At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gu ailing, who won the silver medal in the women’s slope obstacle skills final of freestyle skiing, took off her helmet for inspection after landing on the second jump. There is no doubt that wearing ski helmets correctly during skiing activities can effectively reduce the head injury of athletes during skiing. The quality of helmet largely determines the injury severity of wearers in collision. Wearing substandard low-quality helmets not only can not achieve the protective effect, but also may cause new damage to the wearer. The revised “China Ski Resort Management Code” in 2017 stipulates that “ski resorts should actively advocate skiers to wear helmets”. It is also clearly stipulated in the local standard of safe operation and management norms for sports venues and ski resorts issued by Beijing that ski resorts should establish a management system for skiers to wear helmets, requiring skiers to wear helmets before entering the ski area.
Winter Olympics drives the sales of ski helmets
The holding of Beijing Winter Olympic Games has brought the successful “out of circle” of ice and snow sports into the eyes of the public. The relevant infrastructure has been greatly improved, the ice and snow industry is booming, the operators have upgraded the refinement and popularization of services, lowered the access threshold, made the ice and snow sports from the minority to the public, and the National Ice and snow consumption enthusiasm is unprecedented. According to the report of the National Bureau of statistics, from the successful bid for the Winter Olympics in 2015 to October 2021, the number of participants in ice and snow sports has reached 346 million. The huge number of participants has led to a sharp rise in the sales of ski equipment such as ski helmets. According to the data of a consumer content community, during the current Winter Olympic Games, the total transaction volume of “skiing” keyword goods in the station increased by 1241% year-on-year, and the total transaction volume of “skating” goods increased by 606% year-on-year.
The reporter input “ski helmets” on the e-commerce platform and found that the highest price is close to 10000 yuan, and the average price is between 100 yuan and 300 yuan. Many stores have sold more than 1000 pieces recently. What about physical stores? In a sports equipment mall in Beijing, the reporter saw that all kinds of ski supplies were placed in the most conspicuous area of the entrance. In the “ski helmet” sales area, the reporter saw that the price of helmets here ranges from more than 100 yuan to more than 500 yuan. On product labels, these helmets are called “sports helmets” and are made of polystyrene foam. The salesperson told reporters that ski helmets are regardless of grade. They mainly choose goods at different prices according to the wearer’s ski level. “Commodities with different prices have different materials and structures.” He introduced that some models adopt multiple protection of safety components, which can transfer the impact force and protect the brain when the head is impacted; Some models are designed with multiple adjustable vents. “Most consumers are beginners. This kind of helmet with a medium price of about 200 or 300 yuan sells best.”
90% or more ski helmets made in China
What is the difference between the helmets used by Olympic athletes and those used by ordinary consumers? It is understood that ordinary ski helmets generally include shell, main body, lining, regulator, fixing device, buckle and glasses buckle. Among them, the key part of the helmet is foamed polyethylene, which mainly absorbs the energy during impact and reduces the injury to the head.
The reporter learned that the ski helmets used by the Chinese national team represented by Gu ailing came from the famous sports equipment brand okley. As the Chinese manufacturer of okley brand, Xie Yuyu, the relevant person in charge of Yifeng Sports Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., told reporters that okley helmets passed the streamline air resistance test, Greatly reduce the air resistance during high-speed movement; Using boa head fixing device, the fit can be adjusted manually according to the size of the head; MIPS patented sliding skull protection technology is adopted to reduce the impact force on the brain when impacted by various angles by adding a low friction layer between the head and helmet.
“Basically, more than 90% of ski helmets are made in China, and 80% of high-end brands are produced in Yifeng.” Xie Yuyu proudly told reporters that Yifeng has been engaged in styrofoam molding for more than 40 years. Since 1977, Yifeng has cooperated with Kuerte, a German enterprise. With the development of styrofoam molding technology, she has maintained close cooperation with Kuerte in the research and development of mechanical equipment. From the first generation k813 to the current k-911 machine, the development and development are made for the safety standard of helmet molding.
Xie Yuyu said: “Yifeng has always mastered the scientific research on the key technology and equipment technology of foam forming. At present, it has developed and applied for a patented microwave forming technology, which has greatly improved the helmet impact safety factor, shortened the production cycle, effectively reduced emissions and carbon, solved the problems of industry intensive labor, and will further drive the upgrading of the industry through scientific research and innovation.”
relevant national standards are being drafted
Xie Yuyu told reporters that at present, ski helmets produced by enterprises are certified according to different standards in different regions, while general high-end ski helmets need to be compatible with different certifications at the same time. That is, one helmet meets the standards of 2 to 3 regions at the same time, and the helmet produced by Yifeng meets the standards of North America and EU at the same time. Among them, the EU standard helmet for alpine skiers and snowboarders makes detailed provisions on the material, structure, wearing device, helmet field of vision, protection range, collision absorption performance, anti penetration performance and other indicators and test methods of ski helmets.
The reporter learned that China has issued GB / t311692014 requirements for the use of ski sports equipment, which makes unified provisions on the selection of alpine skis, ski poles, ski helmets and ski goggles and the installation of ski holders. Another GB / t311702014 “maintenance and repair of snow gear” provides detailed requirements for daily inspection and maintenance of snow gear. In terms of product quality standards, there are many gaps.
However, relevant national standards are already on the way. Xie Yuyu told reporters that under the leadership of China culture, education and sporting goods association, Yifeng, as one of the drafting units, has begun to participate in the drafting of national standards for ski sports helmets in 2018, which will uniformly regulate the quality and performance of ski helmets, so as to ensure that consumers wear qualified ski helmets.
Zhang Peisheng, vice president of China cultural, educational and sporting goods association, told reporters that as the first part of the ice and snow sports protective equipment series, the national standards for the safety requirements and test methods of skiing helmets have also passed the project approval and will be released in the near future. This year, the association listed the formulation of national standards for the five parts of chest and back protection, hip protection, wrist and hand protection, elbow and knee protection and face protection safety requirements and experimental methods of skiing protective gear series as the key work of the standard, and gave priority to carry out and complete it. At the same time of standard formulation and organization, the association is also establishing a special committee for sports protective equipment according to the scope of sports protective equipment manufacturing (c2444), so that the association can make efforts from the multi-dimensional aspects of standards, markets and products, better carry out the formulation, publicity, implementation, certification and Accreditation of national standards for sports protective equipment, improve the technological R & D ability of enterprises and promote the upgrading of products, Regulate industry self-discipline. “This series of measures has important economic and social significance for promoting the popularization of ice and snow sports in China, the wide spread of national fitness activities and ensuring the safety of athletes.” Zhang Peisheng said.
So how should consumers buy ski helmets? The staff of the product quality and safety supervision and management section of Suzhou Market Supervision Bureau in Anhui Province reminded consumers to try to buy ski helmet products with complete marks from regular sporting goods stores; When purchasing helmets, press the buffer layer inside by hand, so as not to drop slag and not get out of the pit; After tying the tie, pull it with force. If there is no looseness or fracture of the tie buckle, it indicates that its quality is qualified.
