Jim, When my son was 15, he was away for the weekend skiing with a friend of his and his family. Last run of the day, he skidded of the outrun of an easy trail (he was an expert, just hit some ice and skidded). Hit his head on a stump and ended up in the hospital with an internal hemorage in his brain. The neurosurgeon who took care of him said he was lucky. No permanent injury, just out of commission for several months. The surgeon said that if he'd been wearing a helmet, he probably would have walked away from it. That was 11 years ago. Ever since, we all wear helmets (I couldn't ask my kids to, but not wear one myself). I'll make the same comment that surgeon made to me back then... "How much is your head worth?" Of course, if you're a Gary Bussey type, you don't need no stinking helmet, right? Thanks, I'll wear the helmet.