What No One Tells You About Snowboarding Helmets! 

Cool video Tommie! Just one small nitpick around the 3 minute mark. MIPS is Multi-DIRECTIONAL Impact Protection System IIRC. It helps redirect the impact forces so you don't just take them straight on. I just didn't want people to think after they eat shit, the helmet's integrity is still there. If you're ever having doubts after eating it and can swing it, it's best to replace the helmet.

There's a simple rule for when you should wear a helmet when snowboarding: any time you have a snowboard attached to your feet.

My son got a nasty concussion from catching an edge a few years ago. He was wearing a helmet that fit properly but all the doctors he saw said it would have been worse without the helmet. Last year he got back on the board and after a day he pushed through some fear and regained his confidence and by the end of the season he was riding better than he ever has! One other thing that really helped with diagnosis and rehab with the concussion is having a concussion protocol baseline test. He plays football and his coach is also a PT and he had all the players do this prior to the season. With that baseline the doctors could see exactly how severe the concussion was and know exactly when he was fully recovered!

MIPS is not a multi impact system, it is a multi- directional impact system. Meaning it will disburse the energy from an impact across the helmet rather than absorbing a direct impact, reducing the risk of head injuries.

100% with you Tommie. I've only had one concussion before in my life and it was while snowboarding and someone hit me blindsided. That day I could have convinced myself 100 ways to not wear a helmet, but I ended up wearing a helmet. I think it was definitely a life saver for me. If I didn't wear it, I think it would have significantly been worse.

My friend fell when he sent a side hit (we were both going quite slow but the jump was big), and he fell to his back and hit the back of his head while having a helmet, shit was so scary because he was disoriented and mumbling, he felt better after 2-3 hours... we were just thanking God for shining a light on us because you never know what would happen if he didn't have one... Since then I would always tell people to wear one. One thing is you being concussed or injured, other thing is watching your close friend not knowing where he is being completely lost and out of his mind.. Scary stuff, stay safe people please..

Surprised but also not surprised this video needed to be made, thank you for this

Since a young lad I have always worn a helmet, and now I just cannot imagine life without one.

So true! I have hit my head falling from a skateboard and luckily I was wearing a helmet. My brother once got a skull fracture from falling down two concrete stairs. It was scary.

Anyone who says they don't see a need to wear a helmet should watch the 2013 film *'The Crash Reel'* about pro snowboarder *Kevin Pearce* and his battle back to health after a traumatic brain injury whilst training at a Park City halfpipe in the run-up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Kevin was wearing a helmet in his halfpipe accident, but instead of dying or turning him into a vegetable for the rest of his life he survived, and leads a relatively normal life today. A TBI like his could happen to any one of us.

Need to normalize snowboarding uphill. So much fun to do. Looking forward to the season starting

Great safety awareness! Keep up the good work.🤙

Here where I live in Canada helmets are law, so no riding without one. I've been wearing a helmet since 1998 when they made them mandatory to ride the park so I started then. I love wearing helmets because they have saved me more than once.

You're absolutely right. Good decisions are much more effective at preventing an injury than wearing a helmet. The helmet is that extra layer of protection for those situations where good decisions alone are not enough. Since we never know when we will encounter those situations, *always wear a helmet*.

I have a helmet with MIPS and it definitely works. One time I caught my heel edge and went straight to the back of my head so hard my goggle lens popped off. I thought I got knocked out for a second but it was just the sudden brightness from them flying off. Anyways, I was completely fine except for a bruise on the front of my forehead from the helmet rolling the impact around. I was fully expecting to have a headache at least but nothing. It was crazy.

I’ve been snowboarding the past five years 100+ days / year and have never worn a helmet with zero issues. that said I will be wearing a helmet this upcoming season 🌊

My first concussion Imwhile snowboarding I was going like 5mph very slow filming my friend hit a small jump. I caught and edge on my heel and slammed my head. Instantly felt my brain pulse and I thought thank god for this helmet or I’d probably be dead right now. I learned that day that it could be a very unexpected situation that could take you out and you should always wear a helmet

Coming from a motorcycle racing background I can’t justify not wearing a helmet but something that isn’t talked about in snow helmets as much is how weight of a helmet can affect concussions and neck injuries. The more weight on the top of your head creates more inertia which can increase whiplash and impact forces. Don’t mistake a heavy helmet for being a safer helmet. And while mips is good, a lot of MTB and motorcycle helmet brands (like 6D) have taken things a step further with inertial dampers that function to allow the helmet to slip on the head to reduce impact of glancing blows like mips because we do know now that angular acceleration is a large cause for concussions but since eps doesn’t compress at lower speed impacts the dampers function to slow the impact before contacting the eps foam. Having had concussions before, it seem easier for me to get them again so I would love to see more advanced tech come into the snow helmet world, though nothing can stop the butcussion that Tommie mentioned. 😂

Having a helmet saved me once when I got on a chairlift. Before we had even left the ground and I had my head down, adjusting the position of my board and dreaming of how awesome my next run was going to be, some eager but nervous-looking newbie slammed the safety bar down on my head!

I for sure think a helmet has changed a mild concussion to no concussion in a few crashes I've had, but for sure at some point it stops helping! I've never heard of the tailbone concussion but it sounds rough.

Do people even think helmets are "uncool" any more? I mean yeah back in the 20 years ago but I feel like they are nearly ubiquitous now. I had one bad edge catch last year which I hit my head... I was very happy I had a helmet on.

Never thought how much a helmet could protect my skoal.

Almost lost my life riding well within my comfort zone because i didn’t have a helmet. 5 plates and 41 screws and 2 surgeries later i just don’t know why i ever wouldn’t wear one. Looking cool is not worth dying for

I'm not sure why it took me 7 mos to catch this vid! But glad I did... I agree that peeps should not shred w/o a brain bucket! I am still what I would call a beginner... I slipped unexpectedly on icy terrain and fell backwards, pretty much just rung my bell doing that! So you don't have to make stupid choices to get hurt, and like you said - helmets increase your chances of a more favorable outcome! For instance - yes you got a few concussions while wearing helmets - but how much worse could it have been if you hadn't? So it's good to hear you advocate them. But 100% don't mistake helmet use for bad things won't happen! You don't have to go broke buying one either, but you really want MIPS! Not an item to go for the bargain.

Tommie's brain is GOLD!! Protect at all cost!

When I was young in -90 and early 2000. No one used helmet in Finland. Now I started snowboarding again after 18 years. I just fkdup my backside 180 last Saturday on small jump. Did a poor pop and started to spin too early. My snowboard tip catched the jump tip and I got instant fly on my back and hit my head to landing very hard. I blacked out only for like 1sec but when I took my helmet off and cheked it, the inner solution of it was cracked. I managed to ride down and drove home but I was very tired for the rest of the day and felt little bit weird the next day too. Now I'm ok. only side joints/muscles of my neck are little bit stiff. I would Imagine how bad my head would have been hurt without helmet spreading the impact of hard icy landing. Glad to see that now days everyone uses helmet and they are very comfortable to use.

Sickkkk can't can't wait to ride with you in a week. #birdgang

My butt landed so hard on a treestump this weekend I got a concussion. Doing research on the best helmets available atm because i have no self control and I cant afford another head injury, had more than I can remember. So need to give my brain the best possible outcome next time I have a woopsie.

many years ago i was riding head naked or with a cap, one day i bought an helmet (for cold purpose essentially and snowkite purpose), at the end of the season... i got hit by a skier and when i stood up, i felt a heavy mass on my head, the stick of the skiier was sticked in my helmet ( the ring stopped from going in further in the ventilation hole), he tried to keep his balance by sticking his stick in the snow but my head came by at the wrong time......i guess this year, it was a goo idea to buy a helmet.

Coming from racing motorbikes (UK) concussion is a serious thing that puts us on stop list for a certain period, when I was last knocked out I could not construct sentences properly or remember peoples names for at least 24-48h but the actual affects extended out for many days after. Of course we all wear helmets and it did does not always prevent it, but if (because you cant race without it) I was not wearing then i would have a cracked skull, missing skin, rashes etc etc. If you think what other injurys could I get if in X I did not have a helmet then that may be better, ie even small stones, branches, poles etc, all of those can take a dig at your skull, let alone if say someone was to bash into you and their equipment is hard etc. So boarding I decided its a no brainer, plus I dont like my head/ears to be cold. One thing to add is that many people attach cameras etc to their helmets, this we are not allowed to do as it can contribute to additional twisting of your head if you impact the ground and it catches the camera, there are reasons they make them smooth so they slide over the ground.

As a snowboarder that has an incurable brain tumour, I wouldn’t ride without my skid lid. In my earlier years of snowboarding I’ve wiped out & just felt like, where am I? Interesting topic, still think helmets could give us more protection.

I've had issues with goggles fogging up, and I didn't know that helmets actually assist in stopping this from happening. They provide coverage over the top of the goggles, the vents tend to get went and cause condensation...

It's not just concussions. On top of a chair lift when I was getting off, it was so windswept and icy and NO power. I do not know how but I stumbled on my snowboard, rolled? carwheeled? scorpioned? No idea, all I do know is my tail end of by board somehow smacked my temple on the left side of my head. Although I had a helmet and I was TOTALLY fine. I will always wear a helmet, but I do not know what would happen otherwise.

Best quote today "if you're tumbling down a run you at least have a better a chance of not dying" 😂😂

Have you ever try to wear a Helmet without the beanie? Cause that’s one way to reduce the effectiveness of your helmet.

What’s your preferred stance width and angles?

Tell keystone we want a rope tow in the park. It would keep us off the runs and away from beginners. I never used to wear a helmet when I was younger. Now I do every time because I like my brain

What time does the gondola line at keystone mellow out?

Got smacked by a skier on Saturday @ Keystone going about 30mph and he didn't stop. Knocked out for 45s and cracked my helmet. Can only imagine where I'd be w/o.

whats the deal with the rolled up pants? i do it so my pants dont drag but going above the boot?

if you're going to tumble down the slops, bring a neck brace as well.

Idk what you were doing to get those concussions, but some people are definitely much more likely to get them than others also how you fall is huge. When i get injured i hardly ever swell or even show a bruise(though it still hurts like hell😅) i wonder if that would translate for brain swelling also? Id assume so, hopefully i never find out hahah. Neck training may sound like a weird thing but it truly helps BIG time and i recommend that to everybody. Ive had a lot of gnarly spills and hardly ever hit my head thankfully. Ive also never worn a helmet but im getting older and decided to get one this year. Those and ass pads 😂 Ohhh, one last thing that may sound weird. I have some MMA, muay thai training and a big thing there is always keeping your jaw clinched. If you have an open mouth youre much more likely to get damage and get knocked out. So breathe through your nose and keep yo mouth shut while launching big. 😝🤙🤙 When i know im about to hit hard on my back i tuck my chin towards my chest and bring my shoulders in tight. Seems to have helped me through the years. 🤷‍♂️

I rode with out a helmet in the late 90’s every one did. We wore funny hats 😅 when I hit my head good on an icy trail I went and bought a helmet. I figured I wear a helmet riding a motorcycle I wear headgear boxing 🤷🏻‍♂️. Been wearing a helmet ever since. It’s the norm now. Sometimes I just want to ride in a beanie and I’m like nah I know my luck lol. Plus I’ve seen concussed people die in the ring or get problems- I have pretty bad memory loss. Oh with the color helmets ⛑️ you go down you are visible to other riders and can aid you if needed.

ER Nurse here. Helmets are very important! Protect your brain!

Am i the only one who has the helmet with warm liner and ear pads? Seems much better than the hat under helmet 😅. Maybe bot as cool looking but definitely warm

For ASIAN or even WESTERN riders with round heads go for the Giro Neo MIPS ASIAN FIT.Only sold in US unfortunately but is the first helmet that fits my round skull after 15 years of riding! 95% of riders in EU wear helmets.......

Good video but it think you stuck too much on concussion. Helmets wont hold your brain in place but it will absorb the some of the energy of the impact, reducing its effects. It will also protect your skull which can fracture just like any other bone in your body and that's a whole lotta worse that getting just an concussion. Also the talk about better decisions, not all accidents can be prevented by your own decision making tho, some on can still crash in to you for example. And if you find yourself going 70miles/h down an icy corner you will be still better of with an helmet that without one if something happens :D

Was in a crash with a skier yesterday (we blindsided eachother but i was actually the one going past him, so a little bit more of my fault..). I did catch my backedge at pretty much full speed, and went down on the back of my head so hard that the helmet got a 10cm(4inch) crack in the back! I was out a couple of seconds and luckilly the skier didnt get hurt! But im really happy i had a good helmet with mips! I am concussed but atleast not dead, wear helmet all the time ppl! (One of my buddies crashed so hard on his skies 10yrs ago that he lives with permanent brain damage today and the rest of his life, but without helmet hed be dead on the spot he fell!) And dont do the mistake i did yesterday and think youve read everyone, because you havnt! Luckily the other lad is alright and i got myself a relesson! Be safe and have fun!

I remember no one ever had a helmet on. I remember crashing and seeing stars. Today I never not have a helmet. Remarkably 99% of the resorts I go to , riders have helmets

What brand of mittens is he wearing in this video? Does anyone know?

Yes i wear my helmet 100% of the time, i dont want to have a concussion n have to rest the entire day because my head hurts. Also i dont if I look like a nerd, at least i can say i wont ruin my trip on the mountain.

What happened to the “stance” video? 😢

can i snowboard with hat only? no helmet? im a newbie please give your opinion

Headed up to ride schoolmarm tomorrow see ya out there

Thank you Tommie, great video. It is not all about style, also about safety! But something that I don't get, why the hell do you wear your goggles under your helmet why not on the helmet? So much more comfortable. OK, I don't need a lot of style where I usually ride, not a lot of people there ;-)

The one time I got a concussion was when I was wearing a helmet as well Lol

Looking uncool in a helmet is better than brain damage.

I’m a cowboy asf I don’t like wearing a helmet it’s just doesn’t feel right on me and it messes up my balance I kept catching a edge and it takes me forever to find the snow that’s just me most concussions come from a helmet but if you’re just starting out yeah indeed wear a helmet you still get in wrecks just don’t get in wrecks well try not too

If you got a concution wearing a helmet chances are you could have died without one helments are a must in my opinion

Yah, helmet is just one aspect of safer riding…awareness and good progression decisions are huge

One thing you forgot to tell; beanies don't go under helmets. Also, goggles go over the helmet.

You got a concussion with a helmet, but also are gear to tell about it, could of cracked your skull could of been in a coma.

Concussion vs Death = no brainer on wearing a helmet. Common

Wear one

Ofcourse you can get a concussion even if you wear a helmet... Just imagine what could have happened if you DIDNT wear it.

If football helmets don’t eliminate concussions you think these bike helmets will?

No helmet… look at Michael Schumacher 😢😢😢😢

Probably wouldn’t have got concussion if you had a helmet that fitted correctly on your head.

better have a hole in your helmet than a hole in your head!

YES... MUCH LOVE..!! Wear it..!! Every time..!! I'll tell ya'll shreddawgs one thing straight up... aint nothin worse then scoopin up your buddy's brains out of the snow... and sledding a bro's body down the hill... GET one & WEAR it..!!