 Poster: A snowHead
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For the last 18 months or so I've insisted my 8 year old son wears a back protector. Most of the kids in his dry slope race club wear one but they are not compulsory. However, his snow race training club have made them compulsory alongside helmets. Looking around the Chalet this week he appeared to be the only one wearing any firm of protection other than a helmet. A few people asked me why he wears it and did he have a back problem. I simply answered that he wore it to protect his back from problems.
Yesterday we were having a bit of fun on the Boarder/Skier Cross track next to Grand Pre. We had done it a few times this week without incident. However, all that was to change. As we approached the final section that has 3 rollers I could see he was going a bit quicker than before. Instead of absorbing the first roller he jumped it and landed on the second. This through him up and backwards and he hit the third one hard and on his back coming to a stop on the other side. When I approached he was screaming in pain and saying it was his back. Our instructor came back up and by pure chance a Pisteur was just off the side and came to our assistance. I went back up to the final roller as people coming over would not see anyone lying there until the final moment. What then happened still amazes me. Despite me standing on the top of the final roller and waving ski poles to warm oncoming traffic to slow down some continued to hurtle past without any attempt to reduce speed.
As a parent I just wanted to be with my son but knowing he was in good hands it was more important for me to ensure the area was safe and do what I could to stop idiots crashing on to them. I could see the Pisteur checking him very carefully and slowly getting him to move. After about 10 minutes she got him standing and moving. My relief was immense. The instructor and Pisteur got him into his skis so I headed down and joined them. We then skied very gently down to Fontaine Froid and downloaded on Olympique. He struggled to turn so had to snowplough.
After a warm bath, a bit of massage and Calpofren he was more comfortable. He is still a bit sore today but I think it is muscular and probably a bit of spasm.
I am utterly convinced that had he not been wearing his back protector then the outcome would have been very different and much more serious. I suggest than all parents get their kids a back protector. I was watching a few kids from the Chalet on the Snowpark and some were doing sizeable jumps. Not one of them was wearing any form of protection apart from helmets.
Edited to correct typos made by trying a long post on a phone.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 28-03-16 14:55; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Helmets & back protectors are mandatory in Club de Sport Tignes.
Glad he's ok and hopefully after a quiet day he will be back on form tomorrow.
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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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@stewart woodward, I noticed yesterday on the digital message board on the entrance to Borsat they were recommending helmets and back protection for children.
The race clubs do appear to be taking a lead on this but I do believe there should be wider publicity to increase adoption outside of racing.
Charlie Guest's accident last year certainly helped bring it on to the clubs agenda. She has said if she hadn't been wearing one she could well have been paralysed.
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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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@Gaza, very glad it sounds like he's ok! Will follow your advice for junior
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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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Our whole family wear back protectors. Giant "why not" from me, and my wife's has saved her serious injury twice. Ironically neither time when skiing, but when walking on wet floors with skiboots, she went full on ninja turtle when both legs went and she landed plumb on her back!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Food for thought indeed. Are there standards or CE markings that we ought to look out for?
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@JohnHSmith, my son has the previous version of this -http://www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com/product/kadet/2380 - the spec seems the same but the colour scheme is different.
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Thanks. I've just been wandering around the internet and I see that there are CE marked products. I'm thinking of granddaughter for next season. I suppose that I should be looking at adult versions as well.
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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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Pleased to hear the back protector worked. Good news.
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Be prepared for sweaty kids moaning how hot they are, especially now spring it here.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My son has worn a back protector since age 6. He was doing pretty big jumps before that, so should have had one earlier... Its just the protector and straps, so doesn't add too much warmth. Good and bad - I've heard people that get cold like their vest type ones as they keep them warm.
Hasn't needed it fortunately, but I always make sure he wears it. Not just for crashes, but also for people skiing into him.
I don't have one, but I probably should... I usually wear a rucksack anyway.
Glad your son is ok.
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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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Well done for insisting he wears one and thanks for posting.
Our 9 year old likes these park things so definitely something to look at, indeed for all of us as my back is not what it used to be.
As I know nothing about these does anyone know any retailer in West London where they know what they are talking about in regard to these?
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I was watching a few kids from the Chalet on the Snowpark and some were doing sizeable jumps. Not one of them was wearing any form of protection apart from helmets.[/quote
^^^^
My son wears a back protector but you wouldn't know it under his jacket.
I do agree though, they probably weren't. A protector didn't even cross our minds until he joined the freestyle training at our local club and even then we didn't think about it at first!! 
We got him the POC waistcoat style on recommendation from Valais on here. I'm hoping we don't have arguemwbts about him wearing it on our ski holiday, this will be the first time with it. Just hope it becomes second nature, but making him warm is a concern as he might moan about it.
We gots ours online from Gravity Protection, great customer service and they offer a discount to Snowheads!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gaza, just noticed you said the kids from the chalet, so you knew they didn't have protection - sorry I just thought you meant random kids.
Good to hear your son is ok, and your story gives me amo should my son act up regarding wearing his!!
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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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@ster, I'd guess that Ski Bartlett in Hillingdon is probably a good bet (I've not actually looked at back protectors, but they seem very knowledgable about most things.)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Our 18yr old has worn a back protector since he was 8. He now wears the POC waistcoat style protector too. He views it as cool kit like his range of helmets. Very glad he does judging from some of the videos we see of him online!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just to say, that if they do wear a back protector (mine both do), its important they fit properly. If they are too long it can cause problems and give them neck injuries
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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 screwed up once badly last season and got launched at speed off an icy lump to a hard landing on my back. There was a nasty moment while I thought the worst but my back protector did its job and while walking was painful that day I was well enough to pound it hard the next day. You don't need one til you need one then you really need one.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Back injury mechanics:
hyper-flexion trauma
hyper-extension trauma
rotational injury
compression
combination of some/all of above
direct force to vertebra; the only one the back protector is any good at reducing......probably.....then there is the medical evidence..?
Thankfully wearing an expertly fitted back protector probably does no harm.
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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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@Gaza, ...excellent and important post. For over ten years my two have had helmets and back protectors.
Three years ago I outlined an accident which my son had when he was tiny, hit by another adult skier entering a junction far too quickly and without the capacity to react to those in the junction. Professionals at the scene were clear that the POC back protector and helmet saved him from serious injury.
At the time of that post someone posted '...you could wrap them in cotton wool and that would have the same effect; kids don't need to ski with this kind of protection...'
I am glad the tide of culture is turning. Mine have never complained about helmets or protectors, they simply put them on automatically. The high quality design means that they do not impede their skiing. Now, it's good see more people adopting the same approach. Good stuff.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jar had a pretty big tumble yesterday on a similar ski cross route and is doing some pretty big jumps. We should probably look some back protection, he's only just started racing and his club doesn't insist on it.
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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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It's good to know that the child in the crash was apparently sufficiently in control not to be an "idiot" himself should he have come across another fallen skier in his track before he crashed.
| PP wrote: |
| Back injury mechanics:... Thankfully wearing an expertly fitted back protector probably does no harm. |
"... there appears to be a mismatch between customer expectations, injury occurrence and the actual preventive potential of currently available protectors."
Nothing new there then.
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@Gaza, by the look of it you need to turn his bindings down a notch or two as well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Gaza wrote: |
| I went back up to the final roller as people coming over would not see anyone lying there until the final moment. What then happened still amazes me. Despite me standing on the top of the final roller and waving ski poles to warm oncoming traffic to slow down some continued to hurtle past without any attempt to reduce speed. |
@philwig, Re-read what I wrote: I was referring to those idiots who, despite me standing on the roller and waving my poles, continued at the same (high) speed. What did they actually think I was trying to do/indicate? Thankfully the vast majority immediately slowed and passed safely.
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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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@musher, they are set-up correctly for his weight and skier type. I think that as he went backwards and then on his side there was no sideways or forward force, hence why they stayed on.
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@Gaza, to me it looks like he lands on his left ski and falls sideways, so not sure the back protector actually did anything in this particular crash? However I did notice lots more folk wearing them in Kitzbuhel a few weekends back.
Main thing is he is ok 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Gaza wrote: |
| Gaza wrote: |
| I went back up to the final roller as people coming over would not see anyone lying there until the final moment. What then happened still amazes me. Despite me standing on the top of the final roller and waving ski poles to warm oncoming traffic to slow down some continued to hurtle past without any attempt to reduce speed. |
@philwig, Re-read what I wrote: I was referring to those idiots who, despite me standing on the roller and waving my poles, continued at the same (high) speed. What did they actually think I was trying to do/indicate? Thankfully the vast majority immediately slowed and passed safely. |
Maybe you should have taken your skis off and made a cross with them upright in the snow, the standard indicator for an accident site on the slopes when somebody is waiting for/receiving treatment/assistance? People would be more inclined to slow down then, especially as people waving poles around is a very common sight...
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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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I have just been starting to look at back protector for horse riding for my daughter. Does any body know if I can buy one,which suits both sports?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Sitter, my daughter had an accident in feb half term, although I had crossed my skis about 20metres above her, with plenty of vision above that to be seen by skiers uphill, and placed the warning banner that the pisteur gave me to install, that did not stop a few cockwombles using the skis/banner/blood waggon as makeshift slalom gates (deliberately!!). if I had my poles in my hand I would have speared the f!!!!!s.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| terrygasson wrote: |
| @Sitter, my daughter had an accident in feb half term, although I had crossed my skis about 20metres above her, with plenty of vision above that to be seen by skiers uphill, and placed the warning banner that the pisteur gave me to install, that did not stop a few cockwombles using the skis/banner/blood waggon as makeshift slalom gates (deliberately!!). if I had my poles in my hand I would have speared the f!!!!!s. |
Didn't say it would stop the idiots, just maybe reduce them going by incidents I've seen in piste over the years. There's always gonna be those knobs out there, unfortunately.
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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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@Sitter, if you were coming down that course and saw a 6' 1" man in a bright orange/red jacket standing on the middle of a roller without skis, with his arms outstretched and moving them up and down vertically; would it not suggest that there may be some kind of issue ahead?
Like @terrygasson if anyone had got much closer than they did I'd have had no hesitation in whacking them with my poles.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Personally I own one but I only wear it for freestyle for boxes etc, my daughter has never worn one. As someone posted above the only injury I can see it might reduce is a blow to the back e.g landing on the corner of a box or a rail. I'd say decent coccyx protection and a helmet makes more sense.
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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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I enjoy the side effects in that it keeps my back warm, tucks my beer-belly in a bit and helps my posture.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Back protectors seem v popular in Scandinavia for kids. Our two wear them. Thinking about getting one myself. I think that they have to fit well, otherwise could cause problems.
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The musette saw 2 bigger kids in the cafe lunchtime wearing them and said "I should bring mine shouldn't I". "Funny you should mention that" I said, especially as she'd had a bit of an incident on a rail earlier.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| I have just been starting to look at back protector for horse riding for my daughter. Does any body know if I can buy one,which suits both sports? |
Nicky try looking into D3O protectors, scott do them as well as a few specialist horse companies, but I get all my stuff from a dutch company called Xion they produce a wide variety of protective gear, I not only use the back protector but the body armour as well.
All our race kids wear back protectors goes with the helmets as well.
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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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Are back supports the same as back protectors?
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@yetijames, I wouldn't say so. To me, a back support will generally be something that provides support to the lower back while a protector provides protection for the spine.
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