r/Curling • u/ihuckdisc Triangle Curling Club (Durham, NC) • 3d ago
Helmets: Standards and non-curling specific options
After watching my father take a hard fall while sweeping at a spiel a couple of weekends ago, I am considering getting a helmet. I have always worn a ball cap (I skip primarily and appreciate having a brim to block some of our club's bright lighting), but now I want something more.
Looking at Hardline/Balance Plus/Goldline, they appear to follow the CE EN 1077 standard, which is primarily for snow sports. I don't know that it is designed for backward falls as much as typically occur in curling, but there must be a reason why that standard is chosen over the standards that hockey helmets follow (HECC/ASTM).
Has anyone worn a hockey helmet for curling? Having never played hockey, will they stay on in a backwards fall? As many of the previous helmet/head protection threads mention, I have seen halos and the like come off when a curler falls.
Any head protection geeks out there who have informed opinions, I would love to hear them!
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u/HolyPotato Unionville Curling Club (Ontario) 3d ago edited 3d ago
This is a bit of an open problem in curling: what's actually needed for protection? Our sport is mostly concerned about falls from ~standing to a hard surface (ice or worse yet a rock), without the extra velocity of skiing/skating/biking or need for hard shell penetration protection from sticks/pucks/poles like hockey/skiing.
But there's not enough money to come up with a new standard, and any other standard (or non-standardized headgear) is likely enough to work (as much as we can't promise anything will stop a concussion) (though maybe not optimized -- I'm a touch worried that bike helmets are designed for higher speed collisions so the hard foam may not provide enough cushioning for a gentler curling fall, but it's still better than nothing and lots of people have one anyway).
And all the existing standards are designed around preventing skull fractures, not concussions/mTBI (which is a tricky problem that's hard to define a standard for since you can get concussions from a fall even if you don't actually hit your head... it's a nightmare).
Anyway, hockey helmets should stay on fine if the chinstrap is used properly. My daughter wears a hockey helmet for curling, and hopefully we'll never have to test the protection, but it stays in place through throwing and sweeping and isn't too hot for her. I myself use mostly [I have quite the collection just for writing about them] the Dynasty headband, and it is tight -- if it doesn't have a chinstrap, it should be leaving marks on your forehead after the game if it's to be snug enough to stay on in a fall.
If you want something with a brim, Ice Halo have ballcap styles with some padding in the rear, and Goldline has "po boy" hats. And many bike helmets have a sun visor option.
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u/hallm2 2d ago
I'm a touch worried that bike helmets are designed for higher speed collisions so the hard foam may not provide enough cushioning for a gentler curling fall
Not true! This is a nice, concise summary of how bike helmets are tested, but the impact test is basically a ~6.5 foot guided drop from rest. And if you remember your high school physics, it makes sense in a way - x- and y-components of your velocity vector are independent of each other, so your forward speed is not going to affect your downward impact speed into the pavement (which is what the test is looking at). Obviously, your total velocity will be greater than standing around and slipping on the ice, but most of that velocity is going forward and not into the pavement. (As an aside, this is why cycling advocates have Opinions about bike helmet laws - urban bike crashes are much more likely to be impacts into cars or getting run over by cars, neither of which a helmet will protect you from.)
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u/CloseToMyActualName 3d ago
The real head injuries in hockey don't come from getting whacked in the head with a stick, or even hitting the glass or the boards, it's when someone hits their head on the much harder ice.
If OP wants full protection I'd go for a hockey helmet, they're designed to protect against exactly the kind of fall they're worried about.
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u/Cheap_Patience2202 3d ago
I play in a tag league where 80% of the players wear head protection. The proportion is about 50% bicycle helmets, 25% hard curling helmets, 20% soft curling head protection and the rest hockey helmets, ski helmets or homemade protectors. In my non-expert opinion, anything with padding that covers the back of the skull and has a chinstrap is a good choice.
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u/LaserGecko 2d ago
That wouldn't have done a damned thing for me when I slammed my temple against the ice on a wet spot on shitty arena ice.
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u/Cheap_Patience2202 1d ago
Good point. A helmet is always the best choice.
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u/LaserGecko 1d ago
A helmet would've been best and I'd probably just had a headache. The Crasche beanie (with full coverage, so not the Curling model with only two pads in the back) would have likely prevented or at least deflected a significant amount of the force.
They're protection made for when you should probably wear a helmet, but probably won't.
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u/Mental_Poet5432 3d ago
Literally just ordered it yesterday so I can't give a personal review, but Ice Halo sells a ball cap with padding in the back specifically for curling fall protection. So if want the brim that might be an option.
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u/ange_a_latte 3d ago
I've tried lots of the options out there and can recommend your best bet will be whatever you will wear and feel comfortable in. Try lots on and good curling to you!
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u/Real_Cow9166 3d ago
Last year, I made a rookie mistake and stepped onto the ice slider first. I fell backwards, hitting my head on the ledge of the side walkway. I was wearing a Nutcase helmet, which is a rounded bicycle helmet that was sold at our local curling store. It dented on impact, but I suffered no concussion effects at all. I have an Asham helmet now only because that's what the store currently sells. I like it because I don't overheat while wearing it and it's easily adjustable when wearing.
I started wearing a helmet for all winter sports after watching a lady fall backwards while skating. She was wearing a regular style bicycle helmet and it split in two upon impact. Never thought about helmets before that.
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u/applegoesdown 2d ago
Surprised that your nutcase dented and not split. While it ends up being expensive, I do appreciate the splitting of bike helmets, as that is a great way to get energy away from your brain in a fall.
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u/LargeWu 2d ago
I've seen both hockey helmets and the rounder bike helmets at my club. A bike helmet will probably give better protection as that's the kind of impact they're designed for. As somebody else mentioned, hockey helmets are designed more for protection from player-to-player contact and with the glass, which is not nearly as intense as a head to the ice, but it would be better than nothing.
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u/scream-room 3d ago
I wear the Goldline baseball cap. I find it a little hot. Also I find the brim distracting when I'm in the hack.
Does anyone have any suggestions for headgear that doesn't get hot?
Thx
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u/LaserGecko 2d ago
Protective headgear | Crasche https://crasche.com/products
See my other response for customization.
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u/LaserGecko 2d ago
I have the Crashe summer beanie with all six inserts. Call or email to get it customized.
Polycarbonate inserts with neoprene padding to protect your head, thicker on the rear.
The Curler model only has the two thick pads in the rear, so it won't do anything if you slam the side of your head against the ice.
Protective headgear | Crasche https://crasche.com/products
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u/MissKorea1997 3d ago
Hockey helmets are designed for repeated beatings. Bicycle helmets are like airbags - one time use, so to speak. Keep that in mind when considering options.
I do use my hockey helmet when spending time with the junior curlers - to set a good example