 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey all
I'm not opening the debate on whether to wear a helmet or not. I am going to wear a helmet when I snowboard. My question is at what stage should I start wearing it. What I mean is, I'm a complete newbie to boarding and so will do the usual baby slopes to start learning techniques. Obviously, I will fall, but going at 1mph will reduce the likelihood of any bad injuries (I know they can still happen). Is it recommended to start wearing it straight away or maybe only when I start taking blue runs???
Cheers
Alan
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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 it's going to be part of your regular kit, then I'd wear it from day 1 - get used to it. If nothing else it'll keep you warm, and pitching head-first into hardpack isn't comfortable at 1mph or 10mph or 37.5mph. I cracked my first lid falling from a stationary position (although that was on a scoured boilerplate ice mogul field).
And I've always recommended wrist guards to friends learning to ride, at least until you learn to fall properly, saves some uncomfortable bruises.
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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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money is tight and I don't know if I am going to continue boarding or change back to skis. So I don't want to buy too much. Can you hire wrist guards?
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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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AlanB1976, Go outside. Stand still. Now let yourself fall backwards so your head hits a hard surface. Come back and tell us what you are now thinking about wearing a helmet.
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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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Wear the helmet, accidnets can, and do, happen regardless as to your ability. As for wrist guards, never heard of being able to hire them, but they're not that expensive. Try picking a set up on eBay or snowboard forums, tend to be cheaper than in shops. Having said that, I got myself a pair when I first started to learn and found I never wore them as they just made my hands hot n sweaty, but I already knew how to fall properly ie not with your arms stretched out in front/behind you (depending on which way you're falling). I do wear them when I'm in the park tho.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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are the wrist guards the same as those for skateboarding?
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ahhh..... screw it..... I'll buy myself a cheap helmet and find a way of justifying the additional expense with the wife. Then I won't mind wearing it all the time 
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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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AlanB1976, My advice: wear it from day 1.
You need to realise that if you catch a heel edge you will fall backwards like you have been pole-axed. It is not like a trip or slip. You will hit your head. This will happen on day 1. Catching a heel edge is more likely on flatter gradients.
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AlanB1976, what size are your hands/gloves. I have a sneaking suspicion I've got some Dakine guards i wore for my first week kicking about. I'll have a look in the cupboard.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 7-09-11 16:16; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I guess there is always the possibility that someone else could hit you at high speed on the beginner slopes... probably best just to wear it from the start.
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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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rogg, fairly large.... I think. Never really measured them. If you got a pair you want to sell cheap, I would consider. I suppose it ends up what "cheap" is... since I'm now buying a helmet as well
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AlanB1976, i don't use them anymore, if you want them, they're yours (if I can find them)
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You know it makes sense.
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Well if you're on the bunny slopes, chances of you having a high-speed impact are pretty low, likewise the likelyhood of you sustaining injuries conducive to only landing 450 of the 540 stalefish lofted off a 20ft booter is pretty low too. However there is a chance of suddenly having your toe or heel-edge slip out from underneath you and dropping onto the deck like 80+kg of meat in a goretex sack is quite high. Certain things can mitigate the associated discomfort, and prevention is better than cure. Typically learners either land on their butt, or they stick their hands out, and bruises bloom. When I was learning, I couldn't stop sticking my hands out because i'm rather stupid, and ended up bruising the soft fleshy hand-bit of both thumbs, which made life rather awkward for the things which opposable thumbs are useful for, hence i recommend wrist guards which take the brunt of the impact of falling forwards, impact shorts will help the back bottom trauma if you feel so inclined - both will be available on eBay for probably under a tenner a piece. But it won't be the end of the world if you elect not to take any precautions either, it's one of those up-to-you moments.
Oh and advice on renting helmets, watch the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the bit when the Nazis open the ark - if you experience any similar effects near the rental helmet, eg spirits of previous users rising from it, face melting, head explosion, wrath of God radiating from it, pass it back to the sales person and respectfully ask for a less manky one.
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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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lol..... have decided to just buy one so I don't have to fight the sweat 
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Poster: A snowHead
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just looked - they're there, size 'Large'
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rogg, fantastic, thanks. I'm getting kitted out by all the snowheads  . Now I just got to try not break something the first run. rogg, sending you a PM
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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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AlanB1976, you're going to have to tap up admin for some SnowHeads stickers to show who's sponsoring your skiing/riding this year 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I bought myself a nice new POC lid last year and I do still have my old helmet around... but i wouldn't inflict it on anyone... its gone sticky...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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livetoski, not the helmet (yet). Wrist guards... until I learn to fall
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AlanB1976, as I said in a nother thread, Lidl seem to have them every year, and my mate bought one last year. CE marked, reasonably stylish, sixteen quid. Coming soon to a shop near you, keep a look out for the Thursday deals.
Doubt you could hire a manky one for sixteen quid. Good for carrying your junk around in too. Oh, and wear it from day one.
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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: |
at what stage should I start wearing it
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Now. You are far more likely to catch an edge and slam as a beginner before you've got the hang of staying on the edge and not letting the board drift sideways. Get a Lidl cheapo job if you're on a budget.
I appreciate what you're sayng about costs, but I'd go for wrist guards as well - I used them frim day 1 because in over 10 seasons of dealing with school trips I don't think I saw one boarding group go home with all wrists intact.
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I cant belive no-one posts in the snowboard section for months, then someone mentions ''wearing a helmet'' and we get 26 posts in a day!
Don't overly see the need for a helmet unless park riding or extreme off piste however each to there own. Wrist guards though, a good instructor will explain and demo how to fall properly and if you do put your arms out when catching a toe edge you may break your wrists...so don't do it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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AlanB1976, have i just read correctly that you're going to go onto the mountain as a complete novice snowboarder and teach yourself how to ride by remembering what you seen on youtube?
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Richard_Sideways, I think you did. Man's a nutjob.
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cran
cran
Guest
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| AlanB1976, have i just read correctly that you're going to go onto the mountain as a complete novice snowboarder and teach yourself how to ride by remembering what you seen on youtube? |
That's how I learned to ski... 
no reason why it can't work for boarding too...
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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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AlanB1976, ha ha! Fair play to you but I await the backlash you may receive for admiting that!
To be honest I prob would advise you to get half a days worth of lessons because it's the very basics which are hard to master after that you will progress very quickly!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| manicpb wrote: |
AlanB1976, ha ha! Fair play to you but I await the backlash you may receive for admiting that!
To be honest I prob would advise you to get half a days worth of lessons because it's the very basics which are hard to master after that you will progress very quickly! |
Just to add many say skiing is the opposite, easy to get the basics but hard to master advanced techniques!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hard shmard..... how bad can it be
Seriously..... I know lessons always help. But do you think they are vital?
I generally take to things very quickly that involve balance, technique, etc. I am very logically minded (being an engineer ) and so analyse situations and figure out what went wrong. So, for example, I would fall and then think on why I fell, where was my centre of gravity, was I moving or doing something, what did that youtube video go on about again, could it have been change in terrain, blah, blah, blah....... and then try again. Fall again and think again, what did I do differently/same. Was it the same type of fall, etc. You can see where I'm going. I do this over and over until I go without falling. Can that not be done to develop?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 8-09-11 9:59; edited 2 times in total
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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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cran, you are Kevin from 'On The Piste' and I claim my £5.
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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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AlanB1976, it's your money and it's up to you how you spend your time. But I'll tell you what'll probably happen.
As the bishop said to the actress, I apologise for the length...
You'll hire your board and boots after a day or two of skiing, go up the hill, put the board on for the first time, fall over, get up, work out how to skate over to the lift line, get there after about 15 minutes of inching along, fall over, get up again, get in line, fall over, get up again after watching 6 year olds scoot past you. Get to the front, miss the first 3 drag lifts getting into position, catch one, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get dragged 10 metres until they stop the lift, you roll out of the way, get up again and walk back to the line, and decide to boot pack it up a quarter of the bunny slope, just so you can get going.
So you're sitting on the slope strapping in, looking at the kids whizzing past you, slowly stand up on your heels, immediately sit back down, repeat until you're holding yourself on edge in a crouch, shaking like a malaria victim and just as sweaty. Inching up now, there’s suddenly an alarming squeaking noise which sounds like someone eating polystyrene and you sense movement, which you instinctively react to by falling backwards. Repeat as necessary until you've found away to squeak yourself on your heel edge all the way back down to the flat bit, thighs screaming at you every inch of the way.
If you're the persevering type, you'll now repeat the process of walking back up the hill to try the whole process again but on your toe edge. It'll be a similar experience only the falling will be interspersed with occasionally falling backwards surprisingly quickly and banging the back of your skull on the ground like a big bone basketball till it rings like a bell and you wish the piste basher would just come and run you over.
During this time, you'll probably have initiated a turn by accident, caused by the fatigue in your legs applying pressure unevenly across the edge, you'll suddenly find yourself slewing around and sliding towards something or someone. Panic will ensue, this is normal. Instinctively you'll move backwards even though you know you shouldn't, this is normal. This will cause the whole experience to get faster and you'll have less control, this is normal. The grim inevitability of the coming crash dawns on you and decide to bail it before it gets any worse, this is normal. The world for you will go (depending on prevailing weather conditions) white, blue, white, blue, white, blue oh hey, look there’s my feet and board!, white. You are now in a tangled mess, much like you were when you were a beginner skier but you've strapped to a board which has now got one end dug into the piste so you have to roll yourself around, but you can't because the board is stuck, and you're twisted so far around you can see your ankles.
At some point around now you'll decide to bug this for a game of soldiers, and take the whole damn lot back to the ski shop and get your skis back. You'll return from holiday log onto snowheads and take your place in the ranks of those who can't see the point of snowboarding because you've tried it and it's stupid and not as good as skiing.
But i could be wrong, and you'll be a natural, right?
And Alan, if you are a troll, you've got me.
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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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Yes, but wheres the theatre in that
The story is colourful, as vast tracts of it are from personal experience - take some half-day lessons, you'll still have the above experience but there will be someone to haul you upright again and actually help you get to grips with whats going on and you might even enjoy the experience too.
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AlanB1976, it's quite easy to learn how to board badly without taking any lessons - you see people all over the pistes every day who have clearly done exactly that. But having spent all the dough on kit etc, why not learn how to do it well?
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All of my most painful injuries have been at low speed, and most of them when learning something new and pushing myself a bit. On that basis, wear it from day one. Strangely, the more experienced you are, the better you should be at either recovering a situation where you would fall as a novice, and probably a little bit better at falling properly so you don't hit your head or break bones. Unfortunately the line between that point and pushing yourself and having a fall that isn't recoverable is quite fine in my experience.
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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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why would you not wear a lid ???!!! lol cover it with stickers/ personalise it or whatever and wrist guards are a must
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Thanks. I will find out what is available when I go.
Please let me just explain some things before people get the wrong idea. Part of my learning/researching process, I ask a LOT of questions. Most will be stupid to those that know, but for someone that doesn't they are helpful. I start working on a presumed 'idea'. During that process, that initial idea might get changed depending on the input of others. So, here, my idea was to teach myself. I'm not trying to be stubborn when I contradict something. I am meerly playing devils advocate sometimes in trying to propose other ideas or to ensure that that answer I got is backed up by others. So while I still want to save money and not go for lessons, I have decided that that idea was stupid and will alter plans to go 
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FAQ
