 Poster: A snowHead
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One of our group who is going to Samoens this Saturday has just broken their hand in a non-snow related incident  . He's got a tempoary cast a the moment and is going back for another assessment on Friday.
This is his first outing to the mountains, and he was planning on boarding. I know how hard on the hands/wrists learning to board can be, but was wondering is anyone has any experience in trying to either ski or board with a busted hand. Is it worth the risk? Could he still hit the hill if he got it put into a heavy cast for protection?
If not, anyone know anything interesting to do in Samoens one-handed (keep it clean!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If he wants to keep it clean, wear a latex glove.
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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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Richard_Sideways, I wouldn't recommend learning to board with a broken hand.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Frosty the Snowman, Thats what i reckon too, although thats what he was planning on doing as he got given a board and bindings by a friend... Though what about skiing? As long as he can grip poles etc he may be ok, though beginner skiers don't use poles that much anyway, do they? 
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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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Richard_Sideways, I had a week this year skiing with a broken thumb ligament, and have raced with a broken thumb bone too, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a raw learner. Certainly I'd say no if he's not got a full cast on by then. Although I'm a pretty decent skier, I do fall fairly frequently and I was mostly OK, but I did have one afternoon where I was a bit over challenged and fell a lot - and at the end of the day my thumb was hurting a fair bit, which probably wasn't good. I guess it really depends on whereabouts the break is - i.e. how any impact stresses may be transmitted down to the break site. The other thing was that I was skiing a month after the ligament break/repair rather than a week, so there had been quite a bit more time for healing. In the case of the racing (and associated training), that had been from the time of the break until two weeks later (when I decided that it wasn't a sprain but a real break) and I really couldn't put any pressure on it at all, and falls were pretty much out of the question. Although I have no experience of this, I'd be concerned with trying to board if the cast came up over the fingers about the possibility of breaking the fingers where they came out of the cast. Falling backwards there's going to be quite a bit of leverage in the direction fingers don't go, and the cast will stop the wrist movement that would normally allow for that.
If he does decide to go, two things. First, if he's going to ski, take a ski pole along to the fracture clinic. When the cast is fitted he should grab hold of the pole while the cast is still soft, so that it forms a depression in the right place (across palmand/or in the angle of the tumb) so the cast can hold the pole.
Second, he'll have to work out a way of keeping the hand warm. The cast will be very bulky and, unless he start out with increadibly small hands, he's unlikely to find any mitten to fit. I did try unpicking an oven glove, but wasn't convinced that would really work, so ended up making a mitten out of bubblewrap and duct tape, and held it on with a velcro strap. Worked well, although got extremely sweaty and rank. There were a few bits (e.g. inside of thumb) where the bubble wrap was very thin, or the bubbles burst, and that got quite cold, so I also had a very thin thermal woolen glove (I think I got it some years ago from Blacks - general outdoors/mountaineering glove) on underneath that just managed to stretch over the cast. That kept things much warmer, and soaked up a bit of the sweat too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Richard_Sideways, I'd say him trying to board with that is madness and I think he'd regret it. Apart from the very high chances of falling onto it again and doing more damage to the hand itself, or the wrist, he might find he will try and fall a different way as to protect the injured hand and end up busting his elbow or shoulder instead.
Just not worth the risk in my opinion. Besides apart from the further risk of injury remember than learning to board involves needing both hands to do the ratchet bindings up and all that and it's just too awkward to try doing it with one.
He probably wouldn't need poles if he was learning to ski, but also he would still need to be able to carry his skis and it is likely that he will be falling a lot anyway and also could easily fall onto the hand. You need your hands to help get you back up as well.
I'd claim on my insurance if I was him and don't bother going, it's tough but one of those things.
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I've skied with a broken wrist (broke it snowboarding  ) but wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Despite being an experienced skier, I was very cautious and stuck to very easy stuff. Of course the other thing to consider is what view the insurance company would take!
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Big no no for the boarding IMV...
I am no medical expert but I remember how demanding it is on the wrists..
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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 would say no. If he hurt it anymore he wouldnt be insured no doubt so it could be a painful and expensive trip. Snowboarding is VERY hard on the wrists when you learn, hence the fondness for wrist guards.
Time to crack open the holiday insurance policy and get a refund I think.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| Of course the other thing to consider is what view the insurance company would take! |
Very true indeed. Checked my own policy and excludes "Pre-existing conditions or treatment arising from pre-existing conditions"
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As long as it's a proper plaster cast tell him to go for it!!! I broke my wrist on the first day of my first ever boarding hol, I did have the following day off but the next day carried on learning. I then got home and learnt how to skate on a half pipe for the first time!
Go for it, if it hurts to much he's a woosie...sorry, meant to say...if it hurts to much have a day or two off!
The above is an opinion of an over enthusastic snowboarder, please seek medical assurance before following this advice! 
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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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learning = falling! Skiing or boarding.
But, he should ask the doctor, specifically what would happen if he "happen" to fall on the injured hand.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| I've skied with a broken wrist (broke it snowboarding ) but wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Despite being an experienced skier, I was very cautious and stuck to very easy stuff. Of course the other thing to consider is what view the insurance company would take! |
the insurance company will almost certainly say that if a doctor has advised against it or would have done if asked, then you are not covered.
So don't go not asking the doctors and hoping that means he would get away with it if further injury ensued.
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You know it makes sense.
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**Update** Sadly, friend has had it confirmed from the quack that all winter sports are a no-no. Broken the Rotator Bone (?) and can't risk any knocks to it at all. Has to go in on Friday to see if it'll need an operation.
Still, he's an optimistic soul and is coming along anyway, it appears we will have an 'unconventional' chalet maid for this trip...
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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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Richard_Sideways, chalet host. If you called me a chalet maid I would have decked you 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nadenoodlee,
Well you don't know what sort of outfit they have in mind for him... 
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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James the Last,
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... with a heavy plaster cast on it...
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Hmm, fair point. Must remember to pack my helmet.
(Doubt even the SH forum can deny that a helmet could help in this situation...)
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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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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
Hmm, fair point. Must remember to pack my helmet.
(Doubt even the SH forum can deny that a helmet could help in this situation...) |
I beg to differ... I think recent research has shown that wearing a helmet will just encourage you to take risks and enter the situation much faster than if you would normally...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Schuss in Boots, Would I be more or less likely to take the mickey out of a friends misfortune if i was wearing a helmet... and would i have been more able to dodge the inevitable blow if i'd have been helmetless?
If ONLY there was a thread to answer such questions and continue this???
...I must remember to ask my friend whether he was wearing wrist guards when he broke his hand... 
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