 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, do you think the non newtonian padded shorts worn by boarders and mountain bikers would be usefull for skiing. I’ve just found a pic I took last year of a huge bruise I had after a real wallop on Ice last year. As I’m getting older and more vulnerable I wonder if protection could be better than injury. Would they interfere with ski mojo or skiing in general. Does my bum look big in this springs to mind. I’ve never worn these so I don’t know how bulky they are, just looking for advice, or any better ideas.
If they are a good idea which ones to buy and from whom. I truly have no idea where to start.
Thanks
E
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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demon flexforce d30
Both of us wear them & my missus dont care about the bum looking big part compared to when she bruised her coccyx.
Borders tend to fall hard on their back bottom (or gut!) rather than sideways.
Womens shorts have more padding on the hips, while guys have more padding on the thighs.
We still get minor bruises, just not huge massive ones!
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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 would have thought it's more of a boarding thing. How often do skiers fall? I think my last (touch wood) was three years ago. A lot of fallers tend to land on the side/hip so having a padded bum might hinder rather than help.
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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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@enigma: My sympathies. Haven't looked at biker stuff. You could always try a DIY bubble wrap job until you make up your mind - I did! (see below)
@queenie pretty please: +1
I bought padded shorts a while back (Decathlon's cheapest), and they do provide some protection to the thighs and coccyx, but they haven't stopped me getting huge bruises in certain places like the hip from falls on hard surfaces.
They have absolutely no padding where the bone is closest to the skin! Ouch!
I think I will have a permanent lump from the last couple of falls at the PreBBWUW.
From then on, I duct-taped folded bubble wrap to those spots, which seems to work although it can get a bit sweaty.
I remember some snowboarders doing that from my early skiing days. It's well cheap.
Fell on hip again - no bruising! (I know, learn to ski.)
Looking for new shorts now.
I too imagine that the designers expect these shorts to be bought predominantly by snowboarders and design them for them, rather than skiers?
Just a thought - obviously I don't know.
What I'm looking for now is something that will protect me as a skier against a repeat injury in those places unprotected by the Decathlon thingy.
I've been looking at race-type protection, some of which is better, but it's expensive and I haven't committed yet.
Had an interesting talk with a member of staff at Ski Bartlett, but it didn't get any further than that.
Hoping for some good info from this thread . . .
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hip protection is the only thing you really need - it's pretty rare for a skier to go full coccyx slam and if you are launched in such a way that coming down hard like that is a possibility then spine pro is also a concern.
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you can easily get wiped out by another person.
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True. If I'd been wearing the padded shorts I had for boarding when I was wiped out and broke my pelvis, I'd probably have remained intact - because it was a side/hip impact and my boarding shorts had good side protection. However, it's a matter of risk assessment. I don't wear padded shorts skiing and by the same token, I don't wear a crash helmet when driving my car and I don't wear a life jacket when sailing a cruiser in mild conditions, warm water temperatures and good visibility. I do cycle on-road - carefully, and not in the wet or dark. But that's still a lot more dangerous than the ordinary sort of elderly skiing I do - I rarely fall because I ski conservatively within my competence level. People sometimes have very cock-eyed ideas about risk assessment and amelioration. Like not letting a sensible 10 year old go off on a short bus trip to meet friends at the shops.
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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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@pam w: Hear what you're saying. I wasn't wearing anything like this either and didn't hurt myself in a way shorts would help and had a similar view.
Until a couple of years ago when I did - and I've got older. It changed my mind for me.
What @Dave of the Marmottes says +1, and bruises to back it up. Disappointed to have spent on my shorts and not got hip protection. They are headed for the bin.
Via looking for reviews about the Demon D30, just blundered into this as an alternative to shorts:
https://demonsnow.com/store/DS1309%20Hip%20Belt%20X%20D3O
Demon X D3O Protection Snowboard/Ski Hip & Coccyx Belt L/XL Black (e.g. £38.97 from Absolute Snow)
Don't remember seeing these before.
For me, the adjustability of the pad position may be just what I'm looking for, plus less inconvenience than shorts with: all their extra (unnecessary for me as a skier - useful for snowboarders) padding bulk/getting them on+off/sweatiness.
Looks interesting and going to give it some thought.
(PS: I think they've nicked the duct-tape/bubble-wrap principle - stick it where it counts! . . . steady on there)
Anyone used them?
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Serious gear...
Got massive bruise and now permanent hip slight enlargement off snow but on icy rug at restaurant outside entrance.
Actually, I think hip impact protectors are more necessary than a back protector... I hope I don't change my mind now I've said that!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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After I didn’t get ridiculed and told to grow a pair I followed advice on here and bought protectors from Absolute snow, thanks for tip, arrived today, fantastic price. Tried them on with all the gear on , Ski Mojo, base layer, and salopettes. Very comfy. Not intrusive and can’t be seen as in big bum.
I hope to not need them for a real bump but they certainly look capable of absorbing blunt impact. An observation on something not mentioned is they possibly will keep your back bottom dry and warm on early morning lifts that haven’t been cleared of all the snow. So impressed I’ve bought the belt this morning , Absolute snows price is so good that I thought it’s almost buy one get one free.
Thanks to everyone who helped.
E
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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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I could only find one review and it was 'it's good'.
I too got the belt today.
Tried it on, and impressed by the protection compared to the Decathlon shorts.
Going to give them a go next season.
My warning to myself is to wear under them, at least a layer that covers the upper thigh. Maybe my cycling shorts.
As you move about the hip/thigh protection may rub as it doesn't follow the leg like shorts do.
From the photos you can see they haven't got much potential for articulation.
The hip/thigh protection stops not following your leg, only when the ski pants make it distort/fold under the ski pants. May accentuate the rubbing.
Most noticeable when going from a standing to a 90 degree bent leg, or sitting on a chair.
Perhaps the holes in the side protection are there to give you the option of taping them to your legs, like cowboys with revolvers; maybe not.
Maybe the rubbing doesn't matter, if it does, maybe tapes might help.
Can't tell at the moment.
I might try using tapes on the mountain. (Maybe duct tape again - I should get shares.)
I won't be trying the fridge for a test run - I think it will need a real thrash to see how it performs.
What hadn't been clear to me from the AS/Demon photos, was how the elasticated bits in the belt work out in practice.
They are at the side to the rear, and the velcro doesn't stick to them.
This means there is a limit to how far round the hip the side pads can be adjusted - depending on how large your waistline is.
I got the large size but I'm at the very bottom of the range of waist. Not bragging.
So maybe I'm at most disadvantage there.
I'll see how it works out at the PSB. I'll still be taking the bubble wrap, just in case . . .
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 23-08-18 15:29; edited 1 time in total
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@Fat George, your feedback has just stopped me hitting the buy button!
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You know it makes sense.
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btw the bum protector on shorts is removable.
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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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@holidayloverxx: Lucky you! The minute they were delivered I tried them on + ski pants; then straight to keyboard . . .
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just a thought.
I might've been misleadingly using the term 'hip' inaccurately for some people?
I expect 'hip' really ought to be used only for the bony protrusion at the top of the pelvis, below the soft waist?
Maybe an expert can help here.
What I'm interested in protecting, is the bony head of my thigh/femur - the hip joint? - where I've been getting impact/bruising, and I've loosely or wrongly been using 'hip' for that.
When out shopping it's looked to me like typical padded shorts have got pads on hip areas, but not on the femur head area - tends to be just stretchy fabric there.
It's generally understandable they should miss it out, because the ball joint area is where flexibility/stretchiness is most needed to allow the mobility needed for snowsports.
Maybe there's gel in that expensive race gear I looked at, that does all protection/flex/stretch jobs well enough, where plastic foam wouldn't.
And maybe snowboarders are more prone to a slam on the true hip, not the femur head?
I know for me (skier), it's the reverse.
PS: The Demon belt pads, unlike my Decathlon shorts, can be positioned to protect both of these areas.
(edited)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Fat George, For me "hip" means femur head, my race suit has some foam padding in that area.
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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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@rjs Thanks - glad I'm not the only one!
Didn't know I might be out of step with the manufacturers' use of wording.
Thought 'hip protection' label meant I’d also get protection to femur head/hip joint!
So, putting the shorts on . . . where’s that protection I thought I was going to get, then?
Oh, up there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Fat George,
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where’s that protection I thought I was going to get, then?
Oh, up there.
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Very amusing George...
BTW, I wear impact shorts to protect my hip bones. I removed nearly all padding (they were bulky and tight under my ski pants) except for over the hips where I doubled up materials. . I had to cut and sew the shorts to ensure a good fitting and to keep the impact padding tracking in place.
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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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You could try having a look at protective gear aimed at ice skaters. For example:
https://www.skatey.co.uk/Intermezzo_26/Padded-Shorts-For-Figure-Skating_245.html
I can't comment on how good they are or recommend any as I've never used any padded shorts. I found this link just by googling so again, no idea about the seller. But one thing I do know: skaters will fall at any angle, on any part of the body! I think my best ice skating fall was a few months ago when I fell backwards, ended up completely flat on my back but actually spun round a couple of times in that position because of the speed I'd been going at. 
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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 if I’d seen the Demon X Connect D30 Shorts (below, available only recently??), I’d have paid the £75-£85 for better protection/convenience/fit instead of the £41.00 I paid for the X D3O Belt as above? From Demon’s videos, it seems they ‘developed’ and ‘redesigned’ the shorts to include the protection afforded by the belt. . . so my guess is the ‘belt’ itself won’t be for sale for much longer. This new shorts’ design may look way better than previous shorts I’ve seen and used from the point of view of protecting a skier’s hip, but I'd need to try a pair to find out for real.
 :  : 
Feedback on how I liked the Belt below for hip protection skiing: For me, it’s fair value for money for the lesser hip risk. For now, I’ll carry on using it instead of the padded shorts I used previously. However I am thinking of modifying some shorts as well as per @T__Hee’s innovations: maybe a cheapo best of both worlds?
The Demon pads are D3O active gel type plus foam, and they are pretty convincing protection. I’ve used the belt for the two weeks’ skiing December 2018. I had a couple of accidentally-on-purpose falls on hard snow/ice in which I didn’t try to avoid impacting the hips, and the side pads worked fine for me.
After playing with how I wore the belt and the protection to suit myself, and then a couple of days or so of wearing it, I didn’t really notice I had it on.
I tried wearing the belt both with the rear coccyx protection and without. I’m not a snowboarder, or someone with a serious concern for lower back protection. After a while, I gave up using that bit. The belt and side pads did what I want fine, and it was easier to wear without the rear protection.
I had made some elastic velcro straps to hold the side pads in place on the leg like a cowboy’s holster, but gave up on them after a few days as not really worth the extra effort and faff. Possibly Demon had found that too. Maybe that’s why they hadn’t included suchlike in the final product, even though the side pads’ design looks to have been built to take such straps.
Re the side pad positioning, I tried different ones. I settled on a compromise with them so they were still protecting the hip joint well, but angled somewhat forward of vertical when standing up with legs straight. This meant they were more convincingly positioned when actually skiing.
Initially I found that the wide strap going round the waist was uncomfortable when skiing, if it was fastened straight across like a cummerbund as per the Demon photos – it dug in when bending forwards. Demon have made it wider than works for me that way. In that configuration it also has a tendency to slip down. For me this was mitigated by fastening diagonally to create a ‘vee’ centrally at the front. That shape then allowed me easier bending at the waist; it sat on my hips better and didn’t slip down. This might not work for other people's body shapes.
When layering up, I found that putting it on over all the pants/shorts/base layers and also on top of any shirts was the best option. Apart from better comfort, it lessened the difficulties I had answering call of nature No. 1. For answering call of nature No. 2 I found it’s a bit of a rigmarole, slightly more inconvenient (ha) than the padded shorts I had. For the other sex, this might be more of a problem, I can’t speak.
So if you can get the Belt cheap, they’re on the whole OK IMO, but for VFM I’d now be more interested in the X Connect D3O Shorts. Oh dear, might have to buy some. Has any SH bought them?
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I wear “Red” padded ladies shorts which have made an attempt at feminity by the addition of some lace bless them!!
I use them for dry slope skiing. However I only ever fall on my side, and they (like many other shorts) only protect pelvis and coccyx not hips so not really any use to me but I still wear them in case.
Sorry, back to topic!!
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one word - G Form . . .
g-form.com - less bulky than the rest - Pro-G board & ski compression shorts . . the footy shinpads are also awesome!
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