Can They Make You Wear A Ski Helmet?

When I was young, seat belts were a thing reserved for race cars. Now most people I know would not even consider driving a car without wearing one--even before it was against the law. So too, I predict, with ski helmets. Especially for gladeiators (tree skiers).

A helmet is not only waterproof, it is warm. For me it is a "no brainier" to wear it--without one I might have no brain. Frankly I cannot understand why someone would not protect that which houses the very essence of one's being: personality, memories, the command center for the entire body...

While a helmet does not make one invincible, it certainly does no harm.

And while one makes a personal decision not to wear a helmet, if involved in an accident resulting in brain injury, the decision has the potential to affect others just as much. Family members will be left to shoulder the burden of care and take on the things that the brain injured person can no longer do. Financial hardship may follow. Such a tragedy is always magnified when it is preventable. And can lead to resentment: even if a helmet might night have prevented injury, the inevitable thought echoing through the minds of family members, "If only he had worn a helmet this never would have happened" is difficult to silence and reconcile.

I abhor the idea of anybody forcing someone to wear a helmet.

I've been wearing a ski helmet since the early days that the Leedom helmets became available.
Given the average speed I travel, the terrain, proximity to rocks and trees on a frequent basis, and then random things like other skiers, runaway skis, falling rock, etc, I feel the odds are staked against me.
The only time I ski sans helmet is when I am touring, I still haven't found one that vents well enough.
Though I have started to use my mountain bike free ride helmet on spring tours.

I have also found that wearing a helmet keeps my head dry and warm (some times too warm) but also helps to keep my goggles clear on stormy days.

All of that said, I feel this is a personal choice and shouldn't be mandated by law.

Best reason ever to wear a helmet...After you tomahawk down the hill your goggles are still on your head.

I skied with a knit cap for 40 years.  Then first run one morning on a groomed Lower Bull Run, I hit a the tip of a large rock and pinged out, landed on my head knocking me unconscious and sliding on my face for 40 yards leaving a long red streak with my face....or so they told me because the only part of that run I remember is when the Patrol were hefting me into the sled.  I also broke 2 ribs. It took 4 months for me to recover my thinking enough to return to work.  Needless to say I always wear a helmet when riding lifts. My son who was in High School at the time was there for the wreck, and became an immediate helmet wearer with no prompting on my part. 

Touring is a different matter.  Speeds are much slower (gotta savor the vert I earned) and the snow softer, so I don't wear a sweat bucket there.   I have the lightest, most ventilated helmet I could find, and I still get too hot in it even when just doing the traverse out to Silver Basin at Crystal. 

So:
  lifts = helmets
  touring = knit cap

I've started wearing a helmet 100% inbounds in the past 5 years and finally have one that I like. The key is that it is white and doesn't cook my head. The odds are just too bad with the clowns that are found at any resort.

Over the past couple seasons I've been vacillating on wether to wear it in the backcountry or not. Most of the day it is just banging around on the back of my pack. 90% of the runs down I'm riding in powder so it seems overkill. On the other hand I do like steeps and chutes and can't get the east coast 'best pow is in the tightest trees' mentality out of my head.

I've come down on the side of wearing it while descending in the bc recently. The balance was tipped out of concern for my partners. Here's my logic:
I certainly don't want a head injury but I feel my riding level and judgement makes that a low likelihood. With just myself considered, a comfy wool hat an acepable risk I might take. When I add to the mix my partners dealing with the short odds end of my low likelihood decision I'm not as comfortable making it.

In the bc, it is all of our responsibility to not take unnecessary risks that may put the whole team into a rescue situation. Certainly a go for it attitude is key to fun but consequences in the bc are bigger than just yourself. I think about how difficult it would be to drag an unconscious 195 lb. man 4 miles. A helmet is an easy way to greatly lessen the chance of me taking a header resulting in my being incapacitated. That is worth it banging around on my back for the skin up.

For the record, I don't harass my partners who don't follow this same logic. I'll turn them away for lacking shovel, beacon or probe but not a helmet.

PS. I hear ya on the quick with the foot rest people. WTF are they thinking? I've had some unkind words with those types on my first chair ride of the day at Crystal. Luckily Baker doesn't have footrests.

PS. I hear ya on the quick with the foot rest people. WTF are they thinking? I've had some unkind words with those types on my first chair ride of the day at Crystal. Luckily Baker doesn't have footrests.

I hear ya! I have no problem with the footrest people as long as they warn you in advance for bar lowering AND raising.
I got my front teeth broken in Argentina when they raised the bar with no warning.

BTW is WTF acceptable now if f**K insn't??? ( Refering to Marcus's crack down on disguised profanity in other threads)