Mandatory Helmets for Pros

With Emily's recent accident I think it's high time to demand that sponsors require their climbers wear helmets at all times. This includes all photo shoots and media. If they are climbing, bouldering, sport, trad, anything they need a helmet to set a proper example.

Please tweet, email, snapchat, fbook your favorite brands to demand they take action to protect the lives of their athletes.

Does the bicycle industry do this?  Genuinely curious.

sigh* I realize that you're trolling. I disagree with the idea of pressuring pros to wear helmets. So much of climbing is deciding on your own risk tolerance. Do you want to speed climb, free solo, or alpine climb where perfect preparation doesn't guarantee living through it? These are everyone's choices to make.

Pro road cycling  did go through a transition. For a long time pros never wore helmets in races. Gradually the UCI started making riders wear helmets until uphill finishes, and ultimately all the time. Since most all photos and video come out of races, the shots you see of pros now all have them wearing helmets. Mountain bike pros, free ride pros, downhillers etc...have all mostly had enough sense to wear helmets.

And btw I know trad is trolling as usual, but I wouldn’t fault sponsors if they did this at all. 

Csproul beat me to it. Also technology improved and cycling helmets became more comfortable. I’m not feeding the troll, and don’t see mandatory helmet use as a thing in climbing, but cultures do shift. How did the ski culture shift towards helmet use? 

Trolling or not, I agree with Nick here... When I started climbing, it took me years to get in the habit of wearing a helmet cause climbers like Sharma, Caldwell, Dave Graham, etc. never wore helmets.  I started wearing a helmet when I started trad climbing at J-tree haha!

Geez, tradiban...just crawl back in your hole and troll no more. Like BG indicated risk management is a personal choice, not your sponsors.

Benjamin Chapman wrote: risk management is a personal choice, not your sponsors.

Troll or no, if someone is paying you they can demand you wear _______ (whatever).  

chris tregge wrote:

Troll or no, if someone is paying you they can demand you wear _______ (whatever).  

Indeed, the sponsor can make demands, but you make the final choice.

Tradiban wrote: With Emily's recent accident I think it's high time to demand that sponsors require their climbers wear helmets at all times. This includes all photo shoots and media. If they are climbing, bouldering, sport, trad, anything they need a helmet to set a proper example.

Please tweet, email, snapchat, fbook your favorite brands to demand they take action to protect the lives of their athletes.

In the Emily Harrington thread:

Tradiban wrote: Lol, simuling with a helmet! 

Pros should have to pass gym belay tests and display their tags while climbing outside

Edit: they should lose their sponsorship if using the shuffle technique

Wasn't it Steck who advised that solo without a helmet was way too dangerous to consider because even a small bump can impair your mental ability enough to result serious injury or death? 

When you see someone on a road or mountain bike without a helmet, usually your first thought is WTF??

it would be cool if climbing got to this point too...

I'm surprised sponsors haven't already done this to sell more helmets

Would a helmet have helped Emily?    (*I have not read the other threads*)

Okay but can we all use the same methods to petition REI to change this guys name to TROLLIBAN! 

Agreed. Wearing helmets should be a personal choice for adults but..... if you are paying someone to represent your brand and plastering their image everywhere its really a win win for the sponsor. Children climb also and are highly impressionable. If Mr. Freesolo is wearing his black diamond helmet in all the ads it promotes safety and sells gear. Actually not sure why there's no company already doing this. Seems like a no brainer. Cwhatididthere

"Quinn Brett was saved by her helmet when she hit Texas flake. "

Artem, this came from you in the other thread.  Is this true?  I hadn't realized it.    For Emily's rope burn, it wouldn't have done a thing.

Keep climbing free (of your "I'm really scared" rules)!

curt86iroc wrote: When you see someone on a road or mountain bike without a helmet, usually your first thought is WTF??

it would be cool if climbing got to this point too...

Can't say that is my first thought... I wear a helmet when I am commuting and going fast but often ditch the helmet when I am on a big climb or just flat rolling terrain. Lots of riders do the same. I do the same with climbing, if its sketchy rock I will probably have a helmet on, if belaying I typically have a helmet on, on lead I often don't... sue me.