Head protection--Ice Halo

[AgnesNitt]

I have an obsessive need not to break anything else, so since the 'pad in the hat' homemade head protection disappeared after they carried me off the ice in the 'broken ankle during FO3 incident' of June, I decided to try something new. I googled 'skating head protection' and found the Ice Halo. I haven't got it yet, and of course I'll review it when I get it, but I was wondering if any one else had tried one.

(I must hold the record for run on sentences in this post)

[doubletoe]

An adult ice dancer at my rink wears it every time she skates. I think it's brilliant.

[sk8tmum]

It's well-loved by the curling set out here; I've seen adults on public skate wearing it; and the leopard print one just looks like a really neat hat/hairband.

We're getting one for my kid as she transitions from helmet to helmet free.

[Query]

They should have one that looks angelic. :)

[sk8tmum]

They should have one that looks angelic. :)

They do. There is a white fluffy one that is quite reminiscent of haloes that you see in some medieval paintings, Christmas cards, and Christmas pageants with small children.

Seriously, they work, and they are a nice compromise between a helmet (impossible to jump and do freeskate in) and no protection for the head. Plus, kids who are "too big" for a helmet in terms of being "cool" will wear them, they even have sparkly fabric for figure skaters! Plus, a discreet and elegant plain black one for the minimalist set.

[Skittl1321]

Has anyone had (or have first hand knowledge) of someone whose had a "head to the ice" fall with one of these?

I'm terrified of knocking my head, but they look SO goofy.

Their website says "proven" but they don't cite any studies (funded through them or independent). It also doesn't show any pictures of athletes wearing them- bunches of curlers without them, and a torch runner in a headband, but it's not a halo style headband.

I'm a little wary of a gimmick

[sk8tmum]

Myself? No. Anecdotally? Yes. Our local curling club endorses them for the young curlers, and it has saved more than a few from nasty head bumps. Another area one has had their members using them, and again, they have saved members from nasty head bumps. In curling, you can slip and fall easily - and as some curlers are senior citizens, it is quite serious. Thus, this was originally targetted at curlers, and it has extended outwards from there. It's not a gimmick, or, if it is, quite a number of highly intelligent people have been sucked in. My DD's coach, who is a National level one in Canada, has indicated that she will use this with my daughter as the only compromise to her wearing a helmet. Is it suitable for hockey? No, but not intended for it.

[Skittl1321]

Thanks!

Now I just have to get over the "looks silly" aspect. Head protection is a good thing. I rarely fall, so the falls I do take are painful- 90% of the falls I've had ice skating have had me with a minor broken bone (tailbone and a rib) or in physical therapy (hips, knees, shoulders). I don't need to add cracked skull to the list.

[vesperholly]

I don't think it looks silly - just like a big earwarmer. I wish they weren't so expensive. I have a few LTS students who are getting too old/too good for helmets, but they're a little afraid of going without after years of wearing them.

[doubletoe]

Thanks!

Now I just have to get over the "looks silly" aspect. Head protection is a good thing. I rarely fall, so the falls I do take are painful- 90% of the falls I've had ice skating have had me with a minor broken bone (tailbone and a rib) or in physical therapy (hips, knees, shoulders). I don't need to add cracked skull to the list.

Honestly, the ice dancer at my rink was wearing this thing for at least 6 months before I even realized that it was protective padding, not just a headband. Obviously, it must not look that silly! Can you get it in a color that is close to your hair color?

[aussieskater]

I'd consider getting one except that they look *so* hot to wear. Anyone here worn one in a warm indoor rink ("warm" as in "wears a T-shirt when tootling around and wishes she could remove the shirt when working harder")?

[jjane45]

I skated with an ice halo indoor and thought it was mildly hot. Can't decide if it was hotter than the helmet I currently wear though. My rink temperature is about right, people generally wear thin jackets or T-shirts. Outdoor skating was perfect.
(Selling my nearly new adult S ice halo (http://icehalo.ca/halo1.png), please PM if interested & in the US :mrgreen:)

[Nancy]

We just had an adult ice dancer whack her head on the ice the other night. This is not the first time for her. Does someone have a link or know the website address that I could forward to her?

[jjane45]

The company website is icehalo.ca (http://icehalo.ca/).
Does your friend even wear hats? My previous instructor used to say any layer is better than no layer. And there are very innovative ways of padding a hat without making it hideous :mrgreen:
I've given up padded hats and ice halo also because some of my younger hockey friends keep taking them away while I am doing shoot the duck. Now that I wear a helmet they can only knock on it! :evil:

[Isk8NYC]

We just had an adult ice dancer whack her head on the ice the other night. This is not the first time for her. Does someone have a link or know the website address that I could forward to her?
Don't be surprised if she's not interested. Offer the info and let her make her choice. I've recommended this to a few low-level adults after they've taken a shot to the head. They don't want to admit they might need protection, so they courteously said thanks for the info, but no thanks.

It's important to use some protective headgear, especially after an injury. I just read an article about repeated head injuries among women in sports. They're on the rise.

[Skittl1321]

I just wish it was more normal in this sport to wear helmets- maybe not all the time, but when learning difficult things.

I'm breaking out the helmet for my bad outside mohawk; but I feel like an idiot for it.

[jjane45]

I just wish it was more normal in this sport to wear helmets- maybe not all the time, but when learning difficult things.

I'm breaking out the helmet for my bad outside mohawk; but I feel like an idiot for it.

Go for it if YOU think it is necessary! I can't allow a random fall knock me out of skating!
Well, to tune it down a little bit, what about sewing pads to more fall prone areas inside a hat? :D

[Deb in Oz]

My DD got a bad concussion just standing at the barrier watching the coach, in her second lesson! (Have no idea how she fell). Ideally, we should all be wearing helmets all the time. Realistically? I can't see it happening....these things look like a good compromise. Wonder if they post to Oz?

[SkaterBird]

Ice Halos are fantastic - I never, ever skate without mine unless I am testing or competing. I used to wear an Amish-style hat with a pad in it - warm, and it saved me from a nasty concussion (or worse) a while back. I wear an Ice Halo now, feel secure in it, and love it. Barb at www.IceHalo.com is very nice and as helpful as can be - I am pretty sure they ship everywhere. A lot of colors and textures to choose from, too - I have a gray fake fur one (called "wolf"), and it looks like a warm, furry hat or headband. No one ever thinks it's head protection until I show them! I recommend them constantly.

[aussieskater]

Wonder if they post to Oz?

I think they do.

In the interests of personal research ;) , a few weeks ago I happened to talk to someone who has one. She reported that they are *really* hot to wear in Sydney's warm rinks. The heat issue put me off as I'm already too hot, even in winter. (You know it's a warm rink when you start the session in a t-shirt ... in our excuse for mid-winter!!) The other issue I have is that it apparently covers your ears. I am extremely hard of hearing, and absolutely cannot have my ears covered - I need every bit of hearing I can get, for my own safety and the safety of those around me.

If these issues could be addressed, I'd order one, pay the exhorbitant postage, and wear it.

[SkaterBird]

Whether the Ice Halo covers your ears depends, I think, on how you position it on your head. The pictures on the website show people wearing them with the ears uncovered. The way I wear mine brings it to the tops of my ears but does not cover them. As to the warmth issue, that might be helped by the type of covering you select - if you get too hot, do NOT order the "wolf" style or any other faux fur style, or any fleece style - maybe the microfiber? Barb would probably work with you to find a covering that does not feel so warm.

[Query]

What if you got the terri-cloth covering and soaked it in ice water first? Would that be cool enough? (Sorry, just joking.) 8-)

[Query]

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney#Climate) says Sydney's climate is temperate - so they have no excuse for making the air too warm!

Must waste a lot of electricity.

:bow:

I hope no one took me seriously about immersing Ice Halo in icewater. I said I was joking.

The website says:

The Ice Halo can get wet, but we recommend against submersing the Velcro areas, as the adhesive may not be as strong afterwards. Allow it to dry completely and check the Velcro closures before wearing.

I don't know what is inside the ice halo, but some materials also get substantially thinner when wet, and the cushioning air spaces may fill with water. Plus it would be less probable that the part of your head that hits would be covered by the Ice Halo.

Perhaps you could go to a discount clothing store, buy enough ordinary headbands to wear on top of each other to a combined thickness of an inch or so. Provided they were of a nice squishy material like fleece that didn't become too thin when wet, they might be adequate.

Most cotton weaves compress a lot when wet, and the air spaces fill with water, so it might not absorb as well. So ordinary terrycloth headbands might not provide quite as much padding when wet. But wet terrycloth headbands might feel cool if the air is too warm.

[aussieskater]

Had to smile wryly about Sydney being "temperate" - when it hits 40 degrees celsius in summer (which it does regularly) and is humid to boot, "temperate" is not the word most western Sydneysiders think when experiencing it! (The coast is definitely more temperate - their top summer temperature is regularly 7-10 degrees cooler than ours.) As for our "winter" - we are in the middle of winter now, and so far I don't remember the temperature hitting a daily maximum lower than about 15 degrees celsius.

(Somewhat off topic: Why do so many of us at the rink love skating? When asked in summer, they often reply that it's an excellent way to get away from the heat and humidity outside!)

[Nancy]

Don't be surprised if she's not interested. Offer the info and let her make her choice. I've recommended this to a few low-level adults after they've taken a shot to the head. They don't want to admit they might need protection, so they courteously said thanks for the info, but no thanks.

It's important to use some protective headgear, especially after an injury. I just read an article about repeated head injuries among women in sports. They're on the rise.

You are probably right, but it won't hurt to at least make the information available. The problem with this situation is that the partner (significant other) is the cause of these accidents. What's scary is that she was back last week. When I asked her if it was a concussion, she said maybe. They didn't do a CAT scan because she had just had one and didn't want to do too many.

[Bunny Hop]

Had to smile wryly about Sydney being "temperate" - when it hits 40 degrees celsius in summer (which it does regularly) and is humid to boot, "temperate" is not the word most western Sydneysiders think when experiencing it! (The coast is definitely more temperate - their top summer temperature is regularly 7-10 degrees cooler than ours.) As for our "winter" - we are in the middle of winter now, and so far I don't remember the temperature hitting a daily maximum lower than about 15 degrees celsius.I'm also getting a good laugh out of the idea of Sydney being 'temperate' in summer. Stinking hot with 98% humidity, yes; temperate, no! Britain I would describe as temperate (no, really, my adopted countrymen, you really don't get extreme weather here), Australia not so much! And yet I'm moving home to Sydney in time for spring & summer.

I still remember skating at the Prince Alfred Park rink (now long gone) in Sydney. The rink was in a tent, so in summer it was difficult to distinguish it from the swimming pool next door....
(apologies for going off topic)

[Query]

According to posts on the Yahoo Ice Dancer's discussion group, Force Field Headbands (http://www.forcefieldheadbands.com) are less protective, but less bulky and less hot. There is also a pull-down cap called Rib Cap (http://www.ribcap.ch), but it claims to be warm.

:roll:

Downhill skiers love crazy hats (http://search.costumediscounters.com/search?p=Q&lbc=costumediscounters&uid=888861360&ts=custom&w=hat&af=&isort=score&method=and&view=grid&cnt=1500) with insane decorations. The bulkier decorations should count as head protection, if you find a way to tie them on.

Ask your knight in shining armour for this (http://www.costumediscounters.com/hats-wigs-masks/hats-international/knight-helmet-adult-62882F.html).