Why the New California Snow Helmet Laws Suck

The brilliant heads in Sacramento passed two bills further into the agenda today that require snowboarders 18 years old or younger to don a brainbucket on the slopes at all times.

For the record, I am a proponent of wearing a helmet.  I could care less whether or not you wear one, but I've worn one for three years now, and basically won't ride park without it.

My concern in this case is not the issue of freedom of choice and all of that. The bills only affect minors, so it's no skin off my back.  The fact is minors don't have a choice in a lot of things, hell they can't even vote, so surely they can get used to wearing helmets.  Summer camps like High Cascade have mandated helmets for minors for years now; so really, it's not that radical a concept.

What worries me is making this a government regulation, in other words inviting police officers to come camp at the resort and hand out tickets to people who are on fucking vacation.

I've been on the receiving end of a parent's guest experience gone wrong, and the thought of their day including being hassled by police, fined, and forced to drop a hundred bucks a pop for helmets sends shivers down my spine.

Uniformed "ski cops" are already a common sight at mountains like Breckenridge, and it's sickening.  We don't need big brother watching our ski slopes.  We all know resorts can be stingy as far as protecting their asses from lawsuits, but if the government takes things to a point where snowboarding becomes as enjoyable as getting pulled over in traffic, who is going to go? Nobody, and that is why California resorts aren't stoked on these bills either.

If the bills make it all the way through, I would hate to be a contest kid.  There is nothing like winning a big check, a ride to the bank in a cop car, cashing that check, and paying your $25 fine for not wearing a helmet.