Just interested in freestyle riders thoughts on using helmets. I'm a pure freerider who hasn't had much experience with jumping/jibbing other than backcountry kickers into deeeeep pow, so I never wore a helmet, even though my mom bought me one about 12 years ago, lol. Do you guys bring your helmets along just for riding 'park' or no helmet use? I did not like the feel of a helmet on my head when I tried it way back in the day. Plus, the helmet was noticeably colder! Feel like I need to yell FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM from the top of my lungs like William Wallace when I was wearing one. However, I do know that park riding is more deadly to your lightbulb...
I should note that despite getting into more freestyle oriented riding this winter, if it snows, I'll be riding pow, not in the park
Wanna protect my head while in the park, but don't exactly wanna lug a helmet around with me on my pack, already enough crap in there!
My question is, what are your thoughts on helmet use in respect to freestyle riding.
You can't really solve aggregate problems with individual solutions. I agree that a more elegant solution would be to tax the shit out of the 2nd 32 ounces. I'd rather have people be able to buy a big gulp...but have it cost more than gasoline. But in lieu of that regulating thebsale of the 2nd 16 ounces in the most minor of ways (you have to carry two cups) isnt a big deal if it saves billions in health costs and productivity related to chronic disease.
And just for the record my husband has combat arms, a bronze star and a 100% disability rating from the VA. And he supports the soda ban. But mostly because he's sick of getting buped about by super fat people on the subway. We all have our motivations I guess...
To add some rough numbers to the injury rate discussion.
People drive about 3'000 billion passenger miles in the US per year. There are around 2 million injuries for car occupants per year. Assuming you drive 100miles / per snowboarding day, that works out to 1 injury / 15'000 days (ignoring road conditions).
Statistics for snowboarding show around 1 injury / 350 days.
To add some rough numbers to the injury rate discussion.
People drive about 3'000 billion passenger miles in the US per year. There are around 2 million injuries for.ar occupants per year. Assuming you drive 100miles / per snowboarding day, that works out to 1 injury / 15'000 days (ignoring road conditions).
Statistics for snowboarding show around 1 injury / 350 days.
That was close to what my gut said. But I didn't try to look up any numbers. Thanks for the effort.
Is days per rider injury an industry standard metric? It makes more sense than what I was trying to use (rider miles per injury.) Lol. I'm a research analyst and have learned a TON of industries over the years but sadly winter outdoor recreation isnt one of them.
I don't people should be weary of stats per se. They just need to understand what the stats are trying to tell them and understand the basic rules of probability and statistical testing.
SnoWolf, you do have to take into account that you ride more frequently that probably 99% of us on terrain that is much less crowded and with more advanced riders.
I often feel at alot of resorts around me that I have a better chance of someone smashing into me on the mountain than on the roads getting there.
Alot of this probably boils down to personal experience and conditions also.. I get many many fewer days a year than you, yet because of the conditions I ride in, which are probably less forgiving overall, I've already suffered a concussion, 2 broken collarbones and tons of scrapes and ice burns. Now, I don't want to assume, but I do know that you get to do alot of back country riding and that you're probably exposed to far more powder (forgiving conditions.) so based on personal experience, as much as I love to snowboard, it will seem, and justifiably so, more dangerous to me than to you.
I think the entire political side of this argument is just too much - it exists right now only in a state of "oh no's" and "what ifs." You seem well travelled, but idk if you've ever been to NYC. It's the cultural epicenter of this country, and much, much more liberal and free than many would probably think. Bloomberg may seem like a control freak, and I don't necessarily agree with his proposed bans on certain drinks, the tax on tobacco, etc. but he isn't a stupid man either and fiscally there is merit to what he is doing. We can all agree that tobacco isn't good for your health .. By taxing the shit out of it, NYC is able to recoup some money while making those who smoke ( and I'm one of them) think twice about spending 12$ for their next pack. They can if they want, but it definitely stops and makes you think.
Maybe I'm naive, but I like to think that the checks and balances of this government still has some merit. Bloombergs power only extends so far,and even though he is subject to being overruled by higher ups.
And I'm not saying the degree of difficult with which you ride is less, but I would surmise that the people you ride WITH are more advanced like yourself and therefore pose less of a threat to you on the mountain than say you're once a year north easterners who are more like land mines on the trails than other riders. I am constantly watching in every direction to keep myself safe. I've been injured and fallen more trying to avoid injuring someone else who cannot control themselves than in any other way on the mountain... Knock on wood.
Even my broken collarbone (the first time) was a case of coming over a lip doing a small FS 180 and seeing a 6 year old in rental skis right in my landing area
Oh believe me, I'm envious of every picture you post of where you ride lol. Those are things I only get to see in dreams ! On the upside, we are getting some late season snow over here also which may extend the season a week or two .
And I know you weren't comparing Stalin to Bloomberg exactly.. I was just trying to intelligently add to the convo while I took my morning poop before work.
Rescue helicopter on standby, search & rescue team ready to deploy, GPS beacon, personal avalanche guide and a helmet for me if I was ever to attempt something like that.... Boy I'd love to learn....
According to a paper I have here, collisions account for 6.4% of accidents (for snowboarders + skiers). Skiers are 3x more likely to be involved in collisions (my perceptions about the reckless skier morons appear to correct), so the number for snowboarders alone will be significantly lower.
Of those car injuries, how many were caused by the other driver?
I feel that I have way more control over my own safety on the mountain than I do on the road where any ding dong can screw up and take me out. Add to that the idea that I would much rather get clocked by the 200 pound out of control skier at 35 MPH than the texting teenager in dads 2,000 pound SUV doing 60 MPH
Just the other day, I was standing outside the lift line. A skier moron goes by the slow sign at maybe 40mph, tries a hockey stop, his edges dig in and he catapults himself flying for 25ft or so. If I hadn't seen him coming, he might have hit me.
I love these shots, but I have to admit that my Navy flying career spoiled me a bit. If you cant put about 15 degrees nose up on the VDI, firewall the throttles and be absolutely rock solid certain that the plane will climb away regardless of conditions, I'm a little sketchy (especially with no ejection seat). I did most of my land based flying out of San Diego, but made a couple of trips up to Whidbey and grew up in the Cascades watching the A-6's blast overhead on the VR-1351/1355. We had a couple of nice low level routes over the Colorado River and the Salton Sea out east of El Centro, but they weren't quite the same, although you could roll right over Big Bear and say hi to the midweek folks on the slopes. Big props to you mountain flyers in a 182.
Thanks bro and thanks for serving your country ( ex Air Force here). The 182 is perfect for those long cross country flights but when I want to really get the goods in the backcountry, its the Aviat Husky....:yahoo:
Do you own these planes or own a share of them? When I was looking into taking lessons buying a share seemed to be the route to take.
Unfortunately life / career started taking off and I kind of pushed it off. I'd love to start checking on it again.
10 or so years ago they figured around 10k to get a private pilot lisence. Getting your Instrument ratings looked like it would be the big cost !
Hey Snowolf, what exactly was your occupation in the Air Force? That's really interesting.
I just started out in the AFROTC program and plan on graduating as an Engineering Officer. Going good so far. I just need to secure my US citizenship by my 2nd semester next year, which I should definitely be able to do since I've been a Permanent Resident for 5 years now...
Thanks for the kind words, and right back at you. Always a little good natured service rivalry there, but if I learned one thing in my time, its that ALL the services are filled with great people, and we're all on the same team.
That being said, I have some jealousy here, as there is definitely some bad-assery in that kind of back country flying. If only I could take advantage of that sort of terrain on a snowboard. :dizzy:
Actually getting ready to finish my Navy career and return to the PNW this summer. Very much looking forward to getting out of the mid atlantic and back to the west coast after being gone for 20+ years, especially with the pictures found on this forum.
I rent from the FBO at the airport. That Husky belongs to a friend. I got my PPL in 1997 and I breezed through training and got it just a few hours over FAA minimum hours but added about 6 hours of spin recovery and aerobatic maneuvers. Back then it cost be about 4 grand.
I got the Instrument Rating, Complex and High Performance endorsements in 2002. That ran me about 6 grand. Working on finishing my Commercial Rating; I have completed the ground school and am about 1/4 through flight training. Once that is done, I plan on knocking out my CFI and CFII and go back to Arizona and work as a full time flight instructor.
I dunno man I've seen the pics. I think you've done pretty fucken well with your time. My best friend joined the army the day after we graduated high school('94), and I'm not gonna lie, looking at retirement at 38 sounds pretty awesome....
Last weekend, poaching for stashes of pow with my son, cruising trough woods at low speed, I dodge a branch, just to get the next broken pointy stump right on my forehead. almost knocked me off the board. It was pointing at me and was a pretty sharp one too. without helmet I would have needed stitches for sure. But then I use protective gloves and padded shorts too..
Helmets definently made ripping through trees nicer, instead of dodging tiny branches I just bash right through them. I seem to use them more like a football player.
You should not wear a beanie under it...a loose helmet is worst than no helmet for neck injuries AFAIK. I do use a thin under helmet...but then my head is shaved
Anyway, today was a total tree day for me and I like my bump cap for all those low branches. It's nice not having to even care about getting nicked by them!
I still maintain my opinion that helmets offer non-negligible but marginal protection against impact. However, this is a good point. Helmets are a must for working tight trees IMO.
Must say im glad i was wearing mine this week when i took a spill, the warmer weather had exposed lots of rocks in the trees along side the runs, but it had just snowed a couple inches so the rocks could not be seen.
Long story short, i went thru some trees tapped a few rocks, stoped me dead, did a tuck and roll only to hit my right arm/head/back off tons of big rocks. Hit my head so hard it sent my go pro flying into the trees.
Also i wear my goggle strap, coldgear blacava and coldgear "beanie" under my helmet, fits perfect with the ear pad piece removed. Feels better this way for me.
Well, y'all talked me into it. That and the gps telling me I'm hitting 45-50 mph. Giro Chapter. First helmet, fits good, doesn't feel too heavy and my goggles fit well with it on.
On Saturday we had some of the worst conditions i have ever boarded on. 15 degrees Celsius on the mountain the previous day, melting most of the top layer, then an incredibly cold night and 0 degrees on Satuday, refreezing that melted layer into a rock hard ice pack. Not just some runs, but every single run was like this. And even at 4:30pm, there was no slush built up, just slick, noisy ice.
Worst conditions may be subjective though, because of the lack of moguls/bumps it meant that every run could be bombed faster than i have ever ridden before.
However my wife was not enjoying it so much. Caught a heel edge a couple of times and not even padded shorts could save her from nasty bruises. And after hitting her head once (mild concussion), she has finally agreed "I want a helmet"
She was dead set against helmets until that fall (said that they were ugly, and that only pros need them)... and i feel bad, but i am almost happy she fell. Feel much safer with her having maximum protection possible.
This is often the case with the anti-helmet crowd. You don't want one until you or someone close to you falls, hits your/their head and nearly suffers a really, really serious injury.
And for every dozen or so people who get EXTREMELY LUCKY, who hit their heads on the snow and don't suffer major damage, there's one or two boarders who are unlucky, suffer a traumatic brain injury, and have to live with some limitation for the rest of their lives.
And why? Because they want to spite the people who tell them they should wear helmets.
Pride goeth before a fall, as they say.
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