ski helmets for Kids

[suicra05]

Hi,

Going ski-ing for the first time with the 2 kids (11 & 6 years) to Poland. The kids have not been ski-ing before. Do I need to get helmets for them. If so, should I purchase helmets here before I go or can I rent them out there? I am based in Dublin. Any advise welcome.

[paul]

In the last few years most ski resorts in Europe will rent ski helmets at the resorts. I've found that s ki helmets are becoming more and more popular, for both young and old.

[joy]

You can get helmets at Snow and Rock they have a shop in Dublin

Snow and Rock,
Unit 3.2 - 4.2,
Dundrum Town Centre, Dundrum, Dublin 14 Tel. Snow+Rock: 00353 (0) 1 2924700

Getting a helmet for your kids is one of the best things you can do.

[joy]

Here is a pic I took last year, as you will see all the kids have helmets on, it's absolutely vital that you make sure they are protected. Imagine if they ran into an adult, or worse an adult ran into them.

I think many ski schools now request that participants have helmets. It's probably cheaper in the long run to rent them, I think they cost between €15 - €20 for a week's rental in any resort I've seen. They typically come in a package anyway, boots/skis/helmet

[ClaireBear]

Great pictures joy ! Helmets are a must. Don't get on the slopes without one. An average skier can travel at about 30km/h and faster, just imagine getting hit by a sack of potatoes at that speed !

[Ski Club Irl]

Helmets are a must for kids. In fact they have brought it in to law in Austria that all kids must wear helmets. Here's a piece from the Times Online about it.

New helmet law in Austria

Friday 23 January 2009
A new law requiring all children under 14 to wear helmets on the slopes has been rushed into resorts in Austria following the death of a mother in a high-speed collision on the piste.
Beata Christandl died of head injuries after a collision with a German politician, Dieter Althaus, at a combined speed of 60mph. Althaus, who was wearing a helmet, survived the impact, but suffered a skull fracture and remains in a coma.
Mrs Christandl is the 17th skier to die in an accident on the piste in Austria this season, and the authorities are under increasing pressure to extend the law to cover snow-sports enthusiasts of all ages. Doctors say sustained sub-zero conditions have created faster pistes, making impacts significantly more severe when skiers collide. Christian Kaulfersch, an A&E doctor, said: “Crashes at 30mph are like falling onto concrete from a second-floor balcony.”
Austrian authorities predict 5,500 serious head injuries on the slopes this season, and Swiss resorts report about 150 cases every day. Josef Schmid, of the Austrian skiing federation, supports making helmets compulsory for all skiers. “We recommend that all skiers wear helmets,” he said. “It’s not just young children — adults also need protection. With the new carving skis, people tend to ski faster and overestimate their abilities. The slopes are very busy; it’s safer for everyone if you wear a helmet.”
Before now, helmet use has been mandatory only in some Italian resorts, and only for skiers under the age of 14. Betony Garner, PR Manager at the Ski Club, says increasing numbers of skiers and snowboarders are seeing the benefit of head protection: “Lots of twentysomethings wear helmets because it makes them look like a freerider, but I’ve seen increasing numbers of mothers and older men wearing helmets.”

The Ski Club advocates helmet use for the under 13s, and for adults it's at their own discretion. If you are in the market for a helmet, check out our online guide, and have a look at our guide to safety on the slopes.
For more on this story, go to www.timesonline.co.uk

[paul]

Thanks for the news Ski Club IRL, I must keep an eye out for these signs the next time I am in Austria. Early this year, right after that accident, all the helmets were sold out of the sports shops here in Munich. It's sad that it takes something like this to wake people up and to make them think about getting helmets.

I also can't believe that 17 people have died on the slopes in Austria already this year ! There is still a good 6-8 weeks left in the season.