Let's force our beloved pros to wear pillow ballon helmets!
In October of 2009 the National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell was called before the United States congress to answer questions about the League being potentially negligent in its protecting its players from concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
A lawsuit by ex-NFL players was filed in 2011 that was settled in 2013 for $765 million but a federal judge overturned the deal on the grounds that it would not be nearly enough to provide for the players covered under the suit. In 2015 the cap was expanded to at least $1 billion.
The Will Smith film Concussion also opened in 2015 and dramatized the true story of Dr. Bennett Omalu who fought the National Football League’s alleged suppression of his CTE research.
The scandal is ongoing and may someday cost the NFL multiple billions.
Which brings us to the World Surf League (WSL).
Owen Wright’s brain bleed from what he says was a duckdive out at plus-sized Pipe, coincidentally in 2015, puts the WSL in massive potential danger. Owen said in a recent interview, “If you try and duckdive a 15-foot second reef Pipe wave, you’re only going to be a foot under water with 15 feet of wave coming down on you. Something is going to give… and I gave.”
Pipeline is not the only heavy reef wave on tour breaking in shallow water or featuring shallow sections. The Box, Cloudbreak, Teahupo’o are all very dangerous and Kelly Slater claimed he nearly drowned at the last Bells event due the exposed rock shelf on the inside.
Are the professional surfers on today’s tour, plus all the tours since professional surfing has been a thing, due billions of dollars for potential brain bleeds?
Should the professional surfers on today’s tour probably wear helmets?
Owen Wright never claimed to hit his head on either board or reef. It is a truly unprecedented injury. The sort of injury that a helmet is not known to prevent. But wouldn’t a helmet help dissipate the shock of the duckdive? Or couldn’t a helmet be developed, maybe larger like an oversized pillow or ballon, that encapsulates the professional’s head?
I think our surfer’s head health is worth the unfortunate aesthetics! But maybe it’s cool to wear a pillow ballon on the head while surfing! The Inertia published 5 reasons why surfers should wear a helmet in 2013. When the original NFL concussion lawsuit was settled.
Does the WSL have multiple billions to give potential brain bled surfers?
Helmets!
I will be following up with the World Surf League when offices open Monday.
I am the new Ralph Nader.
Kelly Slater is such a visionary it frickin’ kills me!
His entourage are already wearing helmets to prevent concussion related injuries. We are all Edison and Kelly is Tesla.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
In seriousness is a can of worms whether injure yourself competing training etc etc – if you WSL surfer that is. I am sure they all have insurance no??
The rest of us just have to be careful when duckdiving our 15ft local
Owen’s medical assistance etc following this brain injury was at least partly covered by the WSL’s insurance. The WSL staff was closely involved in the process.
Even when not competing? That’s interesting.
Within the event waiting period.
“I am the new Ralph Nader.”
Yes Chas, yes you are. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
No helmet rule, only JFlo style. If Owen wants to rock one, then rock one he shall..
Tom Carrolls old anus injury surely deserves a few million dollars in compensation!
Cheers for The Inertia link to helmet safety
The Inertia article written by Guillaume Barucq, Doctor/Surf Prevention Editor
Question. What’s a Surf Prevention Editor?
It’s an expert in scaring you away from surfing. Because as we all now know, it is terribly dangerous.
Can’t believe none of us haven’t been hurt yet just talking about surfing.
Reading The Inertia hurts me
It hurts those around you too. Close friends, family…no one wants to see a friend go through that.
Why were helmets worn at the pipe masters in the late 1980’s, but not since,… or what’s the story around the helmet wearing, and not wearing helmets there either? Rules of the time for the ASP?
Thanks
Well this is odd. Why now? There have never been rules in professional surfing specifically directing surfers to wear helmets, and only indirectly banning their use (in the case of communication between surfer and coach, which was re-set as a rule after Layne Beachley and Ken Bradshaw did it at JBay in 2000, soooo embarrassing). Helmet use was pioneered at Pipe by my lil bro in 1986, who figured the way he wanted to surf the joint, he had best protect the brain, such as it was. People kept wearing helmets at the Pipe event well into the 90s and beyond though it seems to have gone out of fashion in recent times.
Thanks, really appreciate the reply! I had just seen the vid of the 1989(or 88?) Billabong Pro at pipe (I though it was pipe masters) footage on Youtube, and your brother and Barton were wearing helmets,…that’s why,.. and I saw your name here,… and you’re in that vid, standing next to your brother as he’s miffed talking about the interference call.
I guess they edit the part of the Inertia which is read by sharks, our bosses, Wavegarden management, etc.
These two articles are very meta and truly next-level trolling. Interested to see where this goes
Is this going to be an 86-part series with no climax?
Omalu or Inertia, boys?
Worst rub and tug ever?