No…Your life is worth more than a helmet. And way more expensive than a helmet if you sit in a chair eating cheeseburgers through a straw! Downhillers, Motorcycle riders, Skiers and Snowboarders ALL replace their crashed helmets before riding again. If they are smart.
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I changed my mind about that quite some time ago. I have 3 helmets on hand and found some alternative cheaper open full faces if needed. Thanks for the concern 
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A 21mph crash without a helmet
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This comment on that video is haunting:
there was this kid named ian that died longboarding his first day…went down a huge hill thye relized he wouldnt make it past the sharp turn and rode after him to help him but it was to late ian made a jump for the grass and sadly didnt make it and hit his head on the curb they thought it will be all over soon till one night they got a call from his parents saying he died :(…the doctors said he probably would of live if you was wearing a helment…wear a helmet always please R.I.P Ian
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I had friend in college with a similar scar across his head, from a longboarding crash he had in highschool. Apparently, he cracked his head on a curb in highschool and almost died, no helmet of course… Amazingly, he recovered almost fully and seemed totally normal aside from the scar, but curiously, he lost his sense of smell. It’s crazy how the brain works.
@Mobutusan @Namasaki I mentioned this in the Inboard thread but it feels a little irresponsible to have their beta testers promote the product without any helmets, especially for a public marketing video.
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@RunPlayBack Agreed. That’s just stupid. A big part of the helmet problem is the stigma that they aren’t “cool”. That and people not thinking about it or thinking it can happen to them. Not wearing helmets in amateur skate videos are one thing, but IMO, professional ESk8 manufacturers should have helmets (and other pads too) on every damn person in their videos along with some comment about responsible riding practices, and staying alive to be around to buy their next version/offering.
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I guess that’s what happens when you have your director of global sales delivering these boards lol, it’s just about that commission. It’s one thing to have unregulated overseas hoverboards without safety warnings, it’s another thing to have a major US based manufacturer just throw caution to the wind because it would hurt the perception of their product as a non hazard, low risk product. How many miles do you think Leo their sales director spent on that board? Not many I assume, otherwise he’d know exactly the kinds of risks you take once you step on an eboard. I have to give it up to Boosted for presenting almost all of their current marketing videos with helmets on their riders.
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I plan to ride in the city at 20-30 km/h and maybe up to 40 km/h down hills on the way to the city. I already have a halfshell helmet. I was just offered a tripple 8 racer fullface in new condition for a good price. I dont know if the positives of wearing it of not smashing my jaw and teeth outweigh the negatives of loss of peripheral vision ( will this be an issue) and looking more conspicuous in a country where E-sk8’s are illegal (but nobody knows that because there’s like 5 esk8’s in the country) in either case I will wear a helmet, just not sure about the full face…
Nice thing about a full face helmet is that it cuts down on wind and exterior noises. Can still hear cars etc but its really much less annoying noises.
I find it’s a lot less stressful to go fast with the FF helmet.
Do you get paranoid of cars coming from behind you and not being able to quickly look back at how far etc… they are ?
takes a little adjustment to turn the head a little more to see behind with peripheral vision.
The good FF helmets have wide enough openings and wrap around shields it’s pretty much no real loss of vision.
Also a good helmet for this application is in the 1 kg (2 #) weight range so it’s barely any perceptual weight.
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I always suggest peolpe to wear safety gear before going out for a bording. This ensure for a safely experience.
That’s why we must wear Helmate.
Just a quick update - I’ve been putting the final touches on my ESK8 safety documentary and it’s honestly one of the toughest things I’ve had to edit. As a doc filmmaker, objectivity comes naturally but being an active participant in one of the hardest things I’ve had to witness has helped me face a lot of the self-imposed guilt and regret over the entire experience.
It’s also helped me grow as a human being, a father and as a friend. I doubt I could ever take a passive stance to a friend in distress but for a stranger? I wasn’t sure until a few weeks ago when I saw a woman in a leg brace fall in the middle of a busy intersection. I flagged down traffic and escorted her to the curb. I figured it was a simple gesture, like opening the door for someone and it wasn’t until someone patted me on the back and said “good job” that I realized the intersection was filled with pedestrians who stood idly by unsure of what to do. I reacted without hesitation and maybe I wouldn’t have before Robbie’s accident.
Additionally, my ESK8 interest has only increased because of the safety protocols and culture we’ve instilled into our crew. It’s about lowering the risk ladder and the preventative safety routines that we’ve grown accustomed to. The story speaks on the thrill of ESK8 and the tight knit community that’s formed in the shared experiences while also highlighting what happens when you miss one step in your routine. We’re all in this together and we all have to look out for each other.
We’ll be doing a local screening then probably push it online after the premiere. Thank you guys again for the support on this thread otherwise I wouldn’t have had the courage to even watch the crash footage, let alone turn it into something positive.
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If you are willing to keep your video available for online viewing I would very much like to see it as the first entry in the “START HERE | FAQ for DIY Electric Skateboard builders” post with a subject of “Watch This First!”
I agree. I think this whole thread should be the first thing new users see somehow.
@DougM @Photorph it was pinned for awhile but not sure what happened. I have no control over having this as the first thing new users see. There’s a lot of different perspectives on safety - from vendors, to active users and new users and how often safety should be discussed, if it all. It shocks me how many people I see every day in Ann Arbor who don’t wear helmets - from cyclists, skaters, longboarders, motorcyclists, etc. There’s this pervasive, conservative attitude among some people here that screams “no one can tell me what I can or can’t do on my own property”. Yet three years after Michigan repealed the mandatory motorcycle helmet law, injuries have been soaring - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-helmetlaws-michigan-injury-idUSKBN0UL2JN20160107
I’m often conflicted about evangelizing DIY ESK8 and worrying who will be next to get seriously injured because of those sensibilities which are passed on from generation to generation. I can’t help everyone, but I can help the people I care about and those who want to have these tough discussions.
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Rik, your contribution and they way you’ve conducted yourself in this community is of the highest order. You’ve reacted to your friends horrible accident in such a evolved way, that I think you have (and continue) to inspired many on this forum. Not only to be safe, but to also be thoughtful in sharing and giving back into this community. Your putting out shitloads of good karma my man.
I really look forward to seeing the documentary. Even though I we don’t now each other outside of this world, I just want to say that I am really proud to have you as an advocate and representive for ESK8.
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I’m on a tight budget and found these very affordable ff helms:
http://demonsnow.com/store/Demon%20Podium%20Helmet
The 2016 amazon link is 2 lb 2 Oz, same as the tripple 8 racer. I cant find weight on the older model. Looks pretty cool too. I’ll be buying the newer one before my parts arrive. Wrist guards and elbow pads too.
Also, two anecdotes about helmets. In high-school my friend fell going under 5mph. He hit somehow fell on the back of his head no helmet. He was alone and found unconcious some time later. Hes okay now but only after a 4 day coma… 5 mph. Wear a helmet.
Second story. I commuted on a road bike every day. One morning park staff run a hose across the bike path. Two people in front of me ride over no problem. I was not so lucky. The hose caught and turned my front wheel 90 degrees and sent me shoulder first to the ground at 25 mph and whipping my head down on my temple. I would have certainly died without my helmet. It was completely shattered but my head felt no pain on impact. Walked away with some road rash and bruised ribs.
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