Anyone who’s been out in the Alps over the last five, or even three, years cannot failed to have noticed the increase in the number of people wearing helmets.
Get your hands on a lid
We are pleased to announce that we now have a selection of the best helmets from Sun Helmets - one of the sponsors of the Workers Challenge race series - on sale in our online store. To take advantage of special Natives prices take this link.
You don’t wear a helmet?!?
Only a few seasons ago, it was only hard-core skiers in Chamonix that wore helmets, but now helmets are not quite ubiquitous, but certainly widely worn across all resorts.
This is backed up by sales figures. Peter Radford from MyCoal, which imports Sun helmets into the UK, told Natives that worldwide helmet sales have increased by up to 200% in the last two years.
Sun Helmets - Race, Steel and Morpheus
High profile accidents such as the death of Sonny Bono have also stimulated sales, but there is a sense across the board that safety considerations are being taken more seriously, with sales of transceivers equally on the rise.
How helmets work
Many people believe that the most important purpose of a helmet is to protect them against cracking their skulls open. But just as important is the helmet’s ability to minimize trauma to the brain inside the skull.
Concussion and injury often comes from the brain (which is in motion) coming to an instantaneous halt against the inside of the skull (humans can only handle about 300g’s without severe injury)
When looking at helmets, don’t just consider the hardness of the outer shell, but make sure you check the inner liner – which will absorb most of any impact energy through compression or destruction. The outer shell helps to spread impact energy over a larger portion of the helmet.
How do I know if I have hit hard enough to need a new helmet?
Bear in mind that once the liner has been compressed in an accident (which may not be visible), the helmet has served its purpose and should be destroyed and replaced. It has given its life to protect yours!
After a fall check for any of the classic signs of a head injury – dizziness, nausea, ringing ears, loss of balance, consciousness or memory, headache, confusion, or vision disturbance.
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