There are many factors to keeping you safe when you go skiing, or snowboarding. Making sure that you stay on your difficulty level, and using the right equipment is essential, but a very important topic within the last couple years is helmets.

According to OrthoInfo, helmets do not necessarily protect you from cracking your head open or receiving cuts or bruises. They are recommended for use because they protect you from brain damage if you were to receive a blow to the head.

“I didn’t think that wearing helmets was so important, until last year when one of my friends cracked his head open and had a concussion,” said Macallister Auciello 11.

These brain damages, also known as concussions, can cause confusion and temporary incapacity. Receiving repetitive concussions can alter the brain permanently, and can have serious effects on the brain and how it functions.

“I always wear my helmet when the snow is more like ice, because it’s so hard to grip the ground in those conditions,” said Olivia Smith 10.

When buying a helmet making sure that it fits snug to your head while still providing comfort is important. Also, looking up reviews on a certain helmet before you make the purchase is a good idea, to see how well the helmets hold up in certain situations and conditions.

Over the last couple of years many slopes (Steamboat and Jackson’s Hole) require helmets for people that are under the age of 18, unless they have parental consent. The reasoning behind this is because within the last five years the amount of injuries on slopes have increased because of people not wearing helmets.