Will you be sporting one next time out?
While Owen’s helmeted Chopes heroics have eaten up column inches in the surfing press, mainstream media outlet The Guardian has swung its left-leaning spotlight onto the broader issue of head injuries in surfing, with a story on big-wave surfer Mercedes Meidana’s post-concussion injuries.
Or if you don’t read it, here’s the gist: Mercedes wiped out in a comp up at Nescott Reef in Oregon back in 2014. Head injury, minor abrasion etc. Thought it was ok at the time but has since had her world crumble as the full extent of the damage played out.
It’s a heartbreaker, absolutely.
A few interesting points from the article, though, which seems to be pushing for increased regulation and cultural change in big wave surfing.
The researcher quoted says big-wave surfing has a gung-ho, anti-safety culture. Would you agree?
Big wave surfers are explorers, yes. Constantly charting new territory. And like explorers, they need to be intrepid. A level of risk must always be factored in. Mark Foo’s quote about the “unridden realm” still rings.
But I’d argue the elite crew (Mercedes included) are meticulous in their preparation. Training, gear, support crews.
So why don’t we see more of them wearing helmets?
Because they inhibit performance?
It didn’t slow Owen down.
(As an aside, his absence from this article is a big boo boo. Like writing a story on professional golf’s sex culture and leaving out Tiger).
Flores, Vaast, Seabass, O Dog. All rocked Gaths at Chopes, and they were the form surfers of the comp.
A million copywriters on a million Macbooks couldn’t match Owen’s line “I remember thinking, you’ve got a helmet on, just go!”
Are Gaths due for a comeback? If they can avoid more horrific injuries like Mercedes and O-daddy’s, ain’t that a good thing?
And have you ever worn one? Do they hinder your performance? Are you Liam McNamara? I’m keen to know.
So many questions. One helmet-curious surf writer seeking answers.
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The coolest guy is the dude who gives no fck about what others think, and they use/whatever makes them safe and shelf fulfilled 🙂 I have seen dudes leaving BMX being disabled for long term for the fact of not using protection and cool factor bias…
Hey, I’m married with kids, so intimacy is no longer an issue… there is none.
Gath’s can hinder performance, and will result in displacing more water than your head otherwise would, resulting in more force to your brain. They also won’t perform well in multiple impacts. Believe it or not, there are other options out there – some better some worse. How about this one? https://projectsurfhelmet.c…
Do you have your affiliate link where I can buy one on Amazon?
Thank you very much for asking. I’ve just created one: https://amzn.to/2ZGAgAn. Make sure to leave a note on your order, asking for the latest model!
I’ve given up on poky-wires on my helmet, and now gone for big googly eyes.
I’ve also changed the defensive adornments on my cycling protective head-wear.
Nobody has looked as cool as Tom Carroll did in ES2 with the helmet at Cloudie.
Seems good for head/board/rock impacts but wont do much for the shaking aspect of big waves. I wonder if ragdolling type injuries can be quantified? I cant think of other sports where that happens.
Skiing. It’s called tomahawking.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
I’m amazed he didn’t pop his bindings – he must have had them cranked up to 11!
But he doubtlessly pooped them.
Yep!
Hah, mine are at 12. He probably ran Look Pivots at 18. Skiing is beyond even Spinal Tap 🙂
“Yeh, but this goes to 11!”
There is plenty of research that have lead to stuff like MIPS helmets that keep your noggin from rotating (or at least try) which apparently is really bad.
However there is nothing short of anti-gravity that will keep your brain from bouncing around inside your skull when you do a full on tomahawk.
Can’t do much about the shaking aspect of big waves although newer foams may help. Either way those aren’t the impacts that are going to lead to the concussions that will result in prolonged PCS (most likely). The amount of G-forces to your brain determines whether or not you are in concussive territory.
One could also capitalize on the extra space – plenty of room for sponsor logos. Or paint them to look badass like NHL goalies do. Knowing what we know now about head injuries, you are pretty fucking dumb to be surfing spots like this w/o head protection. People have to get over the ‘cool’ factor. Ending up drooling and having to have someone wipe your ass the rest of your life because you are worried about what someone else ‘thinks’ is most definitely not ‘cool’.
Maybe Yago and Willian could have used a gath to instill some confidence…
1000% of 0 is still 0.00 🤔
All good. At inlaws. Strong wind. Our beach though lost a lot of sand. Compared to Bahamas we are gravy. Was weird surfing groundswell and being happy but knowing same storm was killing people 1000 miles away. The ocean gives and takes.
So you prefer helmets over hoodies?
Gotta say.. as a driver, I stay the farrrk off the road on my bike. Too many schiz drivers to take any chances!!
Got a trail at my local.. it’s a gnarly little bermy run, mostly tree free except at the top. I (stoopidly..) was trying for a Strava best for the day, actually held it for a morning once and got cocky. This git was just standing on the fucking trail in a red shirt about two turns ahead and I was working up a fine head of steam, briefly seen him, it put me off by a fraction and I went forks first into a tree right at the top. Head had a direct hit with the one tree as I was sent over the hangaz. Mad concusssion, lost some skin. Long ass story, but with no helmet, my dome would have cracked like a coconut. I’m team helmet always.
Thanks for the reminder. Had completely forgotten about ’em. Listening to Helmet now!
one of my favorites! still putting on good shows too.
https://www.facebook.com/pa…
I hope that guy is a success
I haven’t got one (yet) but they look good.
They do, I’d like a white one. No fancy colours and no black 🥵
I’d like a unicorn while your at it with blue accessories …..and wings .
Normalized? You mean specialized. Ha! Didn’t mean to trek into oh I give up.
Surfers wearing helmets more often would be a good thing. I broke my orbit doing an invert in a Tijuana skatepark 2 years ago, and I’ve had so many concussions in the past I couldn’t even count. I should get a Gath. I had one on when I fractured my neck (undergunned on a 10′ 6″ pintail) but I don’t think it was the helmet grabbing extra water or whatever. That being said, people always want to make a law about every damn thing. Fuck regulations in the water if you’re not in a contest or using motorized shit. Kids should be able to ride cruiser bikes around their neighborhood without a cop swooping on them for no helmet, and I sure af don’t want to see any more police presence at the beaches. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with. Now, cause I’m broke, I’m gonna search Craigslist for used Gaths. Def not a bad idea.
if you are buying any sort of helmet for any sport get a new one – you don’t know how its been treated.
If you’re broke, a used helmet is better than no helmet.
Depends on the helmet, and what the liner is made out of.
What does a used helmet have to be made of to NOT be better than no helmet???
Sorry missed this.
EVA. It crumbles and deforms. If you get hit once with a helmet with an EVA liner, and then hit again. The second time the rotational force to your brain will be no less (or not much less) than if you weren’t wearing one at all although you may have saved yourself from a skull fracture or something like that.
Do not buy a used Gath! The liners are made out of EVA foam, which crumbles on deforms after the first impact.
Such a tragic story. Even a small head injury can have devastating results. It seems to be where you are hit as well as force. I recall a story of an acquaintance on a trek in Nepal, she was walking next to a rock wall and a small pebble rolled down an hit her square on top of the head. No helmet. Catastrophic injury, brain injured severely and she can no longer walk.
It doesn’t happen too often in surfing but the risk is there, especially for beginners/kids that haven’t learned “board awareness” and how to fall away from their board. I think about this with my son, he’s 7, just learning and maybe a helmet is a good idea? I wouldn’t let him bike or ski without one, that’s for sure!
Yes, kids especially should wear helmets. Their skulls are much more fragile. There have been multiple kids coming to the ER from surfing accidents with fractured skulls or worse.
Those cyclists cunts ruined coast highway in Leucadia decades ago.Especially when they would pull their “own the lane” crap in the slow lane.
Saw a guy in a helmet surfing 3 foot slop last week. Sure hope the guy has a history of head injury and isn’t just a really really bad surfer. No helmet will fix that second problem
… damn damn damn… (cancels amazon purchase)
Other surfers’ boards hitting you (or your own) might just be the biggest danger in crowded lineups.