RICHMOND, Vt. (WCAX) – Any careful skier or rider straps on their helmet before hitting the mountain, but experts say it’ll take more than that to stay safe.
Tumbles at Sugarbush Resort result in dozens of traumatic brain injuries every winter.
Many patients are treated at Three Peaks Medical Center – a non-profit independent medical clinic run out of the resort.
“The docs can actually evaluate the patients so that it would be similar to an emergency room visit or an urgent care,” said Chad Borofsky, Executive Director of Three Peaks Medical Clinic.
Like many other resorts, Sugarbush doesn’t mandate helmets across the board but requires them for kids of certain ages. Still, Borofsky says most patients wear helmets.
“They have a minor concussion and they walk out rather than leaving an ambulance because they had a helmet on,” he said.
Without – and sometimes despite a helmet – others end up in the ER at UVM Medical Center.
Doctor Kalev Freeman and his coworkers assess and study the damage.
There are about 20,000 winter-sport-related traumatic brain injuries in the US every year.
Freeman says many mountainside TBIs involve men emboldened on sunny days to do flips and go fast on moderate trails.
He says it’s a recipe for disaster, helmet or not.
“Those types of high speed, high mechanism of injury, fatalities are not gonna necessarily be prevented with the helmets,” said Freeman.
Helmets do lead to better TBI outcomes, especially for kids whose brains are still developing.
However, Freeman says they’re not a fix-all, and it’s just as important to know your limits, ski or ride with control, and recognize the risks.
“My advice is to wear a helmet but don’t expect a miracle,” said Freeman.
Data from the National Ski Areas Association shows that 90% of skiers and riders wore helmets in the 2021-2022 season.
They say young adults, especially men, need more encouragement to wear.