Quadruple world champion in the “freeride snowboard” category, Marion Haerty talks about safety issues in her sport and on snow in general.
“As a professional, I am obliged to have a helmet. Even if you are a beginner, it is an ultimate element for your safety. The brain remains such a fragile part of the body. There can be very serious consequences. Before, you were considered a “badger”, even among snowboarders, when you wore one. It must change. A person who has taught forty years without a helmet must know how to evolve…
“In the field of freeride, it’s now anchored in our habits, it’s so obvious. I can’t go riding if I don’t have my helmet. The number of times I fell and he saved me. I’ve had two head injuries in my life.
“We are in a society where all dangers are sanitized. When you arrive in the mountains, you enter a risky environment. And you have to use your head to analyze those risks. When you put on your skis, you have responsibilities to take, to do things, step by step. It’s not just a surge of hormones. When we take risks, we must also measure the consequences. Why do you turn around, why do you give up? Sometimes we hurt ourselves. It’s part of the job. These are necessary steps to evolve.
“When you arrive for a vacation, you must not underestimate these risks, know what elements surround you, put in place strategies to have fun. How am I doing to evolve in safety? Being surrounded by people with the level, for example, when you freeride, is also a good thing. And don’t forget to bring an Arva [Appareil de recherche de victime d’avalanche, ndlr]shovel, probe… The mountain remains a natural environment.
“On social networks, there is a real prevention to be done. Skier Vivian Bruchez, for example, does it really well. The “Safety shred days”, dedicated to learning about off-piste safety [instaurés, entre autres, par le skieur Victor Daviet, ndlr], also go in this direction. Finally, I have a role through my partnership with “Mips” (Multi directional Impact Protection System), a technology integrated into the helmet that allows you to accompany the rotation of a fall on the head to lessen the impact.
“We finally try to communicate on the risks, on what I felt during the concussions that I had, so that it serves. You really have to emphasize the fact that in the mountains, you remain fragile in the face of the elements. Even with the best equipment in the world, the best security. From the moment you put your body in motion, you have to use your brain… wearing a helmet!”