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Padding for children?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Assuming we are able to get away in December (a brave assumption as this trip has been put back 2/3 times since early 2020!!) my 7 year old has expressed an interest to try snowboarding.

Back in 2019, pre-pandemic she had just started to get to grips with skiing (i.e. she could go on a drag lift/poma by herself, could do controlled snowplough turns and go on a chair lift with an adult), but unfortunately we haven't been able to get away since then.

So, the plan was for her to do ski school in the mornings and then she can come with us in the afternoons or she's had enough then we'll abandon skiing for the day.

That's all good (just mentioning the above bit, in-case it influences the answer in anyway)...however she asked if for week 2 she could try snowboarding, so that got me wondering about crash shorts or similar.

Personally I am happy enough to look like the Michelin man when boarding with a back protector, wrist guards, crash shorts and knee pads...but then I'm older, more paranoid and more breakable.

For kids, obviously there is a balance of not wanting to put them off with too much gear that they get hot in and find uncomfortable vs falling over too much and wanting to stop (as of course the falling is different to skiing).

So, the question is...for a 7 year old, who has never boarded (never skateboarded either), do I need to worry about crash shorts, knee pads and/or perhaps wrist guards or is that overkill for a small bouncy child?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I'd say some sort of butt protection and wristguards maybe worth considering. Kids bounce and if they are lighter they don't have the same momentum to slam. Better that they learn to fall properly ( elbows and shoulder rolls rather than wrists) than protective gear that may unbalance then.
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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?
For my two, nothing. I offered stuff to them but they didn't bother beyond usual helmet.

The only one I'd maybe advise going for is cheap wrist guards. I know they are a divisive thing but just protecting bruised thumb or palms at that stage is good, while they learn good falling practice. Make sure they fit under mitts too.
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Doing something similar, the little 'un was seven couple of days ago and barring cancellation is booked up to be back out in Ab for couple weeks end of Jan

I can guarantee you'll get a lot of differing opinions, but she just wears crash pants & helmet, for skiing and 'boarding, and until she starts to venture off trail I'm not convinced there's any need to armour up

JMO
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
You fall backwards, its on your back bottom, fall forward, its on your knees. Also consider wrists.

Cheap wristies = no. They are solid, so if the wrist was going to break, all that energy will go up & break the arm instead. Flexmeters bend at the wrist & absorb impact.
Knees = prob not needed unless you know you are going to be late in the season. Ie slushy afternoons = hard impact ice the next morning.
Crash shorts = yes. Bruised tail hurts & it if you do it on day 1, then you will not enjoy 2-6. Do it on day 6, then shorts aint needed!

I have kids skateboarding on flat concrete with more protection than I see the same age get thrown down a hill…. Snow is only soft for a few cm, after that it is as hard packed as concrete.
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When you're in lessons you spend a lot of time not stood up.
You can either kneel to listen and watch the instructor, or you can sit.
So padded shorts (or just a simple butt-guard) and knee pads are good for this if nothing else.
Helmet is also a good idea, wristies ( one of my kids used them when learning , the other 2 didn't, Mrs did, I didn't) but we tried to learn not to put our hands down, but roll and use elbows / knees / butt etc...
Using your hands to stop you is not a great idea, and can easily break collar bones, arm bones etc even with decent wristies.
Back protectors are good for the park, but as a beginner probably not needed.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Ideally they won't be sitting down much - a sign of a ski instructor who drew the short straw.

Ideally they won't be falling much either - but this can be tougher with kids than adults. The kids can't see the bigger picture so much and just throw themselves around - honestly for some of them this is half the fun!

Helmet - big yes. Edge catches shouldn't happen, but if they do the head is at risk. Edge catches could happen right from your first exercise with 2 feet strapped in.

Wrist guards - yeah. I've only ever had 2 bad injuries in my lessons, and one was a kid with a broken wrist (she was standing in the lift queue with both feet unstrapped and stepped on someone's skis or board...) Wrist guards are way easier to go up a size and over the gloves. I've never seen anyone wearing a wrist guard damage their wrist, so can't comment on this upper-arm fracture thing... it doesn't sound likely to me, and isn't breaking your arm easier to heal from than breaking your wrist anyway?

Impact shorts - yeah! An extra layer of warmth if they are sitting, and takes the string out of it if they do go down hard.

Watch out for boot sizing - left to their own devices kids will choose a boot 3 sizes too big. Board up to their chin - oversized actually slightly better than undersized - more stable - balance is easier! And bindings a cubit apart - again, wider better than narrower for the first few lessons.

Good luck!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
My Son, when around 10, took a notion to try snowboarding (he'd been skiing from a tot). He was dressed the same as for skiing - ie. just a Helmet as the only safety gear.

He seemed to spend a lot of time with the board sliding gently out from under him and sitting on his backside. He had no injuries, didn't complain of bruises, enjoyed his week.....but went back to skiing, as it was less hard work and he was a lot better at it.

He had a well known trendy Instructor - and by the end of the week, every Snowboarder in Tignes Lac seemed to recognize him and greeted him by name. There really is a "Community Feel" amongst Snowboarders, which is quite different - in a good way.
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A good consensus here, much appreciated all!
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As said to stop the wrist breaking you need something solid resembling a cast. The wrist won't break it will just transfer the force further up your arm which will break instead. Exactly the same how breaking/spraining an ankle is basically impossible in ski boots, the force will just go up and break the tub/fib or damage ACL.

There is also the argument that wrist guards may promote beginners putting arms out as they fall, rather than learning to fall correctly.

Quote:

broken wrist (she was standing in the lift queue with both feet unstrapped and stepped on someone's skis or board...)


Honestly that's just a freak accident rather than a snowboard injury. Could have just as easily slipped on some ice walking to a lift in the morning, but we wouldn't suggest wrist guards for that.

My experience is kids bounce. Helmet is definitely necessary, but other than that I would probably only consider some kind of padded shorts, but even that would be optional.
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My two, currently 16 & 14 ski 70%, board 30%, twice a year. Never used any padding.

If the fckers want to go to the dark side they can suffer Skullie Skullie

That's a joke btw, I am very jealous of their ability to do both and would get them padding if required but they've never expressed any desire for it, even when asked.
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