GoPro shares fell as much as 16 per cent yesterday following reports that the son of former Formula One hero Michael Schumacher’s had revealed to a French journalist that the use of a Go Pro camera had contributed to the shocking injuries sustained by his father who crashed while skiing.
The stock fell as much as 16 per cent in New York trading after Jean-Louis Moncet, a well-known French journalist, suggested the camera may have been part of the “problem” and may have worsened his head injuries.
“The problem for Michael was not the hit, but the mounting of the GoPro camera that he had on his helmet that injured his brain,” he said.
 |
| Michael Shumacher injured wearing a Go Pro camera |
Moncet initially said he met Schumacher’s son, Mick Schumacher, who presumably passed on the details.
As a regular skier I can relate to the claims which is why I am looking forward to the new HTC RE action camera hitting the market as it appears to be a superior design, delivers better functionality because of the design of the mounts and above all delivers excellent 1080p video which I was able to test recently at the New York launch of the HTC RE.
 Click to enlarge |
| New HTC RE |
On one occasion while skiing in Australia I had a fall with the full pressure taken on a helmet where a Go Pro camera was mounted. The camera was ripped off and the mount split. On another occasion I was skiing through trees and because the Go Pro sits up elevated above a ski helmet the camera got caught on branches hanging down from a tree.
On another occasion I was skiing in Corvora in the Dolomites when I discovered that the safety bar of the lifts often ripped the Go Pro camera which is a boxy design off my helmet when the bar was lowered.
What contributed to Go Pro’s success was a lack of competition, the closest competitor was the Contour camera which I ended up using. This camera easily mounted on the side of a helmet, did not look dorky and was highly functional. Unfortunately Contour got into financial trouble and the US Company restructured.
 Click to enlarge |
The HTC RE device is a very clever and well thought out camera that can easily be used in the hand or mounted on the body. It’s also half the price of a Go Pro camera.
At the New York launch I got a firsthand look at several of the HTC RE mount options for bikes, and those that can easily be attached to the body, they appeared to be well thought out and significantly better designed than those being offered by Go Pro
Retailers who stock the new HTC offering will benefit from the design of this device which I believe will have enormous appeal to women as well as those of us you love to capture those sporting moments or attempts at adventure.
I personally believe that Go Pro has peaked despite the release of their new Hero 4 offering.
Moncet told a French radio station ‘I saw his son and he told me that Schumi is waking up very slowly; very slowly.
 |
‘Although things are going at a slow pace, he has a lot of time, I would say he has his whole life in front of him to get back on track.’
Schumacher, 45, a seven-time Formula One champion, crashed while skiing in Meribel in the French Alps on December 29, suffering contusions to the brain as well as haemorrhaging.
Michael Schumacher was wearing a GoPro camera at the time of the accident.
GoPro, led by Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Woodman, went public in June. The shares have risen more than threefold, fuelled by sales of its tiny video cameras that adventurers strap onto their bodies to record their exploits.
Yet the stock has been volatile, including declining 6.9 per cent earlier this month after its founders donated some of their holdings to establish a charitable foundation, raising concern that releasing more shares might weigh on prices.
