A healthy helmet is a happy helmet
Last Updated: January 6, 2009 12:04 PM
Ron Kuipers The Equipment Guy
Under the category of 'time flies when kids are having fun at the rink', we're already halfway through another year of minor hockey in Canada. The unofficial midway point of the season coincides with the New Year when we set a bunch of fresh goals with the hopes of seeing one or two of them through to the end.
I've got an easy one for you this year which you can complete in just a few minutes. It's a quick examination of all the hockey helmets in your house. This just might be your most important New Year's resolution.
Expiry date
When it comes to shelf life, helmets are just like the chicken in your fridge; they come with an expiry date. The inner padding and the outer shell might look just fine but after a few years of banging and crashing, their protective capabilities may have worn out.
If you take a look at the back of the helmet, you should find a CSA (Canadian Standards Association) sticker along with a valid expiry date. That'll tell you how much life is left in your helmet. If it's within a couple of months of that expiry date, you should seriously consider investing in a new helmet immediately.
A quick visual inspection of the entire helmet should also be done to make sure it hasn't suffered any damage. There shouldn't be any cracks on the outer shell and the padding inside should be intact and securely fastened to its original spot.
If you have any doubts about the integrity of your helmet after this inspection, toss it in the garbage and get a new one.
Straps
Phase two of the examination brings us to the fit. When it's strapped on, the helmet should not move around when your child shakes his or her head.
You can also make sure the chin strap is nice and tight by performing a simple test while the helmet is strapped on. Grab the face mask and give it a wiggle and a tug while trying to pull it up toward the ceiling. If you can almost peel the helmet right off without undoing a single buckle, you need to tighten those chin straps.
If your young hockey player is complaining that the helmet is too tight, you might be able to adjust the length of the helmet. If you're not sure how to do it, take it with you to the rink or to your local hockey store for some assistance.
In case you missed it, RBK and CCM recalled a batch of helmets in 2008 thanks to a chin strap issue. Here's the link to the original 'Our Game' recall story which provides the information you'll need to see if any of your helmets fall under this recall category.
Cleaning
This is an excellent time of year to wash all the helmets in your house. Drop them in a sink with warm water and some no-tear shampoo and give the inside of the helmet a good scrubbing.
As an FYI and an 'oops', I must confess that I cheated a bit the last time I washed my son's helmet. I used some liquid hand soap which was 'handy' because it was right beside the sink. My son had a rash on his chin after his next game for about 3 days! So remember to use no-tear shampoo for the cleaning of the helmet.
And don't cheat your kids out of a safe, second-half of the hockey season. Put their helmets through the New Year safety inspection today.
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