Helmets save lives
The only head injury you want to leave Niseko with is a hangover !
Helmets. When I started snowboarding in the early 90’s only park riders and old people bothered with helmets. Now thankfully the attitude is changing. Just get one you like and wear it, even on piste.
It’s hard to find data from Niseko or even Japan but recent research from the US states that according to the 2016/17 NSAA National Demographic Study, 83 percent of skiers and snowboarders nationally wore helmets while skiing or riding, which has dramatically increased since the 2002/03 season, when only 25 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets ( 1).
Interestingly the risk to snowboarders of head injury is still much higher than skiers with the rates of head and neck injuries among skiers and snowboarders vary between 0.09 – 0.46 per 1000 outings; snowboarders have a 50% higher rate of head and neck injury as compared to skiers. (2)
And it’s helping. Serious snowsport injuries are on the decline for both skiers and snowboarders and many studies directly attribute this to the increase in helmet utilization. Forget the myths you read on the internet about helmets leading too neck strain and whiplash types injuries. Falling does that, not helmets.
Some good points to be considered can be found on the video below
A good Chiropractor or Physio can do wonders for the the little crink or strain in your neck from an overly enthusiastic day but once you whack it good without wearing a helmet you are getting out of our pay grade and that starts to get quite expensive.
References
- http://www.nsaa.org/media/308745/Facts_on_Skiing__Snowboard_Safety_2017_18.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989528/