5 Reasons Why to Wear a Snowboard Helmet

28 Nov 2012 by Olga Brighton

Travel Information

Skiing and snowboarding are winter sports that are considered to be very exciting and extreme at the same time. The chance to get injured is high for both beginners and advanced snowboarders and skiers. Nevertheless, almost 25% of injuries occur during a first experience. It happens because beginning snowboarders and skiers are not skilled enough and are more likely to lose balance and fall or crash into an obstacle.

Unfortunately, there are many cases of death following a skiing accident in which casualties sustained head injuries. According to a survey, 13.7% of injures occur to the head when skiing and 14.3% when snowboarding. So, you see that it is not reasonable to ignore wearing a snowboard helmet saying that it is uncomfortable, expensive and you dislike the way it looks. If you get injured and need to use emergency assistance, it will be much more expensive, uncomfortable and you definitely won’t like the way you look having scars and bruises. And only then you will realise that you might have avoided the seriousness of your injuries if only you had chosen to be sensible, but you didn’t. So, let’s see how you could avoid some troubles.

1. Reduce the risk

According to the statistics, helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 35% when you are skiing and snowboarding. Snowboard helmet protect your head from serious injury if other skiers or snowboarders crash into you, or you run into a tree, a rock or a pole. Also some people say that a helmet helps to avoid neck problems. No doubt, safety should be your Number 1 concern whilst doing extreme activities, so ensure that your a snowboard helmet fits you properly. Anyway, it is better to have scratched helmet instead of scratched head.

Attention! To decrease crashes make sure you read the Skier and Snowboarding Guidelines.

2. Warm your head

It is true that snowboarding helmet is good head gear for snowboarding because it is warmer than a usual hat, especially if it has ear flaps. So, your head will not freeze and you won’t have the exercise headache as a result of sustained, vigorous activity. If your head gets too warm you can always stop and remove your helmet for several minutes to cool off. You can also try helmets with venting system bringing cool air in.

3. Save when buying a helmet

Some people say it is expensive to buy a snowboarding helmet. Do you really think it is expensive to buy a helmet compared with its price with the price of an ambulance ride and staying in an emergency room, or even the value of your life? Taking that into consideration, snowboarding helmets are inexpensive. If you want to save money, just by a standard one instead of a brand of helmet that could cost twice as much.

4. Look stylish

Many people don’t like the way they look when wearing a helmet. But nobody should ever try to look like a real sportsman or professional snowboarder or skier. It will help if you get some goggles that are designed for your kind of helmet. Google it and you see how many cool pictures are taken of snowboarders in stylish snowboard helmet and goggles.

All in all, don’t think of what you look like, better think of your safety!

5. Enjoy accessories of helmet

There are some helmets equipped with built-in speakers so that you can listen to music using your cell phone or mp3. This option is really useful if you are alone and skiing for a long time. However, if you are a beginner, it may be dangerous as music is the extra distraction for you and you can lose your concentration. If you still don’t feel confident when skiing or snowboarding, don’t use this helmet’s accessory because you should be concentrating on what you are doing to avoid accidents.

As you can see a helmet is an essential part of snowboarders’ and skiers’ gear. Don’t follow stereotypes about snowboard helmet, try yourself and have your own opinion. You will see that wearing a helmet you look cool and feel more protected!

Be safe on the slopes!