Times you nearly died

[ok boomer]

When I was a wee lad, we lived in a not-good area. One year, rock tossed through the window, the next year a BB. The final year we lived there, a bullet zinged by my head about 24 inches away. That was (among other reasons though) why we moved.

Not sure if I almost died on these exactly but:
At 14 I overdosed on some dumbass pills. I was trying to look badass and took a handful of whatever this shit was and was fucked up for hours. Like in a non-enjoyable way. I did this during lunch at school, tripped out and wandered off in 5th period. Told my mom "I went home sick". After I felt better, went to skate park, got high and had an awesome night (Friday). Saturday stayed at my dude's house and skated mini ramp all day and night. Sunday, a "friend" of mine apparently ratted me out to my parents because she was "worried" (I hung out with this friend on that Friday so she saw me as okay). anyway, my parents drove around to find me, then I got in hella trouble. They also snooped through my room and found acid, weed and condoms. Rad conversation. My mom then thought it would be a good idea to let my school know why I missed. So I walked into school to meet with the principal, 2 cops and my parents. Basically said "I'll never do it again" and agreed to random searches by the pigs. I got random searched for all 4 years of high school because of this.

2 parter....

Part A: When I was 30, I noticed that this wisdom tooth grew in and was cracked. Didn't think anything of it. One day I woke up and felt like shit - still did nothing. Next day woke up and felt worse + swollen neck. My neighbor was a dental hygienist and told me I had blood poisoning going on. Went to an urgent care and they got all mad at me like they were my daddy:
"you see the red line hear going up your face? Thats it trying to go to your brain - which kills you! You see the line going down your chest? Thats it trying to go to your heart which kills you!". I was all "thats cool I dunno shit about blood poisoning man". I felt pretty stupid about it but cool I got antibiotics then got that tooth removed.

Part B: So a month after that debacle... I thought "well since I'm fixing teeth I'll just get all this shit done". I have a fake tooth that is a ceramic bonding (got kicked in the face). So I was getting that re-done and get the other wisdom teeth out etc. etc. Anyway, I was there for hours and on drugs to keep me calm. When I left, they told me: "don't smoke, and don't eat". I promptly lit a cig on my way to Hardee's to get a bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Then went home and passed out until the next day. I woke up and it felt like I couldn't clear my throat, so I kept trying to drink water. Then I tried to talk and could only gurgle. I was trippin out. Well it turns out - due to my stupid smoking and eating, this shit got infected and I had this pus oozing out of the open hole. My throat was swelling shut, and again doctors got hella mad at me. More antibiotics. Stopped the swelling throat but not the full infection of hole. So 2 more rounds of antibiotics that did nothing. Then they gave me some and told me "your stomach might bleed from this". So cured my infected hole and I shat blood for a few days.

[formula420]

Was at a house party in detroit that got shot up. A bullet grazed the back of my skull. It felt like someone hit my with a hot metal pipe. My homie had full entry/exit in his abs, and a third dude took one in the back. Noone died but homie needed surgery. Shit like that gave me survivors guilt a bit. Like why did he need surgery but not me? And he hasnt talked to me much since. He leaves my messages on read, if that.

I dont know for sure but im pretty sure the dude lit up the place because a bunch of out of towners were on his block without notice/permission. The party was my idea and i did a lot of the planning for it so i sometimes feel like its my fault.

[Hinna]

its karma. you didnt plan for that to happen and its not your fault. dudes alive. pretty gnarly regardless

[newguy]

When I was a wee lad, we lived in a not-good area. One year, rock tossed through the window, the next year a BB. The final year we lived there, a bullet zinged by my head about 24 inches away. That was (among other reasons though) why we moved.

Not sure if I almost died on these exactly but:
At 14 I overdosed on some dumbass pills. I was trying to look badass and took a handful of whatever this shit was and was fucked up for hours. Like in a non-enjoyable way. I did this during lunch at school, tripped out and wandered off in 5th period. Told my mom "I went home sick". After I felt better, went to skate park, got high and had an awesome night (Friday). Saturday stayed at my dude's house and skated mini ramp all day and night. Sunday, a "friend" of mine apparently ratted me out to my parents because she was "worried" (I hung out with this friend on that Friday so she saw me as okay). anyway, my parents drove around to find me, then I got in hella trouble. They also snooped through my room and found acid, weed and condoms. Rad conversation. My mom then thought it would be a good idea to let my school know why I missed. So I walked into school to meet with the principal, 2 cops and my parents. Basically said "I'll never do it again" and agreed to random searches by the pigs. I got random searched for all 4 years of high school because of this.

2 parter....

Part A: When I was 30, I noticed that this wisdom tooth grew in and was cracked. Didn't think anything of it. One day I woke up and felt like shit - still did nothing. Next day woke up and felt worse + swollen neck. My neighbor was a dental hygienist and told me I had blood poisoning going on. Went to an urgent care and they got all mad at me like they were my daddy:
"you see the red line hear going up your face? Thats it trying to go to your brain - which kills you! You see the line going down your chest? Thats it trying to go to your heart which kills you!". I was all "thats cool I dunno shit about blood poisoning man". I felt pretty stupid about it but cool I got antibiotics then got that tooth removed.

Part B: So a month after that debacle... I thought "well since I'm fixing teeth I'll just get all this shit done". I have a fake tooth that is a ceramic bonding (got kicked in the face). So I was getting that re-done and get the other wisdom teeth out etc. etc. Anyway, I was there for hours and on drugs to keep me calm. When I left, they told me: "don't smoke, and don't eat". I promptly lit a cig on my way to Hardee's to get a bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Then went home and passed out until the next day. I woke up and it felt like I couldn't clear my throat, so I kept trying to drink water. Then I tried to talk and could only gurgle. I was trippin out. Well it turns out - due to my stupid smoking and eating, this shit got infected and I had this pus oozing out of the open hole. My throat was swelling shut, and again doctors got hella mad at me. More antibiotics. Stopped the swelling throat but not the full infection of hole. So 2 more rounds of antibiotics that did nothing. Then they gave me some and told me "your stomach might bleed from this". So cured my infected hole and I shat blood for a few days.

Dude the survival rate for blood poisoning is very low. One more day and you would’ve canned it straight to a morgue.

[newguy]

Was at a house party in detroit that got shot up. A bullet grazed the back of my skull. It felt like someone hit my with a hot metal pipe. My homie had full entry/exit in his abs, and a third dude took one in the back. Noone died but homie needed surgery. Shit like that gave me survivors guilt a bit. Like why did he need surgery but not me? And he hasnt talked to me much since. He leaves my messages on read, if that.

I dont know for sure but im pretty sure the dude lit up the place because a bunch of out of towners were on his block without notice/permission. The party was my idea and i did a lot of the planning for it so i sometimes feel like its my fault.

What the fuck is this concept?? Since when do you need permission to have a party in a house? I don’t have any experience with gangs or anything and I vaguely know Detroit is a tough place but still what in the fuck

[CrumblingInfrastructure]

Around age 12 I was jumping off a boat house in to a lake and someone grabbed me to try and stop me, I remember falling in like slo mo and just watching the dock rush towards my face and all I was just like “This is it. This is how it ends.” I missed the dock by inches and had a pretty epic belly flop into the shallow end.

Age 17 I decided I was over it. I was from a small town and never felt safe coming out to anyone. That shit takes a serious toll on your sanity. I scarfed down about 25 tabs of Mucinex since it still had the stuff that would make you hallucinate back then and washed it down with a 18 pack of budweiser. My lung collapsed and a bunch of other shit happened. I flatlined in the Ambulance a couple times and it took them hours just to get my stable.

I spent 8 years just drinking and not giving a fuck about myself. Walking the streets of Seattle and Chicago blacked out on a almost daily basis just hoping something would happen and I wouldn’t have to deal with life anymore.

At the same time I was in a abusive relationship. Things escalated in 2020 and I’m pretty sure that if I didn’t get out something would have happened. There was always a gun within reach in that house.

I dont think my depression or suicidal thoughts will ever go away, but i’ve learned to live with them. It’s hard to put it in words but after I realized that they only exist because of some bad wiring in my brain it made it easier to live with.

[Sharp-o]

Passed out on my back and threw up in my sleep. Almost chocked but my friends turned me over. Scary part is that they left 15 minutes after that so if I had thrown up 15 later I would probably have chocked.

[iKobrakai]

A bunch of times I went to bed all junked out.

But... most recent was at the gym this summer.

I always train alone so I know how to fail a bench. Not this time, some homies were in the room so I let my guard down. Went up to about 200 lbs and went for 10 reps...and dropped 11th on my throath... Breath gone, total panic. Thank God they helped out.

[LordManHammer]

Got a few stories from depression to out my hands circumstance’s .

I nearly blew my head off in a incident that could have been a preceded columbine incident instead I tried to shoot myself, instead the gun didn’t fire and as soon as I pulled it away it went off blew a hole in the ceiling.

Tried to lay out in traffic on I-75 on white lines,but cop found me took me to a hospital.

So near death experiences, well from my mouth writing checks that I’m clearly not able to cash I’ve said some shit to others gotten my ass beat, almost fell off a cliff hiking swinging from tree to tree saved by roots and sheer willpower.

Riding trains I was on my way from NOLA to ATL train slowed down though fuck it man I’m hungry thought the train was going to side but no it slowed down as soon as I got my stuff train kicked up speed rain in between the rails catching up to the train got on a few cars back but was scaling back on top of the train to get to my homies cheering me on.

I was in south Chicago back when caberne green was still around lol and I’m chilling with some people skating dorking off my homies I was kicking it with were either targets or something sketch but we all got sprayed with tech 22 caught a random bullet nicked my side.

Got robbed in Philly buying dope with another homie and I got the piss beat out of me, was in Memphis and got hit hit with a brick and slashed one person, I don’t know what or where if anything else happened.

Several overdoses and I’ve been thinking maybe last 13 years I needed to slow down, so my 30’s to now  44 I’ve rarely been in or had anything else sketchy happen, and I’m thankful for my life and luck in life.

[McBrandt]

when I was around 17 my friend and I had both used this Counterfit brand blank board (remember Counterfit?) and had both gotten hurt on it (I sprained an ankle, he broke a finger), so we decided to burn it in my backyard. We went back there with a gas can and were continuing to feed the flames with it, laughing our dumb teenage asses off. At one point the nozzle of the gas can caught fire. At one point I remember thinking we should just throw it and dive for cover, but through some stroke of sheer luck and fate he kicked the nozzle and the fire went out. That one still haunts me for what could have been.

[the_dangery_bois]

A million years ago, we were walking home from a bar and got to talking about “freestyle walking”… like parkour…but for idiots.

My friends were doing stupid shit like crossing their feet and stalling on the bottoms of lamp posts.

I decided to be the super cool dude and jump up onto this bridge railing.  I slipped, but fell backwards. Had I fallen forward, I would have died in a very stupid way.

[botefdunn]

A random tweaker pulled a gun on me last night. He didn't threaten me, just said he was always ready for coyotes and pulled it partway out to show me. I was camped in the woods, eating spagetti-os in the dark (ran out of isobutane). He drove up out of nowhere, and came over to talk to me in my van. It was only a bit worrisome and I wouldn't say this was near-death except that with a gun you never really know how close or far you are.

[ghost of barry white]

Age 25 I was riding my ripping around on my motorcycle on a really dark winding road with no street lights. There was a kiddie pool for some reason in the middle of the road. And from a far I could see it and was thinking, why is there such a weird shadow in the road. As I finally got closer and just a few feet away, my headlight finally lit it up and I realized it was a goddamn kiddie swimming pool. Managed to swerve last minute and avoid it. But I definitely thought I was going hitting that pool and going into the canyon .

[Frank and Fred]

Age 15. Feb 1991. Bahrain. I was watching 'Pump Up the Volume' at my mate's house at about 1am (could be wrong but it was after midnight) and we were disturbed by a giant bang, thud and shaking of his house. 6 miles away in the dessert one of Sadam's scuds had landed. We briefly wondered why no air raid sirens were sounded and then went back to Christian Slater. We found out the details the next day and within a couple of weeks were riding bikes in the crater. Maybe not the closest I have been to death but all the other times involved confrontation, cars or the ocean.

But really who knows what any of us might have dodged... its coming though... its coming...

I'm glad you all made it this far, those are some hairball scenarios.

[Ankle_Lift]

I went swimming in a little lake on the north shore mountains north of Vancouver when I lived there. We (friends, and my wife) swam across the lake to jump off some cliffs, no big deal it was early August maybe.

We went back a few weeks later and we went to swim across the lake to jump off the cliffs, but it had gotten colder in the mountains since the last time we were up there, and the water was colder. My body started cramping up and I started panicking because I knew I wasn't going to make it to the other side of the lake. I'm not the strongest swimmer to begin with and there's no way I can tread water to relax or compose myself.

I was maybe 15feet from the shore and panicked and started going under, thrashing and everything.
My wife is an amazing swimmer and pulled me up and dragged me to shore like lifeguards do.

I walked back around to the other side of the lake after. I don't really like to swim anymore.

I also tumbled down a 30ft cliff when I was maybe 5 or 6, at the drumheller badlands. I remember being upside down and then at the bottom and my mom was at the top absolutely flipping the fuck out.

[Mr. Kamikazi]

What a thread.

I almost died once & I almost saw my brother get his head blown off at a target range.

First my brother; long story short was my dad was at the range teaching us how to shoot rifles. My brother was pretty young at the time & there’s two of us so my dad being distracted with loading the gun & examining stuff does not see my brother slip off. I’m watching my dad and sort of just looking around & my dad starts getting in a shooting position, lining stuff up with the gun/scope & I hear the safety click. About 10 seconds later I hear my dad yell as my brother who was on the ground pop up directly in front of him. According to my dad my brothers head was a bullseye.

Moral of my experience; I hate guns.

Driving with a pal. Start joking around to go fast. He does, no issues & goes into a turn without stopping & next thing I know, we are upside down & just skidding in dirt/road. Car stops and my buddy just says my name. We are upside down & we both start to crawl out. I ask my buddy to give me a hand & he starts yelling. My hand, mostly my fingers are perfectly cut neatly to the bone. I mean perfectly sliced. I touch my bones, sort of shocked & just start bleeding on my trousers. I just remember thinking how upset my folks would be. Plastic surgery, PT, and a coupla surgeries, I’m good. Played my first ever show with pins in my fingers.

Don’t drive fast. Had I not been wearing a seatbelt, I’d be dead.

[pugmaster]

This thread is insane

[skippersoldballs]

In august this passed year me and a few friends went swimming at lighthouse park in west Vancouver on an abnormally hot and windy day. I was initially hesitant to go in the water but after a couple beers and watching my friends jump off the spot we’ve done together hundreds of times I said fuck it and joined them. We swam out away from the waves crashing on the rocks and just floated on the swells for a while, and had a real beautiful moment. We ended up swimming around a point of land, and into a small cove where the waves were less intense so we could get back on  land. After repeating a couple times the lot of us decided to sit on the edge of the shore and let the most spectacular waves I’ve seen in Vancouver crash over us. Mostly landing on our legs and torso but every couple sets there would be a monster one, where the water would pull away from the rock like a tsunami and then drench us. After one of the monster waves, instead of calming down we got hit by a giant fucking wall of water. I was sitting on the left of us and got tossed over/through my friends and smashed on to the barnacle covered rocks, getting my hands, left leg and arm raked across the crustacean cheese grater. I was carried for 10 or 15 seconds underwater in a current I’ve never experienced before. I thought everyone sitting on the shore got pulled into the water but it was just me and the guy at other end of us sitting. We started swimming to the cove around the point, but the waves were so intense at this point we were being swept back to the rocky shore. We ended up letting ourselves basically crash onto the rocks and clambering up after a couple tries. We got really lucky. nobody hit their head, and nobody walked away without a new respect for the ocean.

[somethingmustbreaknow]

way back a homie, two lady friends and me were heading to a hc music festival in czech republic by car. due to some navigational errors, roads closed for construction and so on, we quickly were on an eight hour car ride instead the estimated 5 hours, and it was already dark. we always said that maybe we should change drivers, but one lady friend insisted that it's ok and said her car was somehow little bit complicated to drive. anyway, we're carving some curvy czech country roads through villages, forests, fields and so on. then there's a sharp curve like a near 90 degree right turn in the road with a dirt road heading straight, which ultimately lead to a large billboard of some czech casino shit on huge concrete foundational pillars. suddenly, we do not take the nearly 90 degree turn to the right and do not slow down at all but continue to head straight into the dirt road full speed. we then realized that the lady friend behind the wheel fell asleep for seconds and started screamig and shaking her. we were already on the dirt road, too fast, like 5 meters away from crashing into these large ass concrete pillars. as she wakes up, turning the steering wheel like mad to the left and we shoot out into the dark czech field, through some ditches, some water-flows, taking like two rotations, thankfully not flipping over, and finally coming to a halt in the middle of the field, with nobody hurt, only shocked. as we got out of the car, we saw that we got a flat tyre in the front left, but nothing else was damaged. the driver was sitting in the drivers seat, cramping onto the steering wheel crying. all in all we were just glad that nothing worse happened. some minutes later some czech passerby cars stop and come towarss us to check out if everything's alright. we then changed the flat tyre, got the car out of the field (it was quite dry in the summe, thankfully) switched drivers and headed to the festival. after arriving we set up our tents, and enjoyed countless czech budvar pivos.

[Jim and Dan]

While I don't really want to get into the entire, long-winded story at the moment:

2017.
5 times pronounced legally dead as a result of cardiac arrest due to a condition called long QT interval syndrome.
4 days in a coma.
1 month in the hospital.
1 $300,000 bill.

[L33Tg33k]

Almost drowned at least three times. I can't stand people telling me to learn to swim. Mother fucker, what the fuck do you think I was trying to do when I drowning? I've tried harder at swimming that I have at most physical or mental tasks but have gotten nowhere. I have two stereotypes that I adhere to; I love watermelon, and I can't goddamn swim.

[Uncle Flea]

The times are numerous.

I once said fuck it I don't wanna live anymore. Like way more than once. I banged a gram and a half of some old brown. This was like 2001.
I think I survived because my dad kicked me.

So glad I made it out of heroin. I wanna live forever. I know there's more friends out there that I gotta find.

[rothdigga]

These stories are fucking savage.  It's truly wild how easy it is to make some "silly" mistakes or errors of judgement and put yourself in the position to die. 
This dude stole my buddy's board back when I was like 18 or so and we chased him down the street.  I wear glasses but didn't used to when I skated, I'm no tough guy but for whatever reason I thought I was going to clock this dude with my board when I got to him.  He kept yelling "you want to play!  You want to play!" but my dumb ass didn't realize he was holding a gun at the time until I got real close.  I just turned around and said "keep it man".  That's Long Beach for you.
In High School, this was like 87 or 88, we had the occasional drive by shooting happen while we were out at PE (this was the height of crips vs bloods war).  If we were on the track or whatever we just had to lay down on it if we heard the pops going off.  I don't think they were aiming at the school but stray bullets don't really care who you are. 
A true one though for me was out in the desert.  Some of you know that I shoot wildlife photos and am always out shooting specifically rattlesnakes/reptils and what not.  You would think getting close to the snakes is the dangerous part but it's always peripheral stuff.  We had just got done shooting photos a gila monster in a massive lightning storm and the monsoon rain opened up on us.  I saw it on the radar but figured it was just going to miss us, but it didn't and came down right on top of us.  We were leaving the zone we were in and I couldn't even see the lines on the backroad we were on, rain and hail and I was actually worried it was going to break my windows in my 4Runner.  Once we got down to lower elevation the road in front of us was just one big fucking river, with white caps and shit.  My buddy called me from his car (both solo) and was like "if we don't cross this flash flood now we're stuck here for 4+ hours" and he gunned it in his XTerra, so I shifted into 4hi and took off too.  They always say to NEVER cross a flash flood and I fully know that but for whatever reason I went.  I don't know what I hit in the middle of the wash, a massive boulder, tree or whatever, but it lifted my whole car up in the air and I almost flipped it.  I would for sure have been fucked if I rolled it in that flood but it stayed upright.  When we got across I expected to see my wheel sideways or some catastrophic damage but whatever it was, I hit it squarely on the steel skid plate under the truck.  No damage other than a big mark underneath.  I called my wife and told her I would never do that again.  But I did buy another 4runner for my next car, fucking beast mobiles.

[TheDraught]

One night during a coke binge around 4AM I decided it would be a good idea to finish whatever still was in the baggie and then call it a night.

It was a big line, about 3 or 4 times the size what I would consider a decent line back then. I snorted it and felt right away it was too much, but I was still on the come up of course.
 
My smartwatch started giving me warnings, my heart rate was in the 190's, I was sweating and feeling cold and warm at the same time.

Luckily I had some benzos lying around and I chewed and swallowed as much as I could, probably about 20 mg clonazepam (Klonopin). This was very difficult since my hands were shaking almost uncontrollably and had very blurry vision.

I then went to bed where I lay sweating, waiting for the benzos to kick in and the coke to wear out. Since coke kicks in way faster than benzos do I was fairly certain there was a decent chance I was going to die at this point.

After a while I started to feel kind of good again.Not sure if I would still be here without those benzos.

Next day called my plug again for some more coke...

So glad I am totally of all stims now. So much wasted time and money, so much self-loathing and self-hate after a binge.

[type]

I used to smoke fentanyl powder alone, Im really surprised Im still alive

[wax poetic]

Almost drowned a couple times when I was young and it fucked up oceans and swimming for me for decades.  Also was a couple times I was close to ending it myself when I was younger.  No matter how it looks right now, life can be amazing pals, I promise.

[L33Tg33k]

I regularly almost die in my sleep according to my sleep studies. I choked on a piece of spinach a couple months ago. I choked on the cheese in french onion soup a couple years back. Whether it's sleeping, choking, or drowning, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die of asphyxiation.

[frontsideNECKTIE]

When I was just out of high school, I got a pizza delivery job in town, and stayed at my GFs place about 50 miles. So I would stay a few days out there, come into town for work, and crash at my friends until my next days off.

One morning, I woke up at my girl's house and was super sick and fatigued. Sore throat, aches, headache, chills, etc. Plus mad fucking tired. So I try to call in. I was a pretty fresh hire at the time and didn't know anyone there who could cover my shift. Manager says I'm out of luck and would need to be there.

Well, shit. I eat some Excedrin for the tylenol and caffeine bump, hoping it would help keep me awake. I get to driving, feeling like mad shit. I was getting groggy and increasingly unaware as I got closer to the city.

I'm pretty sure I actually fell asleep for 1 second. I was coming down this downhill turn, and my eyes lock shut. I snap back awake and I'm going 70mph straight at a barrier/median wall. Luckily, there's enough time and space to dart back into my lane, but definitely too close for comfort.

I made it to work after white knuckling my steering wheel and my adrenaline staving off my fatigue, and of course I was only more tired once my hormones balanced back. I asked to stay in the store instead of making deliveries, but still one of the worst shifts of my life.

[Chavo]

Was skating my backyard quarterpipe when I was about 14 and some dude in a suit wanders in (gate latched from the inside so he must have stuck his hand over). The stranger said no one answered the doorbell and heard noise in the yard, allegedly a ploy to sell subscriptions. I immediately sensed that he was up to something, so I picked up my board slowly and started raising it. I also told him my dad was in the next room and probably was wearing earphones but could get him, so I started knocking on the window (no one was home). Suit guy didn't seem worried, but thankfully did not call my bluff and turned around and walked away.

Two years later, I'm on the phone and hear a blood curdling scream followed by 6-8 shots in quick succession, then another. Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking version of "Jane Says" was playing on the radio. I ducked for a while then decided that the end of the song was a good time to check the scene. A girl who lived a few blocks down, and neighbor of my best friend, was lifeless and full of blood on my front yard. A few minutes later, a life flight helicopter landed in the intersection, but left soon thereafter without a body. Apparently, the girl went to my door for help but was shot down before she could get there. The gunman also fired a few rounds at my house and one at a witness across the street. We weren't hit. I'm still not sure what the motive was, but it turns out the killer lived a block down and was the molester who came into my yard a few years before.

[OldieButFrenchie]

damn. Brutal thread.   

OK my 2 cents: when I was about 10, I was riding my bike back from school, but I got distracted talking to a friend who was walking on the sidewalk. So I veered off my lane and went straight into a car coming the opposite way. Luckily I just rolled on the hood and fell on the other side. My bike was dust. But if it had been a bus or semi truck instead of a car? My parents lived on a fairly busy street. At least 3 or 4 bus lines run there.

Second close call was snowboarding during a white out. To make a long story short, we were dumb and young and went off-piste even though we could not see anything. The result: I fall off a cliff I had not even seen. I was mid turn and ended up falling head first. Luckily I fell into fresh snow and not on some rocks. The cliff was maybe 10 feet tall? and of course back then nobody wore helmets when snowboarding or skiiing. I still can't believe we were dumb enough to go off piste in a white-out!