Learning to snowboard, how hard?
Discussion
Griffith4ever said:
All of what you said is true apart from the helmet bit. We've been hitting the deck hard for decades without a helmet. There is no reason it's suddenly a "necessity". Other than your understandable assumption you'd have knocked your head in a bad way otherwise.
It amazing how well we protect ourselves in a fall.
53 years old, boarded since mid 20s including full seasons working. Big jumps, big crashes, lots of hard edge catches, lots of off piste. Cracked ribs at worst.
Don't let society tell you what's dangerous ( that wasn't somehow previously - we didn't have tonnes of head injuries before).
Not caught an edge since my 30s.
Bit of a rant but I despair at our race to wrap ourselves in layers of mostly unnecessary protection because we falsely assume the worst. One of my good mates boards with mx body armour....
In the case of the fall I described the helmet was important as I fell backwards and my head hit the ground pretty hard, whiplash style hence the sore neck, only takes one such fall to justify having one. You sound much more experienced than myself but I don’t mind wearing a helmet and it’s also a good place to rest goggles ! It amazing how well we protect ourselves in a fall.
53 years old, boarded since mid 20s including full seasons working. Big jumps, big crashes, lots of hard edge catches, lots of off piste. Cracked ribs at worst.
Don't let society tell you what's dangerous ( that wasn't somehow previously - we didn't have tonnes of head injuries before).
Not caught an edge since my 30s.
Bit of a rant but I despair at our race to wrap ourselves in layers of mostly unnecessary protection because we falsely assume the worst. One of my good mates boards with mx body armour....
On the helmet subject I had a big fall last March going at full chat. Somehow caught a front edge and went down hard, I dislocated my left shoulder and hit my head hard. Looking at the damage on my helmet I certainly won't be riding without one again. Yes 20 years ago I didn't wear one, but we live and learn.
Top tip to.avoid catching toe side.
Keep your hands by your side, that centres your balance and prevents over balancing, bum iut stance.
When turning, move your hands around your body so your leading hand is behind your bum, as if carrying a large carp
When turning toe side, just pretend you are tippy toe, that is enough to put the weight into the turn.
Keep your hands by your side, that centres your balance and prevents over balancing, bum iut stance.
When turning, move your hands around your body so your leading hand is behind your bum, as if carrying a large carp
When turning toe side, just pretend you are tippy toe, that is enough to put the weight into the turn.
Good turning tips.
Regarding helmets, I have a bit of a hate hate relationship with the rush to over sanitise everything we do. I totally get the responses above, particularly if you've worn one from the start. Why would you stop? Makes perfect sense.
To give a bit of history, I started skiing and boarding around 28 years ago. Back then boarding was fairly new in Europe and you had to pay extra to swap your skiis for a board . Boarding was also fairly unpopular with regular skiiers. Manufacturers were also playing with step in bindings like clicker and switch. Shame they didn't stay as clicker worked really well until the front iced up.
The only people with helmets were people doing slalom. Everyone else was in a hat of some sort with the UK leading the bobble hat industry!
I went on holiday twice a year and got hooked on boarding. I gave up my career and went and worked in North America for a UK co hosting private school trips. Vermont, and Sunday River (hard packed pistes 99% of the time. Face mask cold). I did this for a total of 6 months. Boarding or skiing every day. Dropping the school kids off with their teachers at ski school every morning, then off to do my own thing.
Injuries were ALWAYS broken legs and arms. Usually one or two per week. Never more. Sometimes none.
Every time we got a new group the kids would ask to snow board for a day. I would discourage the teachers as the injury rate was so high, but they went ahead. Used to get a whole weeks worth of injuries in one day :-) Always arms and legs again .
Never once saw a head injury with any students.
Over those 6 months one of my colleagues entered a ski jump amateur contest. Large table top. I almost did and chickened out at the last minute. He did it on skiis. Tried to do a heel clicker / ski cross mid air and unclicked his bindings ! Knocked himself out cold! I wasn't there but saw him after , with two black eyes.
I've boarded and skiis ever since. Lots and lots of off piste boarding, and all my skiing is on piste.
Of all the time I've been on the snow, my mate on the skii jump is the only "head injury" I was ever aware of. I can't remember if he had a helmet. Probably not back then.
America eventually started enforcing helmets in some resorts (the fact they had to deploy police with speed guns tells you why....), then it became a thing in the EU. Then Schumacher had his crash and instantly the whole mountain was helmeted!
I'm used to the wind in my hair , or the softness of a bobble hat. My Mrs knits me a new one for each holiday. I've managed just fine for decades. I don't ride or skii into people. I've never been skii'd into (I tend to avoid packed pistes). I've never hit a rock or a tree with anything other than my board. I certainly don't go fast enough on my board where there are trees or rocks to be of any danger to myself.
I've tried a helmet. I wore one in livigno 2018 as I went out for a day of balls to the wall skiing where going as fast as possible was the name of the game. That made sense. It was hot and itchy, but I wore it for a good reason. Other than that, my riding jus doesn't justify the (to me) inconvenience and lack of "freedom feeling". I'm too old for the snow park now!
It is quite odd on holiday now. I'm literally one of the very every few without a helmet in Italy. But I'm not donning one just to fit in. If I felt the need to wear one I would, but not just because I feel compelled by everyone else.
Regarding helmets, I have a bit of a hate hate relationship with the rush to over sanitise everything we do. I totally get the responses above, particularly if you've worn one from the start. Why would you stop? Makes perfect sense.
To give a bit of history, I started skiing and boarding around 28 years ago. Back then boarding was fairly new in Europe and you had to pay extra to swap your skiis for a board . Boarding was also fairly unpopular with regular skiiers. Manufacturers were also playing with step in bindings like clicker and switch. Shame they didn't stay as clicker worked really well until the front iced up.
The only people with helmets were people doing slalom. Everyone else was in a hat of some sort with the UK leading the bobble hat industry!
I went on holiday twice a year and got hooked on boarding. I gave up my career and went and worked in North America for a UK co hosting private school trips. Vermont, and Sunday River (hard packed pistes 99% of the time. Face mask cold). I did this for a total of 6 months. Boarding or skiing every day. Dropping the school kids off with their teachers at ski school every morning, then off to do my own thing.
Injuries were ALWAYS broken legs and arms. Usually one or two per week. Never more. Sometimes none.
Every time we got a new group the kids would ask to snow board for a day. I would discourage the teachers as the injury rate was so high, but they went ahead. Used to get a whole weeks worth of injuries in one day :-) Always arms and legs again .
Never once saw a head injury with any students.
Over those 6 months one of my colleagues entered a ski jump amateur contest. Large table top. I almost did and chickened out at the last minute. He did it on skiis. Tried to do a heel clicker / ski cross mid air and unclicked his bindings ! Knocked himself out cold! I wasn't there but saw him after , with two black eyes.
I've boarded and skiis ever since. Lots and lots of off piste boarding, and all my skiing is on piste.
Of all the time I've been on the snow, my mate on the skii jump is the only "head injury" I was ever aware of. I can't remember if he had a helmet. Probably not back then.
America eventually started enforcing helmets in some resorts (the fact they had to deploy police with speed guns tells you why....), then it became a thing in the EU. Then Schumacher had his crash and instantly the whole mountain was helmeted!
I'm used to the wind in my hair , or the softness of a bobble hat. My Mrs knits me a new one for each holiday. I've managed just fine for decades. I don't ride or skii into people. I've never been skii'd into (I tend to avoid packed pistes). I've never hit a rock or a tree with anything other than my board. I certainly don't go fast enough on my board where there are trees or rocks to be of any danger to myself.
I've tried a helmet. I wore one in livigno 2018 as I went out for a day of balls to the wall skiing where going as fast as possible was the name of the game. That made sense. It was hot and itchy, but I wore it for a good reason. Other than that, my riding jus doesn't justify the (to me) inconvenience and lack of "freedom feeling". I'm too old for the snow park now!
It is quite odd on holiday now. I'm literally one of the very every few without a helmet in Italy. But I'm not donning one just to fit in. If I felt the need to wear one I would, but not just because I feel compelled by everyone else.
Edited by Griffith4ever on Monday 2nd January 02:24
I remember probably a little over 20 years ago and me and a couple of my mates looked the odd ones out wearing lids.
We'd seen a chap smash into a pylon the year before and die, helmet may not have saved him but it made me go and get one. Now I can't ride without one, a bit like driving a car with no seatbelt....just feels odd.
We'd seen a chap smash into a pylon the year before and die, helmet may not have saved him but it made me go and get one. Now I can't ride without one, a bit like driving a car with no seatbelt....just feels odd.
Skied for years without a helmet, but moved to helmet when young one came along to skiing (15 years ago) and I wanted to set a good example (same as riding a bike). Friend of mine had a bike accident next to me which split his bike helmet in 2 which really brought it home. Haven't ever really "needed" the helmet to save me (though did bash my head a few times when learning.....which were very painful and could have been much "nicer" !!) but now it's 2nd nature ... like wearing a seat belt really....I simply wouldn't feel right without one anymore. Each to their own.....
I ride motorbikes so a lid is mandatory, but you could buy a cheap £40 p*ss pot or an £800+ lid, my view has always been my head is worth more than £800+ when it comes to bikes.
For years I just wore a beanie when boarding but around 5-10 years ago I made the switch, I've banged my head a few times over the years on the slopes, nothing major but for the sake for a seemingly cheap bit of kit (compared to motorbike lids) it's seems obvious to get one.
As for your board setup well it's all personal, stand on the board centred with the distance between your feet in a comfortable/natural position, then it's a case of fitting the bindings to that width, as for stance I started off +15 on 0 with my front for binding angled slightly forward to ensure I had weight over the front foot. Over time I have moved this to probably +10 and -10 as it's easier to ride switch.
For years I just wore a beanie when boarding but around 5-10 years ago I made the switch, I've banged my head a few times over the years on the slopes, nothing major but for the sake for a seemingly cheap bit of kit (compared to motorbike lids) it's seems obvious to get one.
As for your board setup well it's all personal, stand on the board centred with the distance between your feet in a comfortable/natural position, then it's a case of fitting the bindings to that width, as for stance I started off +15 on 0 with my front for binding angled slightly forward to ensure I had weight over the front foot. Over time I have moved this to probably +10 and -10 as it's easier to ride switch.
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