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March, 2024

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ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, JUST NOT A BERN

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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
so my season started a couple weeks ago, an everything was looking great, i learned what i wanted to most weekends. last weekend i was coming down the trail, not even the park, and did a little 180, hit a bump, made of ice, and fell and hit my head. when i rode up the chair i took off my helmet, and noticed it was broken. i talked to the school nurse, she said i probably have a concussion. it wasn't anything to big, so i went out and skied this weekend. it was the first weekend we had a jump up, and i wanted to start learning. i tried one rodeo, fell, not that hard, it didn't hurt. so i got back up, and next time i came through i tried another. this time i fell and hit my head, not too hard, then i got up and half my helmet fell off. my helmet had split in half. both of these helmets were Bern Zip molds. could i email bern and get like a refund or anything?
and this would be nothing without pics so here you go
First crash:
Click for larger image

second time (trying rodeo):
Click for larger image

Click for larger image
Dec 12 2010 4:42PM
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Juice.Doctor
Posts: 2791 - Karma: 293
that definitely shouldnt happen
Dec 12 2010 4:45PM
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JeremyH
Posts: 2283 - Karma: 275
wow. i have that helmet. thats intense.
Dec 12 2010 4:46PM
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AhrenStein
Posts: 1941 - Karma: 177
Can you get a refund? NO

They are one impact helmets from what I know, so they have done their job and saved you from a worse injury twice. Stop complaining and buy a new helmet.
Dec 12 2010 4:46PM
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jamodeo
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 663
Helmets are only good for one impact man if you're ok (not dead) then it did it's job
Dec 12 2010 4:46PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
this. no you shouldnt get a refund. you should get a new helmet. of course it broke in half, it was already failing.
Dec 12 2010 4:46PM
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faux_real
Posts: 984 - Karma: 250
i'm no expert, but aren't foam helmets supposed to break? that's the only way they can absorb impact. they're different than padding...
Dec 12 2010 4:46PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
no its 2 different helmets, i bought a new one over the summer.
Dec 12 2010 4:47PM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,086
Seriously. They reason you didn't hit your head "that hard" was that the helmet was taking the blow for you.

One good whack, and throw your helmet in the trash. They're way cheaper than the alternative.
Dec 12 2010 4:49PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
i wasn't trying to complain, just asking if i could get one, im gunna get a receptor bug
Dec 12 2010 4:50PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
Regardless of if it was the same one, that is supposed to happen. Thats the whole point. Its like crumple zones on a car. Sure your car is totaled but you arent.
Dec 12 2010 4:54PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
oh alright, thanks, just wondering if it was supposed to do this, apparently it is
Dec 12 2010 4:55PM
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i.ski.NC
Posts: 572 - Karma: 18
Holy shit. I've honestly never seen anything like that.
Dec 12 2010 4:59PM
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steep
Posts: 6063 - Karma: 297
Holy shit. that's intense.
Dec 12 2010 5:01PM
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BootySpunk.
Posts: 8148 - Karma: 84
That is brutal...Apparently I haven't hit my head hard enough to break a helmet...thank God.
Dec 12 2010 5:02PM
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Z.J.H.
Posts: 842 - Karma: 1,541

receptor bugs are supposed to stay intact though.. right?

Dec 12 2010 5:03PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
hope so, thats what im getting
Dec 12 2010 5:04PM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Why so much hate on the OP? Who actually throws away their helmet after a small fall (obv these were not small falls)?

He makes a good point too, buy a proper helmet, Bern makes helmets as well as hardhats now, safety certifications are there for a reason.

Also I remember when I used to mtb a lot, helmet manufacturers would give you a new helmet for really cheap if you visibly damged your old one. Do any manufacturers do that in the ski industry? Not being rhetorical btw, genuinely curious.
Dec 12 2010 5:05PM
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steep
Posts: 6063 - Karma: 297
I LOVE mine. you should be satisfied
Dec 12 2010 5:06PM
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No_Dub
Posts: 3357 - Karma: 294
remember a few years back when that Olympic ski racer crashed wicked hard? he has some poc helmet on and it basically exploded but thats what it was suposed to do. you helmet was just doing its job.
Dec 12 2010 5:10PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
yet again, im not trying to bitch just wondering if they were supposed to do this
Dec 12 2010 5:16PM
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Parker.
Posts: 1637 - Karma: 108
you sound prone to head smashing and your bern helmet has saved you 2 of 2 times.

maybe they'll sponsor you
Dec 12 2010 5:18PM
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williams
Posts: 3083 - Karma: 9,070
helmets are supposed to break upon hard impact.

completely normal
Dec 12 2010 5:24PM
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warrilow86
Posts: 509 - Karma: 37
sometimes ski companys do give u a big discount if ure helmet has broken, i know smith done it to a friend of mine
Dec 12 2010 5:28PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
It definitely should happen. Especially with an in-mold helmet. In-mold helmets (think Smith Maze) lack the ABS hardshell (think Smith Holt) and are mega light but super delicate and will explode/crack/shatter under a large enough impact. While less durable than an ABS hardshell helmet, both are equally as safe, designed to withstand one impact.

Basically, if you take a fall and you say to yourself "wow, I'm glad I had my helmet on" you should replace your helmet, even if it looks fine.
Dec 12 2010 5:32PM
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Motes
Posts: 1840 - Karma: 90
My friend works at a ski shop and he was telling me that most helmets are only made to take one good blow, after that they are useless. 
Dec 12 2010 5:39PM
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treecery.
Posts: 1375 - Karma: 148
Dec 12 2010 6:08PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
whenever you hit your head really hard you should replace your helmet
Dec 12 2010 6:19PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,168
Just to let everyone know bern hard hats are multi impact. That is why they are not called helmets. It is because they are neither astm or CE certified. The foam inside the bern helmets is not made to crack it is made to absorb the impact more than once.
Dec 12 2010 6:30PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
i did, just got th same type
Dec 12 2010 6:31PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7713 - Karma: 525
yeah why on earth would you do that haha
Dec 12 2010 6:38PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
i didnt, its the same type of helmet, but different one
Dec 12 2010 6:39PM
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belden...
Posts: 2914 - Karma: 1,273
Are you trying to say that bern hard hats are actually better than the helmets? cuz thats not right..
Dec 12 2010 6:52PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,168
no i never implied that. I am saying that they are different and that bern does not make a "helmet".
Dec 12 2010 7:08PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7713 - Karma: 525
k thank god
Dec 12 2010 7:22PM
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dylan.r.1080
Posts: 161 - Karma: 10
im pretty sure smith give you 30% off
Dec 12 2010 8:03PM
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ReetsAdeets
Posts: 1531 - Karma: 611
So glad I have a poc
Dec 12 2010 8:23PM
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,373
bern makes certified (one blow) helmets and hardhats.


op was not using a hard hat. its the wrong foam , hard hats have foam that looks like tiny balls, certified helmets foam has a more smooth look. if you fall on the back of your head on ice, your certified helmet is gonna break.
Dec 12 2010 8:57PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
But there are two big problems with multi-impact helmets- how many impacts do you get and when do you know if your helmet is dead? No multi-impact helmet manufacturer knows if their helmet is good for 2 or 3 or 4 etc impacts because it depends on how hard you hit/how this effects the rebound characteristics of the foam. There is just no way to be sure. You could take 2 hits with a Hard Hat and it could be shot but you'll still think it is safe and that is super sketchy.
Dec 13 2010 1:31AM
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Gstrong
Posts: 4776 - Karma: 518
This thread makes me want to wear a helmet while i ski
Dec 13 2010 1:57AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
it doesn't matter. Certified is certified, and a POC is only designed for a single impact just the same.
Dec 13 2010 2:03AM
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