Ski Holiday Tips - Remember To Pack Your Helmet

While everyone looks forward to a winter skiing holiday, staying in the fabulous chalets in Morzine and other resorts in the Alps, one important factor that shouldn't be overlooked is that of personal safety. Within the ski community, experts and laymen are united in the importance of wearing a helmet while undertaking any winter sports.

Safety first, always

This discussion is just as relevant to guests renting ski chalets in Morzine for a couple of weeks as to those who work on the slopes for a living. After all, while the popular French family resort does offer gentler slopes than some of its neighbouring Alpine stations, said slopes still very much necessitate the use of protective gear, even for experienced sportspeople.

But what, exactly, are the benefits of wearing a helmet for a skier? Well, much like with a bicycle or motorcycle, the answer should be obvious and ingrained into common sense. A recent study has proven that the use of a helmet reduces the force of an impact on the skull by at least four times, while at the same time absorbing some of it and spreading the rest over a larger area. The benefits of this type of action for skiers should be self-evident.

There continues, however, to be some debate over this issue. Some gung-ho winter sports aficionados who book in to the chalets in Morzine and other destinations every season claim helmets are restrictive and limit their vision, and are opposed to wearing them. Others make the point that the illusion of safety emboldens the person, causing them to go faster and be more reckless, therefore heightening the possibility of an injury. But if recent numbers are anything to go by, this camp is quickly losing ground to the apologists of using protective gear. In the last few years, studies show that an average of 80 percent of North American users and 50 percent of European users are in favour of wearing protection, a number that will hopefully increase as time goes on.

The trick, many believe, is to get to encourage young skiers (leading by example) to don a helmet as a standard piece of their ski outfit rather than something unfashionable – a death knell to some youngsters! Top manufacturers are producing more and more "on trend" and cutting edge designs for their winter sports safety equipment and, thankfully, many of these items are fast attaining cult status – good news for on piste safety more so than fashion!

If you're booking in to one of the top chalets in Morzine for a couple of weeks of snow fun, make safety your priority – and encourage others to do the same.

Liz Olkowicz is the Business Development Manager for Ski and Summer Morzine, a tour operator, based in Surrey, offering tailor-made holidays in chalets in Morzine. Morzine is the perfect location from which to explore the French Alps, so for a great-value Alpine holiday, call us.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.