# F1 legend Michael Schumacher seriously hurt in skiing accident today



## Unkept Porpoise (Aug 15, 2013)

He is in a coma now and having brain surgery, hope he pulls through. 
Michael Schumacher: Live updates as Formula 1 legend fights for his life after skiing accident - Mirror Online


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

We need better helmet technology.


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## cozmo (Dec 12, 2012)

This is the statement from the University Hospital of Grenoble which confirms the 44-year-old is in a coma.

"Mr Schumacher was admitted to the University Hospital of Grenoble at 12:40pm, following a skiing accident which occurred in Meribel in the late morning," the statement said.

"He suffered a severe head injury with coma on arrival, which required immediate neurosurgical intervention. He remains in a critical situation."


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

The 29 year old boyfriend of one of my depended just died last week from this. Difference being his was genetic, not traumatic. It ain't good.


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

just saw this and was about to post it... Hopefully he pulls through and makes a full recovery. I know about him, and im in the US, but that is because i'm into cars, and racing. Sending Prayers his way.


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## cozmo (Dec 12, 2012)

Update 11:00 hr CET:

He's been given an artificial coma.
"His situation is considered to be critical.
"He was operated on only once.

Starting to sound a lot like the injury Kevin Pearce sustained on December 31, 2009


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## SnowDragon (Apr 23, 2012)

tonicusa said:


> We need better helmet technology.


Since you are the master at sarcasm on this forum, I'm assuming that was a joke?
(A good one if it was btw.:thumbsup

I heard about Mr. Schumacher's accident shortly after it happened.
I didn't realize it was so serious though.
Weird to imagine that after years of racing the fastest cars in the world, skiing may prove to be the fatal activity.

Here's hoping it doesn't.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Wearing a helmet is never a bad thing. Without one there is little doubt that KP would be dead. 

+++vibes for Michael. Situation sounds pretty grim. A helmet can only do so much.


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## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

Oddly enough, there are helmets much better than any of the helmets he is wearing in any of the photos of him skiing on line. 

You would think with his income level and experience with life saving helmets in racing he would be wearing the best gear money could buy while skiing.

I wear the best gear I can afford and I make 1/1000th of what he earns per year.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

I was serious about our sport needing better headwear. It seems deaths and serious head injuries are on the rise and I was surprised to learn that the current helmets out there are woefully equipped to prevent much of it. I just assumed they offered a higher level of protection than they do. There was a recent article perhaps linked on here that described how antiquated the technology is. It seems a waste to see people dying from these falls.


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

tonicusa said:


> We need better helmet technology.


Tsk tsk, he should've been using ones of his work helmets. Sorry, couldn't resist.










But in all seriousness, thoughts to him and his family during this difficult time. He's a champion and let's hope he's got it in him to make a full recovery.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

If you want to wear a helmet that is 3X the size of current technology. Go for it.

It just can't be made right now. I am pretty sure people are working on it, but the tech ain't there.


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

tonicusa said:


> I was serious about our sport needing better headwear. It seems deaths and serious head injuries are on the rise and I was surprised to learn that the current helmets out there are woefully equipped to prevent much of it. I just assumed they offered a higher level of protection than they do. There was a recent article perhaps linked on here that described how antiquated the technology is. It seems a waste to see people dying from these falls.


Yeah, I had no idea either. I've been under the impression that helmets are adequate enough and left it at that. Manufacturers need to get stuck in to the world of motorsport and learn from those guys. You're right about head injuries becoming more and more common, I don't think my beanies are going to get much use anymore.



killclimbz said:


> If you want to wear a helmet that is 3X the size of current technology. Go for it.
> 
> It just can't be made right now. I am pretty sure people are working on it, but the tech ain't there.


True.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

Yeah that's pretty much the deal at the moment. Apparently there is a bike helmet in Sweden that is $700 that is essentially a pressurized air bag you can wear around your neck that deploys on impact. So people are working on things.


http://www.hovding.com/en/how_it_works/


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

That looks awesome! I just did a quick youtube search on it too. Very cool!

Invisible Airbag Bicycle Helmet YouTube - YouTube


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

It would be easy to build into a snowboard jacket. Not sure how anything helps when you hit a tree at 40mph. Although head injuries are the leading cause of death in skiing and snowboarding.


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## SnowDragon (Apr 23, 2012)

And I just "upgraded" my helmet to a POC Fornix with MIPS technology.
So I'm no better protected than if I was wearing those hard plastic shells with a few pads glued to the inside?
Sigh.


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

I have a Carbon Mips from Sweet, the Grimnir, i like to think that i am better protected than those who wear ill fitting, badly designed, cheap crap that most people buy...!!!

I do what i can, i also have a Shockbox on mine, which register the rotation, the force of impact the G rating etc, so i know exactly how hard i hit my head when i do fall...!!!

There is nothing worse than a head injury, and i like my head, as without it, the rest of my body doesn't function...!!!

Helmets should be mandatory at EVERY resort, it really is that simple...!!! And even a badly made fitted one, is still more protection against a skier or snowboarder hitting you after you fall than nothing at all...!!!


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## DiggerXJ (Apr 4, 2013)

When I used to ride bikes helmets were mandatory at 99% of the parks I rode. When I rode mx, no way you could touch a track without a helmet. Obviously a lot of other sports see the need to enforce safety on the people, yet resorts don't give two shits. Guess when you're raking in that much money, a couple deaths aren't worth sacrificing customer happiness.

I'm not too sure where I stand on that issue, just doing a comparison.


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

What amuses me most is when people get on a bicycle and peddle at 20mph they'll put a helmet on, but 50mph on the snow not so much. 

Imagine cycling at 50mph wearing a beanie. LOL.


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## cozmo (Dec 12, 2012)

This was back in 2005, friend of mine boarded with something like a motorcycle helmet, made for snowboarding though

Just saying there are better helmet options then the standard ones


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Again, helmets are never a bad idea. Then again, making them mandatory at ski areas. Yeah, not really for that either.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

DiggerXJ said:


> When I used to ride bikes helmets were mandatory at 99% of the parks I rode. When I rode mx, no way you could touch a track without a helmet. Obviously a lot of other sports see the need to enforce safety on the people, yet resorts don't give two shits. Guess when you're raking in that much money, a couple deaths aren't worth sacrificing customer happiness.
> 
> I'm not too sure where I stand on that issue, just doing a comparison.


I don't need a resort to tell me to wear a helmet. I got a mind and can make a own decision. Own responsibility.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

cozmo said:


> This was back in 2005, friend of mine boarded with something like a motorcycle helmet, made for snowboarding though
> 
> Just saying there are better helmet options then the standard ones


that is a full face helmet. Yes they offer more protection. You'll still die if you hit a tree going over 20mph. Even motorcycle helmets can't protect against that type of impact. They are designed for those glancing blows. Like laying down your bike at a high rate of speed. Your head is going to impact the pavement, but not directly. You are skidding along. Helmets are awesome for that...


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I have a buddy who skis with a full face moto helmet. He skis at full speed all the time. Last year his helmet did not protect his collarbone at 53mph....


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

Flylo said:


> What amuses me most is when people get on a bicycle and peddle at 20mph they'll put a helmet on, but 50mph on the snow not so much.
> 
> Imagine cycling at 50mph wearing a beanie. LOL.





snowklinger said:


> I have a buddy who skis with a full face moto helmet. He skis at full speed all the time. Last year his helmet did not protect his collarbone at 53mph....


Yea, because I would so expect a helmet to save my collarbone! :dunno:


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## DiggerXJ (Apr 4, 2013)

neni said:


> I don't need a resort to tell me to wear a helmet. I got a mind and can make a own decision. Own responsibility.



I feel the same way. It wasn't meant to start a war, just saying there are equivalent comparable facilities/sports that force helmets on thier customers who pay to use thier place of business. I wear a helmet but would rather have the right to choose. 

However lets say the media, or a significant rise in fatal and life threatening accidents happen, it just may be a future you have to accept. 

I choose freedom for now.


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

DiggerXJ said:


> I feel the same way. It wasn't meant to start a war, just saying there are equivalent comparable facilities/sports that force helmets on thier customers who pay to use thier place of business. I wear a helmet but would rather have the right to choose.
> 
> However lets say the media, or a significant rise in fatal and life threatening accidents happen, it just may be a future you have to accept.
> 
> I choose freedom for now.


Motorcycle helmet laws in the USA have come and gone over the years. I'm in the "it's your head so it's your choice" group. However, if your an insurance company and someone needs 30 years of hospitalization because the bonked their head while cruising on their motorcycle...well, why sell them insurance? You take your chances, you pay your price.


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## kosmoz (Dec 27, 2013)

Are you all sure, his head was crushed or somehow else damaged? I didn't read everything very carefully, but I'm almost sure, that his brain damage is due anormous decceleration... You know, if you hit a wall with a smart at 150mph, most likely you will die, but not due to bones or skull crushed, but you brain and organs will suffer serious damage due to decceleration. Ant to decrese that decceleration, you need some crushing zones, that will absorb energy and decrese impact dramatically, so how do you imagine a technology for that? To wear a helmet with a diameter of 3 feet?


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

Flylo said:


> Yeah, I had no idea either. I've been under the impression that helmets are adequate enough and left it at that. Manufacturers need to get stuck in to the world of motorsport and learn from those guys. You're right about head injuries becoming more and more common, I don't think my beanies are going to get much use anymore.
> 
> 
> 
> True.



What they need to do is incorporate the technologies that they are putting in football helmets into the helmets we use in extreme sports, like skiing, snowboarding, biking, or whatever else. I have no doubt the technology in a Riddell Revo Speed helmet would prevent some of these injuries. The technology in football helmets has increased dramatically over the past 3 to 5 years. These helmets are designed to deflect and disperse the remainder of the impact rather than just crumble. The plastic shell deflects the impact while The lining on the inside is like a gel that absorbs the majority of the left over impact reinforced by air sacks along your head for comfort along and additional safety. They are good options. If they can stand up to thousands of pounds of force and the player can be okay I don't see how we can be generating more from a fall on a mountain. And don't bring up the concussions in the nfl thing... 85% of the players wear an antiquated helmet design from the 90s that is not par with today's tech by any means.



Flylo said:


> What amuses me most is when people get on a bicycle and peddle at 20mph they'll put a helmet on, but 50mph on the snow not so much.
> 
> 
> 
> Imagine cycling at 50mph wearing a beanie. LOL.



Why because people are plain. Stupid they think the padding of the snow will save them.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

He fell on a groomed run and hit a rock with his head. Apparently he WAS wearing a helmet, otherwise he would not have made it to the hospital, the doctors said.










Corriere della Sera


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## cozmo (Dec 12, 2012)

In the EU news: he was just outside the marked piste in a rock field as u can see from the pic above. He was going so fast that he cracked his helmet.


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## Unkept Porpoise (Aug 15, 2013)

KIRKRIDER said:


> Apparently he fell on a groomed run and hit a rock with his head. Apparently he WAS wearing a helmet, otherwise he would not have made it to the hospital, the doctors said.


Helmet saved his life so far.


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## Sassicaia (Jan 21, 2012)

That has more money then his great great grand children could ever spend. Not only that he wore top of the line protection his entire career. If it turns out he was wearing anything but the best money can buy id be completely amazed. 

I hope we get to find out what kind of helmet he wore.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

Sassicaia said:


> That has more money then his great great grand children could ever spend. Not only that he wore top of the line protection his entire career. If it turns out he was wearing anything but the best money can buy id be completely amazed.
> 
> I hope we get to find out what kind of helmet he wore.


if you hit a rock....thee's no tech that can save you. We have pretty delicate bodies.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

I am pretty affected by this. I follow F1 religiously, and to think he went off F1 to spend more time with his family then injure himself like this is very sad. I hope he pulls through... but the injury is very serious; seems he's fighting for his life, without a helmet it would have been no contest.

I always wear a helmet.

A helmet does not save you if you hit something head on at 50kph, but even if you are going 50kph and fall... after hitting your ass, hands, rolling about then catching a rock or hitting the icepack... by the time your head gets it, it may very well be an impact of <10kph. So to me it makes perfect sense to wear a helmet. Lots of snowboard pros don't, but lots of snowboard pros are dumb.


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## OU812 (Feb 2, 2013)

I was out boarding this Saturday and saw a skier flip over a 1.5m fence and ended up in between the lift pole and snow making machine which neither was padded off. Later on that day the grounds crew came out and put some of those orange padding mats on both objects. 
Anyways, when we got to him he was laying there motionless. I was expecting the worse but he was just in a bit of shock of what happened. His chin was scratched up and blood was coming out of his nose and mouth but nothing serious. He walked down on his own, it was almost at the bottom of the run anyways. Some instructors were also helping him out initially but he was ok, his family walked down with him. Scary shit really. Must of caught an edge and lost control, can happen easily. He must of been in his early 20's.

As I was talking to one of the instructors afterwards we see a guy zoom by us holding his 3yr old daughter in his arms, carving down the hill through the tough parts, stops then puts his kid down to teach her how to ski. Complete morons some people are.

You never know, for me its goggles and helmet on at all times while going down. Too much unpredictability. Crazy people around you, hard ice patches, uneven terrain etc. I hope Schumi pulls through. Without that helmet they'd be planning his funeral right now.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

Schumi is my childhood hero!! Get well soon! 

Speaking of, what is the best helmet on the market right now?


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## Sassicaia (Jan 21, 2012)

AIRider said:


> Schumi is my childhood hero!! Get well soon!
> 
> Speaking of, what is the best helmet on the market right now?


From the research ive done with money no object this would be it.

Sweet Protection | Helmets & Protection


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## jtg (Dec 11, 2012)

Pretty sure he wasn't going close to 50mph down this thing, 30 ft from the top of a blue groomer:

http://i.imgur.com/Dk7NXQq.jpg


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## cozmo (Dec 12, 2012)

Update 11:00hr CET

The condition of the former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher has improved slightly after doctors carried out a second operation to reduce the swelling on his brain following an off piste skiing accident in the French Alps.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

Sassicaia said:


> From the research ive done with money no object this would be it.
> 
> Sweet Protection | Helmets & Protection


Holy whatever, that is expensive! Still, if I had a real job that paid real money, I'd probably save up and invest in something like that. I like my noggin that much. I'm also hoping helmet tech will improve AND become more affordable. I wear a Smith Variant for now and go sloooowly.

I hope he pulls through, since I wouldn't wish that sort of stuff upon anyone. But as for F1, I stopped following it in 1994... anyone know why?


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

Varza said:


> anyone know why?


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

99 for me


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## Unkept Porpoise (Aug 15, 2013)

Turns out he had a helmet cam running. They probably won't release the footage but it would be a good reminder of how easy stuff like this can happen if they did.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Unkept Porpoise said:


> Turns out he had a helmet cam running. They probably won't release the footage but it would be a good reminder of how easy stuff like this can happen if they did.


Yes. Basically he hit a rock, fell and landed on a rock. Apparently was only ~8m off piste, but he was off piste (which is what the resort/authorities were probably trying to prove). It seems he is stable now and should make it; it must have been a very simple accident, but that's exactly why i always wear a helmet.


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## jtg (Dec 11, 2012)

Apparently he was only going about 12mph. Pretty surprised that even with a helmet on he nearly died at such a low speed. Innovations in helmet tech should focus less on skull candy and boa and more on actually protecting heads. Seems like they aren't helping much.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

The speed his head was going will be faster than his initial momentum since his head likely slingshoted over


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## 209Cali (Jan 11, 2010)

any updates on this guy?


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## Flylo (Jun 26, 2013)

It's been 20 days since the accident and things are looking a lot more serious than initially thought. 

Remember, it could've been any one of us.

Michael Schumacher feared 'could be in a coma forever' after skiing accident and brain injury in France, seven-time Formula One champion hospitalized through 45th birthday | FOX Sports on MSN


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

It's sad and I feel for him. It really is so easy for this to happen to anyone. As a kid I had a super slow casual fall on a bike just riding down the street. Spent the next 30 minutes in and out of consciousness and then the next thing I knew I woke up and it was two weeks later. Spent it all in a coma, took a life flight to a specialist in Toledo, OH where they found internal bleeding on the brain and they never knew if I would wake up. Told my mother this on Mother's Day :thumbsdown:. Escaped that luckily and wear a helmet constantly now. I blame all grammatical mistakes on this injury 

Then last year simply caught an edge while checking out the park line, just a ride through hitting no features. Thought I could power through but hours later I was doubled over in pain, turns out I lacerated my liver along with giving it a massive hematoma (fortunately the bruising was in the opposite side of the liver as the laceration, otherwise that bruising would have been a lot of bleeding) and ruptured one of my adrenal glands along with a lot of other painful but non life altering injuries.

I by no means was going huge, riding beyond my abilities or really even taking any risk. It's the little guys that pack the biggest punch. We walk away from massive hits thinking it's a miracle we made it out, but the light guys are the ones that get us. :dunno:


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

jtg said:


> Apparently he was only going about 12mph. Pretty surprised that even with a helmet on he nearly died at such a low speed. Innovations in helmet tech should focus less on skull candy and boa and more on actually protecting heads. Seems like they aren't helping much.


Keep in mind helmets protect almost purely against blunt force trauma to the exterior of the head. Sadly your brain "floats" in your skull and no helmet is capable of protecting your brain against impacting against your skull which is what actually causes a lot of the damages and deaths you hear of. Obviously wear a helmet but keep in mind it protects your head, not necessarily your brain. The cushion of the foam helps but if your head jolts and stops your brain hurts itself and that's near impossible to protect although I did see a video recently about some helmet company making a pivoting liner or something that was suppose to possibly help this.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

There's two different types of helmets (certifications)... one is for 1 single hard impact, another for various light impacts.

Helmets certified/designed to protect from a single hard blow are only good for that one blow and should be discarded right away. They are designed to break apart in order to dissipate the energy and protect the brain.

Helmets designed for multiple small blows... protect against just that. Basically, protect your head. A big blow will still quite likely cause injury, even life-threatening in case of a hard blow; but they are made to protect from those light blows.

In any case, any helmet is better than none.

Helmet standard certifications describe what type of impact a helmet is designed for... I forget each of them, but they're ASTM, EN CE, CPSC, DOT and Snell standards...

So just by looking at the labels inside your helmet you'll know which standards it was designed for (and then google search to figure out the type and magnitude of impact associated to that standard)...


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I also understand it that he went face first into the rock....


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Argo said:


> I also understand it that he went face first into the rock....


eeekkk. If that's the case, than unless you wear a full face helmet nothing you can do. It's a dangerous sport no matter how safe you are. But so are most. We're all gonna die some way, protect yourself as much as you can, but sitting on your couch every day isn't living. Most of us have had serious or near fatal incidents. I have two from snowboarding, 2 from car crashes and 3 from other situations. The only ones I was in control of (and completely screwed up) where when I was on my board. Give me the mountain every time, at least at this point it will be my fault if something goes wrong.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

Good (ish) news. Obviously he's got a hard slog ahead of him but considering what he's done over his life I'd hazard a guess that he's done hard yards plenty of times before and will no doubt do the same now. 

BBC News - F1 legend Michael Schumacher 'out of coma'


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

No mention of his mental condition.


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

Nope. I'd imagine things will never be the same again for the guy.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

I read the news and it's definitely good news he's out of the coma. It's a different type of recovery from now on, he was moved elsewhere from the hospital he was. Hope he can have a good recovery.....


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