I've had one of the Ruroc helmet's for the past 3 seasons.
Does it look stupid? Well I get a hell of a lot more compliments on it then I do looks of disgust. I both enjoy it and find it annoying in some areas. Here's how I feel about it.
Pros
-It actually looks cool when you have it on. If you say it looks dumb, it's because you've never had one before. If you hate these, you must hate BMX helmets also, cause it's pretty much the same.
-The mouth piece comes off as such.
So if you want extra breathing space, you can take the bottom part off. Take the bottom piece off and it's just like your standard helmet/goggle combo.
-When the goggles and mouth piece are attached, you have a full shield. I was surprised at the extra confidence I got wearing this. Not because I thought it looked cool. But because it felt snug and really did feel like it would protect me if I were to hit my head. I've seen plenty of skiiers fall back and their helmets ride up their jacket and they still hit their head. No worries with this.
-There is a pretty good ventilation system in the helmet, so the goggles don't ever fog up. That was a big concern for me. But it's only ever happened to me once, and that was because I didn't latch the mouth piece on correctly.
-The mouthpiece has a sort of a drainage system so condensate doesn't build up in the helmet. It ''leaks'' out the side.
-The goggles and mouthpiece fit snug on the helmet. No holes for piercing wind to sneak in, unlike the standard helmet/goggle combo. There is a small airstream, but it was by design so your face doesn't heat up. If god forbid I ever got lost on the ski hill overnight, I could leave the helmet on and have pretty good protection over my entire head.
-People really do think it looks neat. I have a black ski outfit and I look like some black storm trooper/darth vader combo.
-Has a go-pro slot for the top.
Cons
-If you have a large head, you're hooped. I would consider myself normal sized head. I got the largest size. It's not going to fit if you have a fat head.
-Once it's on, it's on. It's kind of a hassle to take on and off all the time if you're one of those people who likes to take their helmet off on the chairlift to air out.
-Claustrophobic? Not for you.
-If you have to cough or sneeze, enjoy it literally going back onto your face if you leave the helmet on.
-Expensive as hell. I paid $350 for mine 3 years ago, and plus I had to pay the UPS guy another ~$60 international fee when he showed up at my door. No mention of that when I bought it.
Overall I think it's a great purchase. Not for every body though. But I consider a helmet to be a pretty important part of being on the hills, and the Ruroc has been excellent for me. If you want a full face shield like I did, it's a good investment. Pricey, but extremely durable and will last a long time.
Also another important thing to note. If you wear a neck guard to block the wind, you'll still need one with this helmet. There is no neck protection, so you will feel a stream of cold air without one. I've tried it both with and without, and I definitely prefer to have it.
