adhere to minimum standards, so it probably is as simple as buying one that fits & is comfortable. If it doesn't fit it might not be safe.

Personally I would avoid buying one off the web unless I had tried the same model on. I mentioned this before, the sizes seem to vary hugely. My son's Cebe helmet, size 58cm fits me perfectly. It is snug, but comfortable. A mate brought a Salomon Brigade Audio size 54/55cm round for me to try - it fits-ish, but not comfortable, if anything slightly too much movement.
It 's got ipod headphones in it (I'm not sure about skiing with ipods - is it safe?) and looks cool..except for the peak which can be removed.

If I were you, I would take my time and try a few on.
Another expense!

There are plenty of idiots on the piste who make skiing just the little bit more dangerous, and in a recent weekend away I saw enough wince-inducing falls, some caused by third parties behaving irresponsibly, to come to the conclusion that no matter how cautiously I ski, my fate is out of my hands.

I have two sons, one wife, and a reasonable amount of people who seem to care after my wellbeing. I also have just the one head, and despite its meagre contents it's all I have to play with.

Those who said that there is no way of telling if Natasha Richardson would have had a better chance of surviving a very undramatic fall if she were wearing a helmet are right; there is no way of telling.

All these reasons are why I wear a helmet.

ise wrote:

Mike from NS wrote:..... There are many opinions out there which consider skiing as a high risk sport.

There might well be but presumably held by people who don't actually understand risk as a concept. Recreational skiing on and off piste are low risk activities, a lot of people measure and monitor this not least insurance companies so it's pretty well understood.

True ... Little kids, for example, don't usually grasp the concept of risk. When the skier has developed some skill, ability, control and confidence for the conditions before them, recreational skiing is indeed a relatively safe activity. However the little girl passing beneath the lift I was on last weekend screaming her head off while travelling straight down the hill and completely out of control is one example of the many factors that come into play in determining a dangerous level of the activity. She almost took out two or three others missing them by inches. I think she may be able to grasp the risk concept a little better now. The out of control skier is just one factor that puts a risk factor in skiing. Tell my friend who was cut off by a boarded a few weeks ago and sustained 2 broken ribs and a cracked one just how safe it really is. If the hills and their insurance companies felt there was no risk, they would likely not insist on their clients signing waivers.

Mike

Thanks Dids,
For the tip about buying helmets. I guess you're right, and if I buy one I'd better go to a shop that sells them, and try them on.

I wondered if they have different strengths - like one for recreational on piste skiers, and a different gauge of helmet for e.g. slalom racers who would be going much faster.

Ally