Race Ski Helmet Manufacture Date

What does the manufacture date on a race ski helmet have to do with the new USSA helmet rule for U14 racers?

Absolutely nothing.

Although there is a new USSA helmet rule for the 2015-16 season that effects U14 racers, it is not a completely new rule.   The rule officially originated in 2012-13 as a FIS rule for FIS World Cup athletes for GS, SG and DH races and was called FIS RH 2013.  In 2013-14 the rule was adopted for all FIS athletes.  For the 2014-15 season this rule was recommended for all USSA U14 and older racers and enforced for U16 and U18 racers in some areas of the country.  As of the 2015-16 season the FIS RH 2013 rule has now been officially adopted by the USSA for all  U14 and older racers.  Helmets that are compliant with the current USSA and FIS rules have been in manufacture since 2013.

The manufacture date on this POC SKull Orbic Comp helmet that meets 2015-16 USSA and FIS rules is October 2013.

This is a current season helmet that bears the FIS RH 2013 sticker and shows a date of manufacture of 10/2013.  Manufacture date means nothing with relation to the rules.  What matters is that the helmet has the RH 2013 hologram – this is how you know that it meets the current ski racing rules.  This is what the sticker looks like that indicates the helmet meets the current ski racing requirements.

Manufacture date of the race ski helmet does not matter, as long as it has this FIS RH 2013 sticker, it is approved for use. This sticker shows that it is certified that this helmet meets the regulations for USSA and FIS ski racing. All U14 and older racers must wear a helmet with the FIS RH 2013 certification sticker.

Most current helmets on the market meet the FIS RH 2013 rules, but there are still some that do not.  Make sure that there is a FIS RH 2013 sticker on the helmet before you make a purchase.  At Peak Performance Ski Shop we carry the following helmets that meet the FIS RH 2013 standards:

So don’t worry about the manufacture date on the helmet, just look for the FIS RH 2013 sticker.  For more information on the helmet rules for ski racing, please read our blog post: USSA Ski Racing Helmet Rules for 2015-16