My noggin

I’ve been skiing for twenty-five years now. Never had a lesson, and never wore a helmet. Nope, back in 1995 I bought an amazing stocking cap that I absolutely love, and I’ve worn it every time I’ve gone to the mountain.

Back in those days, no one wore helmets. It just wasn’t cool.

But these days, it seems like I’m the only guy on the slopes without one. Not only are helmets more in vogue, they’re much more comfortable and useful.

So I went helmet-shopping. I’ll probably end up with a Smith Camber, which seems like a good compromise between the fifty-dollar ones that might protect my noggin in a crash, and the three-hundred-dollar ones that are probably meant for skydiving without a parachute.

When I go skiing in a couple weeks, I guess I’ll heave a sigh because I’ll look like the rest of the masses. But, as Pepper reminded me, $170 for a helmet sure beats the cost of skull surgery if I get clocked too hard. RIP, stocking cap.