Amen to that.

Phat Ratty Ratt wrote:

Brian Nystrom writ, in part:

I really have to question whether designing a whitewater helmet that
may actually make it to market is a suitable project for a couple of
college kids.
I'm getting the impression that they just haven't done all the necessary
research. This sounds like a project that should be taken up with the
assistance of Snell Labs and other organizations which have
researched head injuries in-depth. Again, I'm not questioning their
motivation, it just seems like they
may have overlooked some critical details.

Brian, I believe you've hit the nail on the helmet.

That was kinda what I thought when I saw their video a year or two ago. The
video showed two grinning college kids and one test (taking a fire hose to a
mounted helmet)...and, if memory serves, that was about it.

Generally, the "World's Best" of a product is the result of a substantial
effort. It can be a team of researchers with bunches of ideas, or just one with
an antiparadigmatic insight. Butt under any circumstances, it would involve
significant time, with extensive testing of all competitors' products under a
variety of conditions. It's impossible--imPOSSible!!--to do that with two
college kids, one semester, and a $50,000-dollar grant.

If they were claiming "World's Best Handpaddles," I'd ignore it, because who
cares? But this is a critical piece of safety equipment. Under these
circumstances, with all due respect and sympathy for Mr. Turner's grief and his
subsequent efforts, I agree with you that his approach is irresponsibly
misguided.

Riviera Ratt, PITA
STILL Swimless in the 3rd Millennium! (almost)
Click of the Week updated 8/12/03
For A Good Time, call http://www.americanwhitewater.org
and http://members.aol.com/rivieraratt/ratthole.html

--
Regards

Brian