Last weekend I accompanied our son Alex and the rest of the Regina 56th Scout & Cub Pack to Asessippi for a weekend of skiing. I haven't skied for almost 10 years so it was a good opportunity to try out my older set of muscles and bones. Alex and I had a blast in near perfect weather and snow conditions and it got me to thinking about some future trips to prairie ski hills or maybe even the mountains.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that ski helmets were provided at Asessippi so Alex and I both made the choice to wear them for the weekend.
Actually - - - I lied - - - I made the choice to wear my helmet and insisted that Alex wear his helmet - - much to his chagrin - - but later, he was cool with it!
While taking a break on the deck with a nice hot mocha in my hands, I took a quick poll of how many people were wearing ski helmets. Between adults, youth and children, I'd say that at least half of the skiing population last weekend wore ski helmets. I feel good about this observation as it is an indication that our safety culture is changing.
We came back to the ski chalet on Saturday for a bite of lunch and sat right across from a family with two young children. I began talking with the parents and inquired about their ski helmets. The Mom told me the story of a fall she had while skiing in the mountains and noted that if it wasn't for her helmet, she wouldn't be here today. She raised her helmet and showed me the dent on the front of the helmet where she landed face first onto a rock.
I commended her for wearing her helmet. (I also indicated that after a crash, it's a good idea to replace the helmet to ensure maximum safety. Even if you can't see any damage done to your helmet on the outside. It's also a good idea to check the expiry date of one's helmet as they don't last forever.)
Soooooo, is a helmet cool or functional? From my perspective, I think they're cool. From that Mom's perspective, a helmet is most definitely functional…what do you think?
Have you got any safety helmet stories to share?