Poster: A snowHead
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Where do I start - okay bum-check coccyx-check, elbows-check, knees, back and head-check. I expect to do a lot of fairly/very low speed falling. I want to get the level of protection that will help me enjoy my holiday without making me look like a storm trooper or something out of bladerunner. What would you suggest as a bare minimun? and will I need more or less should I actually improve? Any comments welcome!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With all the snow falling at the moment you won't need any of that. It will be nice and fluffy to fall into!
How much padding you wear depends on how much you care about the way you look. You can't go wrong with a bum pad, the jury is out on whether wrist guards prevent injury or just move it further up the arm, I wouldn't bother with elbow protection or knee protection, and I guess a helmet wouldn't hurt (no pun intended) although you probably won't be going fast enough to really need it for the first few days.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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for me: compulsory - bum and knees - as those were the bits I landed on mainly when falling - also helps keep the cold out when you're sitting or kneeling listening to the instructor (or as in my case resting because I was so knackered!)
optional - wrists and helmet - useful but on a fall forward I try to land on knees not hands, and helmet for occasional high speed fall where knees or bum aren't enough to stop a complete collapse!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Where do I start - okay bum-check coccyx-check
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hey this is all a bit risque for a Friday afternoon?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Maybe we should go to the hospital and pretend to have broken wrists, knees and bums so that they can plaster us up in advance - protected but not cool!
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I was boarding last week on crappy icy snow and f!$ked my wrist up good and proper, have an evil splint thing on it and these lovely ibuprophen stcky pads, but reckon I wouldve snapped the whole thing if I hadnt had a wrist guard on. Oh and knee pads, I went one day without them and my knees are black! If you're boarding on nice powdery snow it shouldnt hurt much when you fall according to gorgeous Mathieu my instructor.
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When you're learning you are going to catch a toe edge and smash your knees ! You're also going to catch a heel edge and land flat on your ar$e - so get knee pads and ar$e protection. Like others have said, wrist guards and a helmet would also help.
Try to practice falling down - not like a tree but like a piece of rope (bend your legs first).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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For day to day falls and bruising: wristguards and impact shorts. For big consequences: head and spine.
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I wouldn't bother with elbow protection or knee protection, and I guess a helmet wouldn't hurt (no pun intended) although you probably won't be going fast enough to really need it for the first few days.
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I would personally disagree with this. You spend a lot of time on your knees (deliberately) and if you catch a back edge, even at low speed, you are quite likelyto catapult backwards onto your head. I speak from experience having done exactly that at Milton Keynes on a "learn to snowboard in a day (ha ha) course". I was very glad I had a helmet on. First time on real snow, fell off a button lift and seat behind whacked me smartly on the head; glad again. It's not only flashy expert snowboarders who need helmets. The course was excellent, by the way.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No protection then - just extra life insurance
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Bare minimum - wrist guards, epecially for exactly the type of thing you describe - low speed falling.
www.ski-injury.com is a top website for some info on all of this.
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After all your good advice I bought Kim wristguards and me nothing. I was lucky until the last day when I took a really painful fall to my knee. I could barely bend it for a couple of days. The most painful fall was when I landed on my shoulder and I though t I'd broken my collar bone. Is there any protection for this area?
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You know it makes sense.
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if you wear all the gear you can it will take you till midday to get dressed.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Nick really what you need is a Michelin man suit
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nick. Learn to fall. Seriously. More people should learn to fall properly. Icicle is the only one above who has mentioned this. You have to overcome the instinct to shove your arms out and down or back and down as you go over - with a bit of effort on an easy blue you can practise falling (sounds daft, but it works) so that it becomes second nature to "tuck and roll" so that you don't expose an arm/wrist/thumb to the most extreme danger. For faster and harder impacts forwards, think of the belly flop on a trampoline where you put your arms out parallel to the trampoline bed to spread the load and protect your neck - DON'T reach down - you want to absorb the impact by slamming your forearms down onto the snow so that as much contacts the snow at the same time as possible. Trust me, you can learn to do this really quickly - especially if you've already hurt your thumb by not doing it right ( )
You know another really useful piece of information? It's impossible to catch a heel or toe edge if you let the board run in a straight line... not necessarily straight down the fall line, but if you learn to get on an edge and feel it early on, you can learn to carve turns faster, sense where your edges are and avoid catching them. I hate watching beginners coming sideways down a slope as you can see the edge catch just waiting to happen...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'd have to add - start with a helmet. I wouldn't ride anywhere without one now.
A broken wrist/shoulder/thumb is a pain - concussion and skull fractures are much less pleasant. They may occur less frequently... but they are 'big ticket' items.
If you're riding on artificial 'snow' (or whatever they call that stuff at MK), then you're a fool not to wear a helmet.
Kudos to the 'learn to fall' guys too - although if you're going fast/out of control (which does happen to beginners, even with the best intentions), it' won't necessarily bail you out.... so I'd second the bum/lower back pad for learning.
Don't forget to 'ball' your hands (so those pesky fingers are safely outta the way) too...
Oh - and when you get good, you'll _still_ be wearing a helmet, cos you'll be going a lot faster.
just cos' it's powder on top, doesn't mean its not rock underneath (or treestump, or lift pylon, or random bit of lost equipment....)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've worn the padded shorts, wrist guards (built in Level gloves) and a helmet from day one.... seeing my son's compound wrist fracture when he slipped on wet grass was all the convincing I needed for wrist guards! Helmet, well I'm also a biker & I'm well aware of how little a knock impact is needed for fatal head injury!... this was re-inforced when a chap we'd spent the day boarding with recently in Sunshine caught an edge on ice & went head first into a tree....it took a gauge out of his lid but god only knows what it would have done to his head.... fair play to him though.... he was going like f*ck for a 51year old!!!
All my protection kit is Dainese, I also use the knee guards and when I get the balls to play the park I'll wear my back protector.
As for what you'll look like.... wgaf? when I hurt my coxcyx on ice in the icedome I ended up with two fleeces down my pants as well as my padded shorts!! J-Lo has NOTHING on me! it really hurts! avoid at all costs - get baggy kit and nobody will know anyway!
carled, absolutely right about learing to fall.... instinct is to tense up and expose your limbs to save your fall, if you can overcome this, relax, tuck in & roll you'll end up with less injuries.... it's not easy though!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Wow thanks for the info! Carled, I think I fall quite well because my reaction time is so slow that I never had time to tense up for the shoulder fall. I do realise that I was extremely lucky on a couple of occasions. Next year I will have a helmet, kneeguards wristguards and shorts at least. Ian H. I already look like I'm wearing a michelin suit. The problem was for the first few ays the snow had been piling down and the landings were as soft as a duvet so I never bothered investing, but after a couple of days of pisting they had become very hard in places and I just happened to find them. Still had a great time though and I wil never be on skis again. Surgery wouldn't have got the grin off my face after a good days boarding. I $%^*$%& love it!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Impact shorts, knee pads, and a helmet are things I never, ever ride without. Knees can get very sore when riding, and if it's not easy for you to get up on your heelside, then you can flip the board over and get up on the toe side. Impact shorts just make everything more comfortable. When you stop to rest and want to sit down, you won't feel the cold. I wear the Burton impact shorts which look like something out of a Sci Fi film, but they work.
As for the helmet, my other hobby of choice is cycling, and while doing that I came up with a rule that I always wear a helmet when I'm doing anything faster than a running pace.
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