MIPS: Making Snowboarding Even Safer
If you are wanting to keep your head safe while doing winter sports, you will want to learn about MIPS technology. Read on to learn more!
If you waxed your snowboard and went so fast you had a spill are you safe? You might be wondering, "Wait, aren't snowboarding helmets already safe? I mean, they have to pass all those safety tests before they hit the shelves, right?" And you would be correct—most helmets do a pretty good job of protecting your noggin from the hard-packed snow. But there's always room for improvement, and that's where MIPS comes in.
MIPS is an acronym for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, and it's a technology that's designed to reduce the rotational forces that can occur during a fall. Here's how it works: The MIPS liner sits between your head and the helmet itself. In the event of a fall, the liner is designed to rotate slightly, which reduces the rotational force that would otherwise be transferred to your brain.
Why Is Rotational Force So Dangerous?
Most people think of concussions as being caused by a direct impact to the head, like when you get hit by a hockey puck or take a spill on the slopes. But concussions can also be caused by rotational forces—that is, forces that cause your brain to rotate inside your skull. These rotational forces can occur even in low-speed falls, and they can be particularly dangerous because they often result in diffuse axonal injury (DAI), which is when nerve fibers in the brain are stretched or torn.
DAI is one of the most serious types of brain injury because it can lead to long-term problems with cognition, balance, and sensory processing. In severe cases, DAI can even cause coma or death. That's why reducing rotational force is so important—it could mean the difference between a concussion and something much worse.
So there you have it: MIPS is a technology that's designed to reduce rotational force in the event of a fall, and that's why it's considered to be safer than traditional helmets. But even with MIPS, it's still important to ski and snowboard responsibly and within your abilities—after all, no helmet can completely protect you from injury if you're not being careful out there!
If you need a snowboard helmet with MIPS technology, check out our list below:
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Michael Scott