R.I.P. Natasha Richardson

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sportdan30
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R.I.P. Natasha Richardson

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Post by pk500 »

Indeed. Also has caused me to rethink skiing safety, for sure.

It's ironic: Just last Saturday, my 8-year-old son and I were riding up the chairlift, and he said, "Dad, how come you don't wear a helmet?"

I couldn't give him a reason because there is no good reason not to wear a helmet while skiing. I'm a big-time stickler for wearing bike helmets -- I don't even ride to the end of my driveway without mine -- yet I don't wear a ski helmet. And I often ski faster than I ride.

Combine that and Richardson's sad death, and I'm definitely wearing a brain bucket on the slopes next winter.

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PK
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Post by Gangrel »

Yea, it's big news here because Tremblant is only an hour and a half away from Ottawa.

by all accounts it sounded like a normal fall on a bunny hill..... I can only assume her head hit a piece of hard snow or something along those lines.... In the paper here today they also suggest if she was on blood thinners, it could cause subdurual or epidural? hemotomas..... where the blood moves in the layers of the brain, causing it to swell.

One doctor was quoted as saying if she went for medical help right away, it might have been preventable.

Sad indeed, whether a celeb or not.
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Post by fsquid »

Who is this chick? Was she in anything popular?

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Post by Brando70 »

fsquid wrote:Who is this chick? Was she in anything popular?
She's Vanessa Redgrave's daughter. She had much more success as a stage actress than a film one.

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Post by pk500 »

fsquid wrote:Who is this chick? Was she in anything popular?
Vanessa Redgrave's daughter. Liam Neeson's wife of 15 years, two kids.

One of the most respected actresses on Broadway. Tony Award winner.

Take care,
PK
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Post by sportdan30 »

I've never been skiing. From what I understand, don't most peeople not wear helmets? If so, why not? When I think of recreational skiiers, I always worry about someone breaking their leg or neck. I suppose people don't view the risk of hitting your head on the slopes to be that high.

I can't imagine someone dying from falling on a bunny hill. Especially when you watch these quarterbacks in the NFL get their heads rung by these vicious hits. And nobody has died from that...yet. I just wonder if she had any other underlying medical problems.

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Post by James_E »

Most people (adults) don't wear them. Most kids do. It's similar to people riding bikes in my area. Force the kids to wear one, then mommy and daddy go on their bikes without one. WTF? (I always wear one.)

I wear one. It's a no brainer. I started wearing one in the 90s when I switched to mainly snowboarding. I generally go through the trees and such, not on the main path of the runs.

I've had some falls where I've really hurt my head.

When I take my kids, they wear helmets. I ski (not snowboard) when I take them, and I wear a helmet too.

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Post by fanatic »

sportdan30 wrote:I've never been skiing. From what I understand, don't most peeople not wear helmets? If so, why not? When I think of recreational skiiers, I always worry about someone breaking their leg or neck. I suppose people don't view the risk of hitting your head on the slopes to be that high.

I can't imagine someone dying from falling on a bunny hill. Especially when you watch these quarterbacks in the NFL get their heads rung by these vicious hits. And nobody has died from that...yet. I just wonder if she had any other underlying medical problems.
I've been a pretty avid skier for the past 15 years and have never worn a helmet. However, like PK, my wife and I have been re-thinking the issue a bit. This past winter we almost bought a couple before our trip but never got around to it. So, the seed has been planted and I suspect we'll do the right thing next year.

We never wore helmets because we really didn't feel the immediate danger. First of all, we don't fall very often. Second of all, when we do, I've never thought about my head. But, when you think about it, it's a pretty naive view - Once you hit head, you'll definitely be thinking about it.

As far is Natasha Richardson's tragic accident - I too was surprised to read that the crash seemed pretty innocent and that she went back to her room, etc...

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Post by pk500 »

I read a story yesterday, related to the Richardson tragedy, which said 40 percent of adult skiers and boarders are wearing helmets now.

I believe it. I've been a regular, avid skier for the last 15 years. Season pass, ski at least once per week from early December until mid-March when I'm not breaking my arm, etc. I've noticed a dramatic jump in the number of adults wearing helmets this season at our ski area.

I'm joining the brain bucket brigade next season, too. I hardly ever fall, maybe once or twice per season. But I've only crashed five or six times in 20 years of cycling -- no racing, just regular mountain and road cycling -- yet my bike helmet is fused to my head. And my helmet prevented a fractured skull in one of those crashes; the emergency room physician guaranteed that.

So why not take the same protection when skiing, especially when I'm easily reaching speeds faster on skis on nearly every run than I do on the flats on my bike? I'm not a bump or glade skier; I'm a fairly fast, rhythm cruiser.

Makes no sense, and I'm going to correct that logic next November or December.

Take care,
PK
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Post by Naples39 »

I've been skiing since I was a kid and have never worn a helmet either. I rarely fall these days (like maybe lose an edge once or twice in a week of skiing), and I don't think I've ever hit, scratched or cut my head skiing. Probably would be a good idea to go with a helmet, but not sure when I'll bother, and I rarely going skiing more than once a year right now anyway.

Seems insane to die from a bunny slope crash though. I've heard that maybe this fall exacerbated a pre-existing condition, which is the only theory that makes any sense to me.

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Post by Dave »

Her injury reminds me of Mark Donohue, who walked away from what turned out to be his fatal accident.

Head injuries are a scary thing.

When I take my little dude on the slopes for the first time, we will be wearing helmets.

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Post by 10spro »

A tragedy. Like most of you I don't wear a helmet when skiing, but through this accident, one has to re-think; geez it's downhill skiing, speed does pick up and even though one considers himself an expert I just can't find an explanation as to why not more people wear it. Curious thing, but when I went skiing with my toddler a couple of days ago, snowboarders seem to wear helmets in a much larger percentage than skiiers.

An eye opener for sure. R.I.P

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Post by wco81 »

I haven't skied in years but part of it may be part fashion, part comfort, part the hassle (you have enough gear to deal with, adding a piece of safety equipment is just one more thing to pack, put on, keep track of).

On a nice sunny day, you want to feel the fresh air, not feel stuffy from a helmet.

Maybe it wouldn't be bad when conditions are less comfortable and you want some head wear.

Only movie I recall her from is maybe A Handmaid's Tale?

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Post by AcemanPR »

Definitely a tragedy, and like many people here have said, it really makes you put things in perspective. I make my kids wear bicycle helmets, but I don't. When I go biking myself, I get going at speeds over 20 MPH at times, at least twice the speed my kids can max out at. So when we get a new bicycle for my youngest this weekend, I'll be purchasing a bicycle helmet for myself as well.

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Post by 10spro »

Apparently she was skiing on a beginner's slope too, and she was even joking a bit with her instructors. In her last hours her heart was still beating but her brain was dead.

Now why were the paramedics turned away?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... tory/Front

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Post by pk500 »

wco81 wrote:I haven't skied in years but part of it may be part fashion, part comfort, part the hassle (you have enough gear to deal with, adding a piece of safety equipment is just one more thing to pack, put on, keep track of).

On a nice sunny day, you want to feel the fresh air, not feel stuffy from a helmet.

Maybe it wouldn't be bad when conditions are less comfortable and you want some head wear.

Only movie I recall her from is maybe A Handmaid's Tale?
Richardson also played the mother of Lindsay Lohan's character in "A Parent Trap." Good family flick.

Take care,
PK
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Post by WillHunting »

Really sad. Maybe because I am a parent now so I am more emotionally connected to other parents, but her sudden death makes you rethink about life and not to take any seconds you have for granted. It really sucks that she wasn't even going fast or doing anything deemed dangerous.

RIP to a classy actress. She will be missed.
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Post by Gangrel »

10spro wrote:Apparently she was skiing on a beginner's slope too, and she was even joking a bit with her instructors. In her last hours her heart was still beating but her brain was dead.

Now why were the paramedics turned away?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... tory/Front
The news here said the Hill tried to insist on medical attention, but she told them she was fine, and refused. I'm assuming at this point they were turned away.

I'm not sure if the hill has any legal right to force it on a patron????
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Post by Macca00 »

Gangrel wrote:
I'm not sure if the hill has any legal right to force it on a patron????
Not if she was competent.

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