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Editorial: Our View Put lids on kids, for safety's sake Last year's death of 23-year-old Talent resident Rory Ably put the skating community on notice. Helmets may not be cool, but they save lives. Ably wasn't wearing a helmet. Neither was Devin Haug, the 10-year-old who received a concussion while skiing after tumbling off an embankment and crashing into a tree line. Haug is alive today, thanks to the efforts of Mount Ashland's ski patrol, and the fast response of Mercy Flights. Ably is not, as attested by graffiti on barnsides and skatepark walls. Skaters at Ashland's city-owned skateparks know if they don't wear a lid, and are spotted by the cops, they'll get ticketed. Unless one is a student participating in Mount Ashland's Rippin' Riders snowboarding program, or are members of Ashland High School's ski team, folks on city-owned Mount Ashland have a different set of rules. For them, helmets are optional. But should they be? Just this year, Roseburg Junior Academy made its decision. After an accident involving one of the academy students that left him unconscious, the school took action. Students participating in ski programs had the helmet choice taken away from them, in part because the school fears a lawsuit. Medford-based Grace Christian School's Superintendent Ray Johnson makes the distinction that his school's program - the one Haug was participating in - is a parent-sponsored ski club. While the school supports the club's activities, it doesn't sponsor them directly. Therefore the onus is on parents to persuade their children to wear helmets. We agree that making families responsible for their children's conduct is well and good. But schools and school programs, and even the mountain itself, need to take a larger role. (See Roseburg decision above.) There are other considerations of course. Kids are supposed to have fun. Schools don't need lawsuits. And parents don't need the extra worry if their kids are involved in a school sports program. We must also acknowledge that Mount Ashland is a far cry from the Heavenly's and Shasta's of the world. The steep terrain means even skilled skiers and snowboarders can injure themselves, and others. Hit an icy spot on Shasta, and the fall is a minor affair. But on our little mountain, a patch of ice can mean a 300-yard slide, and that can get a kid into serious trouble. There can be such a thing as too much safety. We don't require helmets in automobiles, though we do require seatbelts. And it's hard to take the position of denying a child the right to feel the wind in their hair - that sensation of flight that has inspired so many of us to make skiing or snowboarding part of our lifestyle. But youth is too precious to ignore, and the minor inconvenience of a helmet can only save lives and heartache. We all got lucky when Devin Haug woke up from his concussion. Now we need to wake up as well. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -