@Philpug recently posted an article "A huge dump day ... or how I learned to love my Giro Tor and MIPS Spherical Helmet" where his helmet clearly took a really big hit and sensibly he retired it.
Today, I was skiing a steep but previously groomed black with a load of brand new but somewhat heavy snow on top. I had noticed that it was requiring more effort than usual to turn. Then one moment I was skiing, the next I had left one ski driverless up the hill and flew forward landing who knows how (somewhat forward, but it's all a bit unclear) and heard a fair thwack as my helmet hit the snow. The subsequent moment I'm lying on the ground, absent one pole and one ski wondering quite what the <beep> just happened. [Side note: two snowboarders delivered my errant pole and ski, exhorting me that not all snowboarders are evil - I had to agree ].
While I got up and recovered, I have to say that my normal self-confidence had gone AWOL and I retired for the day at that stage.
Nonetheless, I wonder what level of thwack ought to be regarded as a helmet retirement thwack. I doubt that there are any definitives (other than a recommendation from the manufacturers no doubt that if you drop the helmet from 1 inch onto soft snow you should replace it). Any thoughts, Skitalkers?
Today, I was skiing a steep but previously groomed black with a load of brand new but somewhat heavy snow on top. I had noticed that it was requiring more effort than usual to turn. Then one moment I was skiing, the next I had left one ski driverless up the hill and flew forward landing who knows how (somewhat forward, but it's all a bit unclear) and heard a fair thwack as my helmet hit the snow. The subsequent moment I'm lying on the ground, absent one pole and one ski wondering quite what the <beep> just happened. [Side note: two snowboarders delivered my errant pole and ski, exhorting me that not all snowboarders are evil - I had to agree ].
While I got up and recovered, I have to say that my normal self-confidence had gone AWOL and I retired for the day at that stage.
Nonetheless, I wonder what level of thwack ought to be regarded as a helmet retirement thwack. I doubt that there are any definitives (other than a recommendation from the manufacturers no doubt that if you drop the helmet from 1 inch onto soft snow you should replace it). Any thoughts, Skitalkers?