Why Wearing Snowboarding Helmets Is Important
Why Wearing Snowboarding Helmets Is Important
Snowboarding is a great winter sport. In fact, with younger people, it's overtaken skiing in popularity. It can, however, also be a dangerous sport if necessary precautions are not taken. This is especially true for beginners who have not yet learned the basics of snowboarding.
Injuries are par for the course in snowboarding. Sprains are the most common injury. Specifically arm and wrist sprains since that's how most beginners break their falls. The most dangerous type of injury, however, by a huge margin is the risk of a concussion. Especially, among snowboarders who refuse to wear helmets.
A concussion is any kind of a traumatic injury to the brain triggered by a blow to the head and it is always something to be concerned about. In snowboarding, a concussion can easily occur via a collision with a skier or another snowboarder, a fall to the ground, or by hitting a tree. Signs of a concussion include feeling dizzy or disoriented, having an urge to throw up, or experiencing blurred vision. If you have any of these symptoms after a collision, you should seek immediate medical help.
If you are not wearing a helmet or other head protection, the head and the brain will absorb the full force of the blow. And the force can be so severe that it leads to possible long-term or even permanent injury to the brain. A helmet acts to diffuse the impact by taking the brunt of the impact itself, so instead of the energy being concentrated on one spot, it spreads over a larger area. Even with a hard blow where the helmet will not be able to absorb the full impact itself, it will most likely absorb enough of it to prevent you from suffering brain damage.
When choosing a helmet, don't necessarily go for the first one that you try on. Try a variety of different styles before deciding on one. In addition, try different manufacturers. The helmets from one manufacturer may fit your head better than another one. Try the helmet on with all the headgear that you normally wear, including goggles. The helmet should fit snug - but not tight.
In addition, you want to find a helmet that has been certified with the ASTM F2040 certification sticker. ASTM is a voluntary standards organization that sets standards for thousands of products and materials sold in the country. The presence of a ASTM F2040 sticker certifies that the helmet meets the minimum performance specifications required to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries to the head while participating in extreme sports such as snowboarding and skiing.
ASTM International is a voluntary standards development organization. One of the largest in the world. It is a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services.
But, paradoxically, there is a downside to wearing helmets. Believing that a helmet will protect them against all head injuries, snowboarders who wear them typically go faster than those without helmets. But the increased speed means than if they do have a collision, they are hitting at a greater force which in many cases is more than enough to offset the effect of wearing a helmet in the first place.
In the end, taking safety precautions is paramount if you want to avoid serious injuries while snowboarding. A helmet cannot guarantee that you won't suffer a head injury, but it does reduce the odds significantly. Wearing a properly fitted helmet is a very small price to pay to increase the odds that you'll continue to have fun on the slopes in years to come.
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