Why I don’t wear a helmet. - Rupert Goldring, Val d’Isere
Tuesday April 7, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

The untimely death of Natasha Richardson, from a seemingly innocuous fall while skiing, has caused a small tempest.

While the general economy sinks, there appears to be a marked rise in the sales of ski helmets since Mrs Richardson’s death. Clients tell me shops in Britain, as here in Val d’Isere, have sold out.

Yet, I feel there should not be a uniform regulation for wearing helmets.

It is not merely the free-willed liberal in me, or my hatred for the nanny state, that leads to this conclusion.

As a ski instructor, I do not wear a helmet because it affects my awareness, both visual and auditory. My periphery vision is limited, my hearing is impaired and awareness is paramount to my job.

I not only have to be personally aware, but I have to be aware of everyone who is skiing with me, as well as those skiing near the people skiing with me.

The question abounds though: Had Natasha Richardson been wearing a helmet, would she have lived?

Sentimentality, a trait the British do so well, and the eternal desire for answers and blame, withstanding, the sad incident has given wind to the debate about whether skiers should wear helmets?

Obviously I don’t know whether Mrs Richardson would have survived by wearing a helmet. Yet there seems little doubt that it is safer for the average skier to ski with one. Falling on snow can be like falling on concrete. A collision with another skier may resemble a road accident.

The arguments against wearing a helmet are woolly. Some say that protecting the head may induce complacency.  I would suggest most reckless types are intrinsically so, helmet or not.

Apparently neck injuries from whiplash are more common to those with helmets. Excepting those rare serious occasions, a neck brace is preferable to a fractured skull. Helmets are more likely to harm others in a collision.

Both parties, if talent-less enough to collide, should wear helmets. Some may cite the virtues of skiing in its inherent danger, or feel a helmet undermines the feeling of exhilaration. These notions are conceited and romantic.

When ski racing or freeriding off piste, I do wear a helmet.

I know then that, unlike teaching, I am more likely to fall or hit a rock. By the same logic, if asked by a client whether I recommend them wearing a helmet, I suggest yes, particularly a child or a skier who is not an expert.

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