Official Video: Practice Doesn't Mean Perfect - EWS Round 1, Rotorua

 even enduro-specific helmets are not enough...

 Wound a little tightly today fella? My home trails are alot like this and 99% of the time, it's just called a trail ride. We could wrap them in bubble wrap if you'd like?

 Here here @bizutch!

It should be the rider's choice what kind of safely gear they want to wear. whenever it's a helmet, knee pads, shin guards, elbow guards, HNR, or lack thereof.

 i prefer my Urge Archi Enduro fullface over my open face when it comes to racing or riding the fast gnarly stuff .

 A small part of me thinks full face helmets being compulsory should be considered for sure, especially if racing. But a bigger part of me thinks it should be down to a rider what level of protection they wear. Saying that, some of these tracks are pretty much mini downhill tracks, so perhaps it depends on the track. One for the organisers to decide maybe?
@Bizutch comparing a trail ride with a round of the EWS isn't really a fair comparison, trail rides generally don't involve pushing yourself to your max and risking a big wipeout. Unless you race your mates every time you go for a ride.

 I am with bizutch@ on this one! Its and Enduro not a downhill!

 i think its down the the rules of the country! i know at the uk round full faces aren't compulsory but anywhere else in the eu they are!

 I suppose the middle ground is a 2 piece like the Bell Super 2R. But then it's down to laying out more money on another bit of kit. Personally I'm not fit enough to race one of these things so a trail lid works for me. Maybe amateurs should be made to wear a 2 piece, or full face, and everyone else can do what the hell they like.

 I'm not 100% sure...but I think the riders can choose any helmet they want for PRACTICE. When it comes to race day, I think the EWS rules say a full face is mandatory for all stages (not sure what the rules are for the liaison ride between stages though?). This is a video of practice, so it's not surprising to see half lids being used.

 back in the 90,s and early 2000s when i raced DH locally we had to wear a full face , and have gloves and no exposed skin on your legs and arms , no rules on padding just exposed skin . when i got back into the sport i was shocked at how many riders where racing in basically t shirts and shorts with a helmet .

 I do wonder how to some riders their image is way more important than a bit of protection. But everyone's different, and I'm not one to dish out advice to anyone about what they wear. And there's an awful lot of skilled riders out there. But looking at how gnarly and how fast some of these tracks are, I know I'd be wearing a full face.

 Australian Enduro races now require full face as of this year.

 there was a time when every rider on the UCI DH circuit was fully armored in a Dainese Gladiator suit or similar . Palmer was one of the first to adopt the motocross baggy jersey and pant or shorts look that is the standard today , even then he still had armor .

 They are all big boys and girls who know how to ride bikes. I think they can decide on what they need to wear. Personally I choose mental clarity (better cooling, better breathing) then a "safer" helmet.

 My bad - just watching the live feed and lots of riders in half lids! So obviously there is no rules saying mandatory full face on race day!

 FYI, I work in the insurance biz. If the organizer mandates full face helmets to limit liability exposure and the potential for brain injuries, helivac etc or to "clean up the profile of the sports safety", then the argument gains weight.

I was picking a little with the @MatthewCarpenter but mainly because he gave a blanket statement that I knew would bust open a dam of response if I just pulled that one rock out of the dam.

Rider safety is personal and sensibly we should all look after ourselves in a way we see fit. On the flip side, organizers have to do what they deem as due diligene.
I have to add ONE BIG THING though. Crater style do or die jumps on that Crankworx DH were idiotic. One locked rear wheel and a rider hits a stack of 4 foot high pungee sticks and logs in the name of boosting? I have and will always advocate for letting the pros go as big as they want to go, but I have NEVER understood canyon jumps on a race course of any kind.

 Gap jumps are part of mountain biking especially downhill. If you don't want to take the risk go do something else or take the time penalty of riding round them. Its not like we are forcing people to hit them.

 Nope. Pretty sure you're forcing the pros to ride them if they want a paycheck.,,so yeah.

 Don' mistake a shower and shave for magic... ha!

 Epic answear

 Life is epic sir.

 "Endurist"

 Why? The "a female dog keeps peeing in the same spot on the lawn" cheek blotches are working so well for him.

 Thats the idea, I think

 ahahah, I laughed indeed when I saw it - he's such an Endurist or... Endurista!

 ep3.pinkbike.org/p2pb12054613/p2pb12054613.jpg
There's your linko

 I WANT BIGGER RESOLUTIONO

 Seriously now, here: www.pinkbike.com/photo/12054613/?s6

 Is Leov wearing WADERS? That's one hell of a harness son.

 shouldn't enduro time stages be downhill courses? isn't that the idea?

 Is it? Do we really know? Why not just call it downhill?

 Because of the multiple timed stages and transfer sections. Its just a different format, the rider skill dictates the trail difficulty, not the tagname.