VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Six months after actress Natasha Richardson died following a fall at the Mount Tremblant ski resort in Quebec, the company that operates the facility has announced helmet requirements at its North American resorts.

Vancouver-based Intrawest said Thursday it will recommend all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets when the ski season begins in a few weeks.

Richardson, the 45-year-old wife of actor Liam Neeson, died in March after falling during a skiing lesson and suffering a head injury at Mount Tremblant.

Intrawest operates nine ski resorts including Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Steamboat Ski & Resort in Colorado; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Mountain Creek in New Jersey; Mount Tremblant in Quebec; Panorama Mountain near Invermere, British Columbia; and Whistler Blackcomb, which will host alpine events for the 2010 Winter Games.

Don't know if helmets are actually required or just highly recommended...the article is not specific enough.

Do you have a link to the article?

Yeah, a link would be good.

Recommending and requiring are two different things. You can't require the public wear helmets to ride on their terrain. You can require employees to wear helmets.

I don't have a problem with it either way. If an employer says I need to wear one when on duty...fine.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont...ew_helmet_rule/

http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Intrawest+to+recommend+that+all+resort+guests+wear+helmets/4983449.html

Where and who they are requiring to wear helments is probably a good idea. It's been a rule for USSA racers forever and should be required for all kids in ski school. When I used to work with youth groups and would take them to the mountains, I would tell snowboarders, especially beginners, they should wear helments and wrist guards. Every trip I took kids on I would end up calling a parent to pick their child up or meet us in a ER somewhere. I was trying to eliminate my stress factor.

This seems appropriate and measured. As I read the various news reports, Intrawest is requiring helmets for kids in lessons, using the terrain park and for employees in certain areas. This is similar to existing requirements for kids under a certain age to wear bicycle helmets when riding bikes. Intrawest has the right to increase protection for itself from liability in certain situations where the ski area has a higher degree of responsibility for guests such as lessons and with artificially created features (i.e., jumps, tables, etc.). The "rules" still leave open the choice for adults using general terrain. Although it simply makes sense to wear one in these days of heightened awareness regarding head injuries and more crowded slopes.

Personally, I started wearing a helmet voluntarily several years ago when my son started skiing with me (no fair to require him to wear a helmet and not do the same myself). Now I can't imagine skiing without one!

I wear a helmet, I've had two hard knocks to the head as an adult -- one cycling, one skiing. In both cases, the helmet was split, not my head. All good.

However, it's worth noting that helmets are no panacea and most folks that end up with serious injury on slope are going very fast indeed, and still hurt themselves severely, helmet or not.

There's an interesting discussion here on helmet standards, testing and so forth.

http://www.telemarktips.com/Helmets.html

I agree. My spousal unit had a major yard sale two years ago. She suffered a concussion. Did the helment help? Maybe, but why run the risk. BTW she's an expert skier, and very fast and rails her turns, but.... you never know do you. Wouldn't think about hitting the glades w/o a helment. Bumps, maybe. If I go w/o one it's in the teaching area w/adults only on very warm days. What say Jimmy?

I feel naked without my helmet. Definitely a lot more vulnerable. It's kind of weird....




I'll second that one. I can't keep up with that lady!

Intrawest is doing nothing that we haven't been doing locally for quite some time.

Not a big deal IMO. It's going to become standard industry wide soon enough.

Here's a link to the official Intrawest statement. Full compliance at all locations not expected until 2010-11 season. No idea when Snowshoe makes the change.

http://media.integratir.com/idr/Pres...0Use_Final.pdf

"Intrawest will recommend that all skiers and snowboarders visiting its resorts wear helmets and there will be mandatory helmet
requirements for all children and youth 1 participants in Ski and Snowboard School Programs as well as all students participating in freestyle terrain park programs, regardless of their age."

Employees doing stuff with people required wear helmets are also required to wear them. Such as giving lessons.

Advertising photos and videos will feature helmets.

"A helmet will be included with all children/youth ski and snowboard rental packages from all of Intrawest's equipment rental outlets. The new guidelines will be supported with enhanced
employee education sessions and common language highlighting the importance of helmet use will appear on resort websites and in all trail maps. Going forward, Intrawest will place an
increased focus on using website images and advertising visuals that feature skiers and snowboarders wearing helmets and Intrawest will introduce new graphic standards that require all of its ski resorts to feature helmets predominantly.
"

IMHO, a useful analogy would be wearing a helmet while motorcycle riding. Is it a good idea? You bet. Is it a guarantee that it is going to reduce the severity of a head injury or eliminate it completely, especially when traveling at a high rate of speed? No way. That's where good fortune, lack of traffic (or trees) and a watchful eye from above take over.

aw right, Thanks Red, a helmet no helmet thread.

I think Snowshoe is performing a great public service with this recommendation as anyone who has skied at Snowshoe would know that you are taking you life in you hands if you ski at Snowshoe with out a helment. They should make wearing a helmut at Snowshoe MANDATORY, not just recommended.

Wearing a helmut to me is a situational thing, sort of like skiing OB in avy territroy is a situation where you are afool if you don't have and know how to use a shovel, beacon and probe; same as skiing at snowshoe without a helmet.


Good for Snowshoe [/thumbs up/] ya

Just happened to see the article on WTOP.com so I threw it out there for discussion. I couldn't care one way or another...it is what it is. See you at Jack Frost...wood or coal? hehehe!!!(:^O)>>>

I completely agree there, W/O a helmet, i am a much much more cautious skier just because I feel more exposed.

Also, I really do think a helmet provides more comfort, warmth, and protection from the elements then a regular hat. Just makes sense to wear one.

Here's another reason why wearing a helmet makes good sense. A friend of mine wearing a helmet was hit from behind by a race assistant taking racer's coats to the bottom of Avalanche Slope. He also had a helmet on. When he crashed into her his helmet smacked her helmet (hard enough to leave a mark). Both were OK but both were very shaken up.

If you ARE NOT wearing a helmet and get hit in the head by someone that IS wearing a helmet. I don't think your head is going to fair the crash very well.