Bullet heads

[VTechVaulter]

Okay, so being one myself, i am tryin to figure out who some of the best helmet users are. My list

Toby - 19'1/4
Some guy that does the weird pole start on his head
Ray Scotten 17'9

any other big ones, and does anyone know about the weird start guy.

also curious what everyone thinks about wearing em. My uncle has pushed em pretty hard, im not saying its a fix all, but its defintely helped me out a few times. Also my team mate had a nasty bruise on his head from where the plug hit him during a break.

[zack]

The guy you're thinking of is Steve Deming.

[vaultchamp16]

Never worn one, never will. I feel vaulting is a fairly safe activity if you have proper coaching and your smart about it. Oviously freak accidents happen but I guess that I'm willing to risk it. Plus coming down head first from 17+, you still risk a pretty good chance of a spinal injury even with a helmet. If you feel comfortable wearing one, more power to you, just as long as they don't try passing a rule that they are required.

[Skyin' Brian]

when i went to don hood's camp i had to wear one since they required it there. it was no big deal. i havent worn it since, i guess i it would probably be safer with one, but i just dont feel a need to wear a helmet.

[SaltoMuyAlto]

bobby most wears a helmet. his pr is 5.50.

[vaulterpunk]

Paul Litchfield used to wear one with a mohawk on it.

Steve Deming doesn't start like he used to and he hardly ever wears his helmet.

[VTechVaulter]

bobby most wears a helmet. his pr is 5.50.

REALLY. he didn't in h.s. thats cool though. i think honestly more people will wear them as more people jump high in them... see thats in not a hindrence, just a difference.

[SlickVT]

There was a study done on helmets after Kevin Dare passed away. The average helmet only withstood a fall of 20 centimeters before it cracked and became useless. The Protec helmets were the best (besides the motorcycle helmets) and they only withstood a fall of 30 centimeters before they failed. I was really surprised to find this out, but it is true. No one will ever hear about it though, because helmet sales are on the rise. I dont think id have a problem with a helmet, I'll just never wear one. Call me old school.

[Robert schmitt]

You know I have a helmet for freestyle jumping back when I used to do water ski shows. It's made by AIR the same maker of football helmets. It is essentially their football helmet with the same padding but the cut/designed is similar to a skating helmet. That helmet was designed for a skier hitting a 8' tall by 14' wide plywood/fiberglass jump at 60mph. They were pricy though I think I paid about $80-$100 for it in the early 90's. It deffinatly provides more protection than the protech and similar skater helemts but it also wieghs more. I wonder if the powers that be ever knew about or looked into them. Maybe I'll take it down to Jan's camp to show him if I remember.

[vaultdad]

I've thought about the helmet issue a lot, and I don't mean to encourage or detract from wearing a helmet while vaulting but here are my thoughts.

I was seriously saddened by Kevin Dares passing, but I have to wonder:

If something happened in his head when he was upside down that essentially ended his life, before the fall. We'll never really know.

If it would have been so sensational had he been swimming,playing lacrosse or tennis at the time. Most of the research I've done has shown that most fatal injuries have been due to stuff outside the immediate pit area that should not have been there at all. Concrete, Asphalt, rubberized asphalt, pallets, and rocks are not human friendly, but somehow show up a lot! I don't let anyone leave stuff around the pit if I'm running the event. You guys and gals can come down quite a ways from the box if the plant goes wrong. There's no need to add insult to injury.

Iwonder if anyone realizes how unlikely it was that a helmet would have saved Kevin's life from that height. Humans are really fragile, even though we sometimes don't want to think so. If the helmet saved his head from a fracture, but his neck vertebrae or spinal cord were still seriously damaged the result could have easily been the same. Some studies have shown the wrong helmet shape could encourage neck damage. I think the Softbox is a major improvement in vaulting safety, but I still think the physics of the event as they transpired would still have killed Kevin. At the very least, he could have still gotten a brain bruise and serious swelling even with the soft vaultbox. I also think the official could have possibly pushed him onto the pads, and maybe given him better odds of surviving, but it apparently didn't happen either. I don't know how NCAA officals feel about doing it, and I didn't see it so I have no idea what really happened.

If a helmet gives you more confidence, find a good one to practice in, and get comfortable with it. If you're getting one because you're already scaring yourself or folks around you, the helmet might make your parents or next of kin more comfortable, but you should probably reevaluate your skills first before you really hurt yourself. Sorry about the long post.

[Decamouse]

Will a seat belt say you in ever accident - no - will it help in the majority? Could there be an instance where it hurts? - same applies to things like helmets - ASTM is putting the finishing touches on a standard - people like Protec were at the last meeting - there are instances when it surely would help. Softbox - if you end up in that area it definetly will help - doens't mean you can not or will not get hurt. If it helps the sport into the future ya must at least keep an open mind

[VTechVaulter]

looking at the calendar is so tough realizing its been almost 2 years without him. Honestly I am a huge believer in helmets. But it wouldn't have saved kev. With a direct impact like that, not much would. But the two high school deaths that year were caused by landing on the edge of the pit and bouncing out, i believe it would have saved them. Its the same kind of principle that causes a lot of skydivers to wear a helmet, its not that they think itll save me if their chute fails, but it is still useful.

on a different not, have any of you seen the design for the pit where the front extensions can slide over the runway in the even of a crash. its pretty wild. they have demonstrated it at skyjumpers for the last 2 years. really interesting ideas are coming out. Although it still scares me that we are tryin to find a way to make it acceptable to not land in the middle of the pit. That is the ultimate safety belt.