Bravo! Intrawest Recommending All Ski Resort Guests Wear Helmets

Intrawest, owner of major ski areas in Canada and the United States, is recommending that all skiers and snowboarders visiting its resorts for the 2009-2010 season wear helmets. Additionally, there will be mandatory helmet requirements for all children and youth participating in Intrawest resorts' ski and snowboard schools, as well as all students participating in freestyle terrain park programs, regardless of their age.

Intrawest has made the new helmet usage regulations mandatory at all wholly-owned ski areas in North America. These include the major ski areas at Copper Mountain (Colorado), Stratton Mountain (Vermont), Mountain Creek (New Jersey), Tremblant Resort (Quebec), Panorama Mountain and Whistler-Blackcomb (British Columbia), Snowshoe Mountain (West Virginia), Winter Park Resort (Colorado), and Steamboat Ski Resort (Colorado).

The helmet regulations will be mandatory for all students ages 3-12 years, but the company is allowing the individual resorts to determine whether or not the rules apply to skiers and riders between the ages of 12 and 17. In order to implement the new rules, a helmet will be included with all children/youth ski and snowboard rental packages from all of Intrawest's equipment rental outlets.

The safety organization Lids On Kids promotes helmet use and ski area safety, but acknowledges helmets can't protect everyone. According to the NSAA, helmets are designed to reduce the severity of head injuries, but they are most effective at providing protection at speeds of 12 mph or less. If you hit a tree, object or another skier at moderate or high speed, a helmet may not prevent or reduce a serious injury. Most ski industry experts agree that following the "Skier Responsibility Code" -- seven common sense rules that could prevent most accidents -- is the most important thing snowsports fans can learn. They advocate that children memorize the rules that can be seen in FTF's story on Ski Safety along with more information and safety tips.

But everyone agrees that Intrawest -- owners of the resort where Natasha Richardson suffered a highly publicized fatal head injury in 2009 -- has made a major move in improving saftey. "Intrawest is working in conjunction with the ski industry to establish important best practices on behalf of our resort guests and employees," said Bill Jensen, chief executive officer at Intrawest. "Together, we have established a new baseline for helmet use at our resorts that has received strong support from the NSAA and CWSAA. We will continue to work with all of the ski industry associations in the United States and Canada to raise awareness of this important initiative and the obligation of everyone to ski and ride in a controlled and responsible manner."

Looking ahead to the 2010-2011 winter season, adds a spokesperson, Intrawest will require employees -- role models for many children -- to wear a helmet at all times while skiing or snowboarding on-duty in any freestyle terrain park at its resorts. Staff at Intrawest's Ski and Snowboard Schools will also be required to wear a helmet if they serve as a guide or an instructor for any program that requires mandatory helmet use by a resort guest. Several Intrawest resorts will begin to implement these new employee helmet use guidelines this winter and the remaining resorts will be fully compliant by the beginning of the 2010-2011 winter season.

What can parents expect this season? Lids on Kids cautions parents, "If your child wears a ski helmet, remember you may have to raise your voice more to get their attention because a helmet may impede their hearing."

Additional tips include:
*  Make sure the helmet fits correctly and snugly. A ski helmet is not an item you buy for your child to grow into.
*  Educate your child about the benefits and limitations of the helmet and how to make straps secure.
*  Emphasize that helmets are cool, and don't detract from appearance.
*  Remind kids that wearing a helmet doesn't give permission to ski or snowboard faster or recklessly.

Frugal parents who want to invest in their own kids' helmets should take a look at the Boeri line of kids' helmets, because the Stinger and Element lines can be adjusted from under the shell to provide more room for growing heads. These helmets, pictured above, will ensure that your preschooler is still wearing one as they enter the classroom.