"Wear a helmet or you will not ride." -Brian Yeagle, Fractured skull, bleeding on the brain

"For how many decades could you get on the cover of a magazine doing a tabletop or a turndown? It's not like that anymore. It's gymnastics now, and if you don't think you're gonna smack your head, you're wrong." -Jimmy Levan, Frontal lobe brain contusion

"Head injuries come with the territory. I know that since I started wearing my helmet, there have been times when I would've been knocked out if I wasn't wearing my helmet. Beyond that though, bikes are dangerous." -Gary Young, Contusions on the brain, swelling of the brain

Jared SouneyBMX vert vet Ron Wilkerson crashed during an AFA comp in the late '80s, and remained in a coma for five days. Many consider Wilkerson's crash as the start of the full-face helmet revolution in vert. Here, he lookbacks at Woodward West in 2010.

"If BMX was a "real" sport, it would be a much bigger deal. Football players get two concussions in a year and they're out. They're not allowed to play anymore. Even hockey players, they get one concussion and they have to take six weeks off." -Brian Foster, Fractured skull

"Street is a little weird though. I've been doing it for so long, and it's a natural thing to just walk out the door and ride. You don't want to think about the fact that you're doing something dangerous. You want it to feel second nature, but the truth is, it's dangerous." -Van Homan, Fractured skull and bleeding and bruising on the frontal lobe of his brain

"Things have changed in riding. It's ten times crazier now. The velocity of a double flip, or barspin gap to rail can kill even the toughest dude and you just don't know when you're going to slip up. Confidence in a rider can get the best of him." -Ian Munro, Major brain hemorrhaging, cerebral contusions and spider fractures across the back of the skull

The one fact that seems to jump out at me is the circumstances under which head injuries seem to happen. And for the majority of people, it's that tiny window towards the end of a session when things are winding down and the phrase "One more time" comes out. That's also the time when your confidence might be raised or when you're not fully focused on what you're doing. If you do find yourself at this point, and you're riding without a helmet, maybe it's not the best time to be putting yourself at risk. Take a step back from what you're doing and remind yourself what Gary Young said: "Bikes are dangerous."

rutgerpauw.com/Red Bull Content PoolKye Forte's setup, including helmet. Forte's brother Toby crashed and suffered a major head injury while riding concrete several years ago, and following his recovery, the Forte brothers have become vocal proponents of helmet use.

If we learn to respect that fact, we could all be doing our heads a favor.

In conclusion, there's no one all-encompassing sentence we can write to convince anyone out there that wearing a helmet is a step in the right direction. It is ultimately, up to each individual to decide for his or her self. And if the testimonials of each rider we've profiled is any indication, that decision to become more vigilant about wearing a helmet seems to arrive after some form of head injury or brain trauma is endured. Some might interpret that as the hard way to learn a lesson. And yes, it is to some degree. But the result was a positive change for themselves and the BMX community that is influenced by these riders.

And I can't argue against that. Be safe out there.

THE "HEAD FIRST" SERIES ON ESPN BMX

• Head Injuries in Action Sports
• Part 1: Brian Yeagle
• Part 2: Jimmy Levan
• Part 3: Gary Young
• Part 4: Brian Foster
• Part 5: Van Homan
• Part 6: Ian Munro
• Part 7: Conclusion