Andrew Forster of Oakland, ME Helmets get a bum rap!
As an active member of the National Ski Patrol since 1983, I am compelled to comment on Mr. Bob Mentzinger’s recent article on helmet use. Mr. Mentzinger’s assertion that the life saving benefits of wearing a helmet are “…dubious at best, misleading at worst,” and may even cause injury is borderline irresponsible. In my efforts to find scientific evidence to back up his assertion, I could only find data that supports the use of helmets by skiers and boarders. One such study by Sulheim, et al. published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 295, No. 8, 2/22/2006) concluded that, “Helmet use is associated with reduced risk of head injury among snowboarders and alpine skiers. There was a trend toward a lower risk for neck injuries with helmet wear.” For more data, I would encourage readers to visit www.ski-injury.com where summaries of this and two other studies report a 29-60% reduction in the risk of head injury with helmet use and concluded that there was no data supporting the suggestion that wearing a helmet causes neck injuries. The National Ski Areas Association states that, “A helmet can make a difference in reducing or preventing injury…” The National Ski Patrol does recommend wearing a helmet while skiing or boarding. I would encourage parents who have questions about helmet use to visit the website www.lidsonkids.org where they will find helpful information on how to choose and properly fit a helmet and answers to frequently asked questions. While I agree that a helmet won’t prevent severe trauma or death if a skier/boarder strikes a stationary object while traveling at a moderate to high rate of speed, these fatal crashes are extremely rare (one death per 1.6 million ski resort visits -NSAA 2003). Helmets remain an invaluable tool to help skiers/boarders safely enjoy their winter sport.

Sincerely,
Andrew J. Forster
Senior Alpine Ski Patroller,
NSP, OEC, S & T Instructor
Oaklandreport abuse

Smitty of Cape Elizabeth, ME I'm an accomplished skier that skis nearly 100 days per season. I've worn a helmet for about 10 years. I recognize that hitting a tree or similar object is the most dangerous part of skiing and a helmet may be of marginal help in preventing or diminishing the impact of injury in these cases. However, most falls happen on the trail, far more than off the trail where the trees are. Some are collisions with other skiers and many are just falls. I've had a few of these where my head/helmet hit the ground, and thank goodness I had a helmet, especially when the conditions are hard packed, most common in Maine. I've replaced my helmet, as instructed, whenever a fall caused compression to the material that cushioned my falls. I opt for this added protection recognizing it does not prevent all injuries. Isn't this just like seat belts which mitigate many injuries, but do not prevent all of them, or helmets for motorcycles and bicycles.report abuse

Mark Adams of Stratton, ME Althought I understand the arguements about not wearing a ski helmet.I would say that having been a Patroller for over 30 years and a patrol director for many of those years. I have only seen that helmets when worn properly have helped avoid further injury every time that they have been involved in an impact.At least once a month every ski season I see a helmet that has taken an impact and saved on the amount of damage that could have happened to the wearer.report abuse