Home

No matter the sport, helmets are proven to reduce the risk of serious head injuries and, in some cases, to save lives. It was therefore appropriate for the Steamboat Ski Area to enact a policy requiring all of its employees to wear helmets when skiing or snowboarding while working.

The new policy, which went into effect this season, mirrors similar policies put in place this year at Aspen Skiing Co., Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Intrawest’s other ski areas. Vail Resorts began requiring employees to wear helmets during the 2009-10 season.

This isn’t Steamboat Ski Area’s first foray into a helmet policy for its employees. Two years ago, the ski area began requiring helmets for all employees who taught ski school students younger than 16. Those students also have to wear helmets. Similarly, employees in the ski area’s terrain parks were required to wear protective head gear, as were those who worked ski and snowboard competitions.

The significance of the ski area’s new policy is as much about the message it sends to all skiers and riders on the slopes of Mount Werner as it is about the 1,400 employees who are subject to the rules. The ski industry has seen continued acceptance of helmet use by skiers and snowboarders. Nationally, an estimated 61 percent of skiers and riders said they wore helmets last season. That’s up from 57 percent the previous year. Even better, the National Ski Areas Association’s survey revealed that 93 percent of children younger than 10 wore helmets during the 2010-11 season.

Widespread helmet adoption has resulted in a growing industry for the product, which in turn has led to vast improvements in helmet technology, comfort and style in the past decade. Better, more comfortable helmets then lead to even greater adoption.

It’s important that skiers and riders of all ages see the mainstream use of helmets while they’re on the mountain in Steamboat. And it’s important that the Steamboat Ski Area sends a strong message that helmets are the preferred form of head gear for ski patrollers, instructors and other on-snow professionals. Kudos to Intrawest and Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. for a sensible new policy.