 Poster: A snowHead
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lets face it.. sking is for girls.. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| tapar1 wrote: |
| Is it just me or do you hit harder when taking a fall on a snowboard as compared to skiing... tried out snowboarding last winter and when that front edge bites it seemed like I got whipped into the snow harder than taking a spill on skis... anyone out there with experience both boarding and skiing who can comment... seemed to me that fall impacts on a board are a bit more severe than on skis... your comments appreciated... thanks. |
The total injury-rate for boarders is roughly two times higher than it is for skiers.
Boarders hurt their head, wrists, knees and ankles.
Skiers damage their knees and get lacerated.
Boader injuries are heavily skewed toward young males between 13 and 25. They register way-above-average rates. Bravado and inexperience are among the causes.
You can reduce the risk of board injury with correct boots, knee supports, wrist supports, back support and a good helmet.
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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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stedlocks, welcome to snowHeads 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
| I find the worst fall to be when you're on your toe-edge, facing fairly up hill, and somehow manage to whip backwards, slamming your head into the snow. |
agree with this one, or alternatively when you are getting just a bit too confident and you are flying along on what you thought was faily flat ground but is sneakily turning into bit of a slope and you think you can ride it out flat and not bother with an edge - and wallop - same effect - catapult vesion of above !!
I have now adopted two simple rules
1 - get low and if you feel a wobble get lower
2 - always fall up the slope, not down
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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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Aghhhhh it was a flat bit that got me. Caught the heel edge, put my arm out behind me and crack - broken and dislocated wrist. Also gave the back of my head one hell of a whack and was spun round at least once.
Daft thing is, I wear wrist, elbow, knee guards and a helmet when mountain boarding but just didn't think of taking any of these with me. Helmet and wrist guards will be the first thing in my case next trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I still fail to see how it is possible to catch an edge if you are boarding correctly and letting the board travel end to end, rather than skidding it sideways? The lesson is clear to learn (as I keep telling the beginner boarders in our group): you only stand a chance of catching an edge (at any appreciable speed, anyway) if you let the board travel sideways. Surely after the first painful slam, you should be able to get this into your head so you don't do it again and again? I was self taught and it sunk home very, very quickly after I managed a spectacular slam underneath a chairlift (isn't it always the case that your greatest cock-ups are witnessed by hoardes whilst your sweetest bit of skill/jump/stunt will be seen by you, a distant lift operative and a marmotte?).
Likewise I don't see the problem with flat bits - go fast, keep the board in a straight line until you want to stop and you CANNOT get a nasty edge...?
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carled, I have no idea what you are on about, maybe you have some sort of magic carpet board or you were just a super quick learner. I do not think anyone catches an edge on purpose but believe me it does and did happen, again and again. less so as you become more experienced. The point is that keeping the board strainght when riding flatish (particularly narrow passes etc.) picks up speed, reducing that speed needs a bit of sideways travel and bingo ! wallop, for the beginner boarder, if you are not on the correct edge/balanced. I think the type/stability of the hire board also has a bit to do with it too
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0ppish, mentioned breaking his heel on blades, well I managed to break my heel skiing a few years ago. I was very happily skiing down right on the edge of a blue piste in glorious knee deep powder but flat light conditions. I without any warning was suddenly free falling downwards, I instantly crapped myself and thought I'd skied off a cliff, I hit the ground with an almighty fud. Picked myself up blood everywhere and much pain from the heel of my right foot. I'd skied off a 12 foot drop onto a cat track, not quite a cliff. I didn't have much forward speed so I fell pretty much vertically and the cat track was pretty solid. The blood was from my broken nose. The pisteurs when they arrived with a blood wagon very nearly skied straight on top of me, over the same drop. I probably had a case to claim the ski company was at fault for not marking such a drop, but I was happy I hadn't busted my back or legs. Ended that season, but skied loads since.
As for snowboarding, I've tried to learn a few times, but as already pointed out, catching edges and getting slammed one too many times puts me off bothering.
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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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| Quote: |
Boader injuries are heavily skewed toward young males between 13 and 25. They register way-above-average rates.
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What happens to the overall injury rate when you take them out of the statistics?
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
Boader injuries are heavily skewed toward young males between 13 and 25. They register way-above-average rates.
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What happens to the overall injury rate when you take them out of the statistics? |
i would imagine the same thing that happens to any accident stat from sking to driving to waterparks to moterbikes to er enything.. it suddenly seems a whole lot safer ! except maybe accidents on stena stair lifts
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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One of my 19-year-old staff has just walked in with a face covered in scabs following a face-first dismount off a rail in the park. Tsk. 
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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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my best bruise is on the snowMedia zone- had to take a pic of it- it was awesome!
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You know it makes sense.
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Masque, I never want to see that again
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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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Oo-er! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Masque, are you allowed to pull moonies on this forum?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard, do you want a pic of the (truly apt descrition) plums? 
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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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Masque, hmmmmm ........... tempting offer, but I feel that I can just about muster the willpower to refuse.
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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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Hello. I'm new here but here's my contribution - I'd swear by a helmet....earlier this year in Heavenly another boarder crashed straight into me at speed and I flipped over twice to land with my head cracking onto the hard pack (if only there was the usual powder courtesy of the West Coast!!). Couldn't move neck for around three days but luckily the helmet took the brunt of it.
Leads me on to a questions - if you fall and really crack your helmet should you replace it?
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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tapar1, My experience is very limited but yes I would certainly have to agree with you. It's something about the speed that it happens. "helpful" people told me "fall backwards" Yeh? how when you're on the ground in not inconsiderable pain before you know what's hit you!
My son had his first boarding lesson last night and this thread doesn't make for comforting reading! 
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rayscoops, I never get a choice!! 
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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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Swirly Thanks, unfortunately I think that may be the case. I checked with Snow and Rock and they came up the usual we can't guarantee it would protect you, blah, blah. Oh well suppose I ought to be better safe than sorry
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This boarding sounds like dangerous stuff.
!!Potentially silly question alert!!
Can you be taught to fall in such a way that you minimise the chance of doing yourself a serious injury?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| cormid80 wrote: |
This boarding sounds like dangerous stuff.
!!Potentially silly question alert!!
Can you be taught to fall in such a way that you minimise the chance of doing yourself a serious injury? |
Absolutely - tuck and roll but some instruction systems won't do it because of the liability issues involved in deliberately making someone fall.
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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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cormid80, don't stick your arms out.
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cormid80, don't fall over !
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You know it makes sense.
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debbi, some of us aren't blessed with that option.
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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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Swirly, I was being facetious !
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes, yes you can. My advice would be not to ever put your arms out to brace a fall, ever ever, whether you're falling forwards, backwards or any other direction. I've only done this seriously once and my shoulder still hurts almost a year later (and I was lucky compared to some people). Try to tuck limbs and head into the roll and just go with it, rolling over a shoulder if at all possible. Of course, if you get slammed down onto your back this might not be possible, but try to avoid putting your arms out anyway... spread the impact over your whole back rather than putting all the force on your wrists and arms.
Personally skiiing scared me far more than boarding... at least with boarding I have a reasonable guarantee that my legs will always be pointing in more or less the same direction so the dreaded 'super-splits' is very unlikely, and knee injuries also seem to me like they're less of a worry with boarding.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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debbi, long word for you  I should have put a smiley after that last post, sorry.
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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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My favourite snowboard falls include:
The Scorpion: Catch your front edge, arms go spread out in front and the board flips up over your back, makes you look like a scorpion.
The Superman: When you carry on sliding down the hill with both arms straight out front.
The Goggle throw: The elastic pings them off and you have to retrieve them in ignominy.
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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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firebug, yes I also can do a good impression of a snow cannon: sliding down a steep slope on my back trying to get a heel edge in to stop but only succeeding in throwing snow everywhere!
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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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Don't forget these stylish falls:
The Wiley Coyote: while moving fast, transition seamlessly into a spreadeagled position face-first into the nearest flat surface (snow if you're lucky)
The Drowning Man: exiting from a chairlift, lose balance/edge and grab nearest support (often another chairlift user) while falling, which often leads to...
Dominoes: One hapless beginner can take out multiple people on the chairlift, especially when surrounded by other newbies.
The Strike: One beginner going faster than their skill level would suggest acting as a bowling ball taking out an entire ski school in spectacular lawsuit-inducing style...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Catching your heel edge and landing on your bum, smacking the back of your head on the ground is my unfavouritest!! 
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The Custard Tart - bombing up into a steep jump only to catch an edge and faceplant into the top. Crawl over & appear on other side with only face covered in snow
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RobintheBobin, yes you should always replace a helmet that's had a real whack, or that's what I've always been told - I think most of them are made of a material that absorbs the blow but cannot absorb two (like a car crumple zone).
I think i might illustrate a little guide to falls  these are great!
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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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I expected the falls learning. Still a beginner, but falling horribly much less often. Had the heel edge slam last week when I was almost stopped. Some good tips here for trying to avoid it. I really padded up for beginner lessons. My best accidental discovery was to fold up a neck gaiter and put it along your tail bone. And knee pads which are nice for kneeling in cold snow. (Just don't forget it's there in the bathroom)
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If a helmet takes a significant knock, then it definitely needs to be replaced. The protection it provides is through the failure of its internal structure. If you take a knock, then you use up some of that capacity (how much depends on how much energy is involved, and that depends on mass and even more so on velocity). However, you cannot rely on being able to see the effect. I think the technical term "barely visible damage" applies here (based on a lecture I saw some years ago from a biomechanics/safety-engineering professor). If in doubt, replace. And every few years replace anyway.
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FAQ
either forward or backwards will do fine 