Does Wearing A Helmet Help When Skiing?

From tots in ski school to elite racers in the Olympics, more and more skiers are choosing to wear helmets. Ski outfitters and rental shops feature helmets to fit every size and age. While wearing a helmet won't automatically impart an ability to ski better, a helmet will make you safer and more comfortable on the slopes, which might translate to feeling more at ease on your skis, and make it possible for you to spend more time perfecting and improving your skills.

Safety

Helmets on skiers help prevent serious head injury. Dr. Stewart Levy, a neurosurgeon with Denver's St. Anthony Hospital, told the Bend, Oregon "Bulletin" in 2010 that wearing a helmet while skiing reduces your risk of brain injury by 50 to 75 percent. Wearing a helmet doesn't prevent all injuries, and it doesn't protect you if you ski above your ability level or take unnecessary risks. A study published in a 2002 issue of "Injury Prevention" reported that helmet use reduced the incidence of head injury in under-13 year olds. Some resorts require children in ski school to wear helmets. If you feel safe wearing a helmet, you'll be more relaxed and this will help you to ski better.

Comfort

On a cold day on the snow, helmets block wind and surround your head. Fleece helmet liners and fleece-lined ear flaps keep you warmer still. Unlike knit or fleece hats, helmets don't absorb moisture from snow and can't be tugged off by wind. They won't slide forward to obscure your vision. Goggles fit more snugly around helmets, keeping your vision clear. Once you become used to wearing a helmet, you may feel naked without it. Staying warmer allows you to ski longer on a cold day and focus on skiing, not your frozen ears.

Style and Accessories

If you want to make a style statement on the slope, helmets and helmet accessories allow you to do so. From racing helmets in neon colors to plain lids you decorate with stickers and graffiti of your choice, helmets may be the easiest accessory for a skier to personalize. You can buy helmet covers to add a neon mohawk or devil horns to your helmet. Decorating your helmet expresses your personal style and reminds you that skiing is all about having fun. Accessories allow you to hook up your iPod of phone to your ski helmet, or mount a camera on top. Have a friend film you skiing with their helmet cam and analyze the footage to improve your form.

Effect on Skiing

Some people resist wearing helmets because they feel the helmet will impact their skiing. Researchers at the University of Innsbruck conducted a study to test this hypothesis and reported the results in the June 2011 issue of "Wilderness and Environmental Medicine." They tested the reaction times of skiers wearing helmets to those wearing only knit hats, with and without goggles. They found no difference in the reaction time or peripheral vision of the two groups.