>>There's a debate going on at Yahoo regarding mandatory helmets for skiing/snowboarding. It's amazing how some of the most thought-provoking comments are from illiterates:
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>I was snowboarding a couple of months ago and hit my head hard enough to crack my helmet. If I hadn't been wearing the helmet, I doubt I'd be typing this message today.
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>I insisted from the beginning that my son always wear a helmet when he cycles, snowboards, skateboards, skates, roller blades, etc. He's gotten so used to it that it isn't an issue at all. Whenever he sees one of his friends not wearing a helmet, he thinks they're being dumb.
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>I just found out last night that the mother of one of my son's speed skating friends was at a family skate night a couple of years ago, didn't wear a helmet, fell and hit her head. Her injury was so severe that to this day, she still has short-term memory problems and can't work at her former technical job.
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>It just doesn't make sense to me to not wear a helmet. It only takes one innocent fall to change or ruin your life. It's such an incredibly small price to pay.
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>(Can you tell I'm passionate on this issue <g>?)
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>Doug

I can relate. Years ago, I was snowboarding {learning to} on an eastcoast ski resort (nothing but ice). To the entertainment of everyone in the lift line, i fell and hit my head while trying to stumble w/ the board up to the line. After laying there for a good while, i road the lift back, drove home the next day, and by the following day i couldnt blink without excruciating pain. But it took a day and half to set in. Sadly, just a week ago a 12 year old from here died in a ski accident and in January a women from VABeach was skiing (w/o a helmet) in Austria when she collided with a German politiician (wearing a helmet). She died, he had a skull fracture. He was just found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. My kids cannot snowboard w/o a helmet. Apparently its the norm from what they say.