If you do wear a helmet, I’m guessing you aren’t going to get made fun of like you would have ten years ago. Last year, 48% of people wore a helmet. In 2002, only 18% of people wore a helmet. Some resorts are even making it mandatory for kids, this season Intrawest is implementing a helmet policy for kids at its resorts (Whistler, Steamboat, Winter Park, etc.).

Image: 416Style

So, what’s the point?

Well, a helmet might reduce the severity of a head injury if you hit a tree or slam your head on ice or rocks. But if you’re an average snowboarder (speeding along at 24.1 mph), you should know that NSAA says that a helmet provides the best protection at 12 mph or slower. Wait, what?

Fortunately (I guess), bike and motorcycle helmets have the same slow speed rating (14 and 17 mph). But, bikers (pedal and motor) go much faster than the rating. Despite the speed difference, motorcycle helmets and bike helmets are still considered very safe…even at the high speeds.

Helmets reduce minor head injuries like mild concussions, cuts, and bruises by 30-50%. But, in general, they don’t reduced more serious concussions, internal injury, and fatalities. (Warning, shocker ahead) So a helmet will probably help if you bail, but its not going to keep you from getting hurt if you’re going super fast or have a huge fall.

Helmet Safety Certs

With a certification, you can know if the helmet will actually do what you want it to do:

• keep your head in one piece if you hit something hard
• make sure your helmet will be on your head in the right place when you need it to be
• the chin strap wont break
• the part of your head that needs to be protected, is

Three approved certifications for helmets:

• Snell RS-98 – Considered the most stringent.
• ASTM F-2040 – American standard, considered almost as good as the Snell cert.
• CEN 1077 – European standard, considered the easiest certification to get.

A helmet can have just one or all three. To become certified, the helmet manufacturer has to meet certain design requirements for the way it sits on your head, where the chin strap is, if it allows for enough peripheral vision, and weather conditions, as well as a bunch of other design details. To test the helmet’s strength they require anvil testing. Awesome.

Helmet Brands and Certifications

Right now, there aren’t any snowboard or ski helmet makers that have the Snell cert. Most have the ASTM and CEN.

A few companies that make ASTM and CEN certified helmets:

• Bern
• Boeri
• Burton RED
• Pro-Tec

More Info

Helmet fit tips
More helmet details

What do you think? Is it worth it to ride with a helmet? Are you rocking one?