Ski and Snowboarding Safety Equipment

Helmets

Although snow is soft, ski conditions will vary as temperature changes. Some of these condition include popcorn, mashed potatoes, boiler plate and blue powder. Skiers fall ass over tea kettle and their equipment results in a yard sale. A helmet will reduce chances of a head injury in any of those conditions. Snowboarders ride on piste, if they catch a backside edge they can fall backwards in a snapping like whiplash motion. Without a helmet this could result in a concussion or worse. A helmet is good for one collision only. Then it needs to be replaced. Think of those who wear helmets, including cyclists, football players, construction workers, rock climbers and Nascar drivers, skiers and boarders should be just as careful. Both the National Ski Patrol and the Professional Ski Instructors of America encourage wearing a helmet, but it isn’t mandated.

Wrist Guards - Snowboarders

Wrist guards should be standard equipment for any snowboarder. Snowboarding has a different pattern of injury compared to alpine skiing. Snowboarders are far more likely to sustain an injury to the upper limbs and less likely to injure the lower limbs. The reason for these differences is the design of the equipment and the way it is used. When snowboarders ride they stand with both feet fixed firmly to the snowboard in non release bindings. The upper body is used to help generate turning forces on the board. In the event of a loss of balance and a subsequent fall, the instinctive reaction of a snowboarder is to outstretch a hand in order to try and break their fall. You'll hear the ski patrollers refer to this as 'FOOSH' (Fall Onto an Out Stretched Hand). As a result, the wrist is the single most common site of injury amongst snowboarders, an area that is rarely injured among alpine skiers.

Bindings - Skis

Bindings do more than just hold your boots onto the ski. Bindings are designed when released, to remove your boot from your ski and also in the result of a fall, if they are set properly. Ski binding tension is adjustable. It can be set to really tight so they don't come off at all or really loose. When they're too loose I've seen them fall off skiers while seated in a chair lift. Always use the recommended DIN (Deutsche Industrie Normen) setting for your particular height, weight, and skiing style. If the factory recommended setting is 6, don't crank it up to 10, unless you are looking for trouble. Ski area management and other rental shops will err on the side of caution. If those who rent equipment do make a mistake and fall, They'd rather the bindings release more easily, making it less likely for injury. So if you do rent and you're not happy with the binding tension, do not adjust them yourself. Take the skis back to the shop. Most will be happy to get you a different pair.