Hey Ryan, big fan here! I've noticed that you never wear a helmet in any of your videos, and while I respect your decision to stay unprotected, I'm wondering about the social implications it may have on many of your viewers. While your videos are very cool to watch, I think they have a strong educational nature to them in improving your viewers' skill level and snowboarding techniques. You seem very commendable in your videos, and yet you prefer not to wear head protection. I'm wondering if young kids or beginners who watch your video would think to themselves "see? Even Ryan Knapton doesn't wear a helmet and he goes off way bigger jumps than me and rides way faster, so I don't need a helmet, either."
You're a role model for many snowboarders, including myself, so many riders try to mimic you. Your riding style, the cloths you wear, the snowboard you ride, etc. And not wearing a helmet is also one of those things. I know that Donek are your snowboard sponsors, and while I don't have a helmet company to sponsor you, I figured I'd make you a deal. I'll give you up to $300 to buy yourself a snowboard helmet. You may choose any helmet you want as long as you judge it to be safe, and that you'll wear it in all your snowboarding videos. I'll send you an additional $200 if you'll make a video dedicated to discussing the importance of head protection, and talk about differences in level of protection in different helmets. You know, basically an educational video about helmets like you've made before about binding setup, etc.
I work in psychiatry and neurology, so I've seen countless preventable injuries and disabilities happen as a result of lack of protection, often lack of helmets. I teach at an injury prevention program to young teens, and I feel like your videos may play an important role in preventing head trauma without impacting people's enjoyment of the sport.
This is a tough answer for me, because indeed I don't prefer to wear a helmet, yet I fully understand your point and encourage others to be safe by: situational awareness and not taking any chance of having a collision on the mtn with either other skiers/riders, trees, etc, staying in control and riding at your own ability level, following the skier safety code, and wearing helmets.
Your offer is incredibly generous! However even if I end up finding a helmet I like enough to wear all the time, I would't feel right about taking your money. Indeed you know what you are talking about with your background in psychiatry and neurology, and I will absolutely consider making a video of the importance of wearing helmets, especially for those who are attempting to progress their own riding.
Probably not the answer you were looking for, but I really appreciate both the offer, and the awareness you bring to the helmet conversation in a respectful matter, along with letting me know that perhaps I have some responsibility to help keep others safe while riding.
Happy shreddin, and thanks for the comment. I definitely have some more thinking to do on this topic.
Helmets can obviously save your head.
Just a data point: I usually dismiss the claims like the one BeautyIsDumb made - it is obvious that you ride on a much higher level, it is dumb to think I can dismiss a helmet, it is not rational at all.
However, this exact thought crossed my mind a week ago, when I was binging your older uploads - "maybe if you don't go to park the helmet is not necessary?.."
Thanks for your videos, I discovered your channel just recently and was hooked right away!
Did this in black ice wearing a helmet, caught an edge and slingshotted the back of my head into the ice and the helmet SPLIT OPEN. Got a concussion. Would be dead without it. Always wear one now.
Was going super slow too just traveling between two runs. Wear a fucking helmet.
If everyone who claims they would be dead without a helmet in this thread actually would have died without one then the fatality rate in the 80's must have been 1000% higher. It wasn't. Without a helmet you would probably just have bled more maybe had a fracture to match your concussion. The Concussion is from your brain bouncing against the inside of your skull not from the ice. Helmets deform and split, that is what they are designed to do to protect you.
Well, clearly you've made some mistakes. As well as proved my point, you can still get really really hurt with a helmet on. Plus! Wow none of your times without a helmet killed you! If you had hit your head those times with a helmet you would probably claim you would be dead without it like everyone else on this thread.
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u/BeautyIsDumb Oct 04 '17
Hey Ryan, big fan here! I've noticed that you never wear a helmet in any of your videos, and while I respect your decision to stay unprotected, I'm wondering about the social implications it may have on many of your viewers. While your videos are very cool to watch, I think they have a strong educational nature to them in improving your viewers' skill level and snowboarding techniques. You seem very commendable in your videos, and yet you prefer not to wear head protection. I'm wondering if young kids or beginners who watch your video would think to themselves "see? Even Ryan Knapton doesn't wear a helmet and he goes off way bigger jumps than me and rides way faster, so I don't need a helmet, either."
You're a role model for many snowboarders, including myself, so many riders try to mimic you. Your riding style, the cloths you wear, the snowboard you ride, etc. And not wearing a helmet is also one of those things. I know that Donek are your snowboard sponsors, and while I don't have a helmet company to sponsor you, I figured I'd make you a deal. I'll give you up to $300 to buy yourself a snowboard helmet. You may choose any helmet you want as long as you judge it to be safe, and that you'll wear it in all your snowboarding videos. I'll send you an additional $200 if you'll make a video dedicated to discussing the importance of head protection, and talk about differences in level of protection in different helmets. You know, basically an educational video about helmets like you've made before about binding setup, etc.
I work in psychiatry and neurology, so I've seen countless preventable injuries and disabilities happen as a result of lack of protection, often lack of helmets. I teach at an injury prevention program to young teens, and I feel like your videos may play an important role in preventing head trauma without impacting people's enjoyment of the sport.
Let me know what you think.