I had a bad – non break – wrist injury on my 3rd week. Then I realised that everyone was wearing wrist guards – no one told me!

Skate ones help prevent messing up you tiny wrist bones which never really recover, but I've seen snapped lower arm bones, but these heal well with pinning. You can get longer ones that are probably much better.

Early lessons can involve much crash bang wollop – pad up and stick with it because it is worth it.

Are people more "risk averse" these days or are we just more aware of dangers?*

I learnt to board on icy heather and rocks in Scotland. No helmet, wrist guards or impact shorts in those days.

Conversely I was told tonight at Xscape that they get arsey about folk boarding in t-shirts because they need to have their arms covered in case they fall!?! 😯

And I've heard that jumps have been banned in Canada and I'll have to sign a release (and pay an insurance fee) to be allowed into the rail park.

(* Genuine question: I wear impact shorts and a helmet myself these days, so I'm not claiming to be immune)

Oh and can the OP please report back (once he is back from A&E obviously).

GrahamS and the rest:

Firstly, cheers for all the help, and horror stories… 😆

I'm here, in one piece, and surprisingly unbruised… to be fair I don't think I got up enough speed to do any damage!!! Just the basics last night, bindings, moving along the flat, using edges to climb, using a stomp pad rather than both bindings, small slope for practicing balance, posture, etc.

Really enjoyed it though, so I think I can add yet another expensive hobby to the ever increasing list.

Now where's my card for these lessons, pants, protection, boots, board, bindings etc!

Oh and cheers for the link to snowboardclubuk too further up the thread. Will be very handy I'm sure.

Keith

was it a big group lesson or something? i'd expect to have learnt a bit more than that. but glad to hear you enjoyed it. the thing which is so captivating about the sport is that it is in fact relatively easy. the learning curve starts off quite slow and flat (what's this weird piece of wood attached to my feet?!) but once you get the hang generally you'll see vast improvements very quickly. so 720's next week keith?

Yeah, it was a group thing, taster lesson, to see if I fancied coughing up a bit more money, and I do… Didn't expect to learn much to be fair, we were all 1st timers.

I'm sure the learing curve will get a lot steeper, just like the slopes!

720's in two weeks, don't want to rush it 😉

A helmet, padded shorts and don't put your hands down in you fall – drop onto your bum or forearms instead and you won't break anything.

If you get into it you will love it. I had the luck to live in switzerland for 5 years (and now Norway) and i got hooked. Even breaking my wrist (not wearing guards) and breaking my collarbone (doing a rather fabulous jump) hasnt put me off….

Ace!

SCUK is a great site. If you like the "getting out there" aspect of mountain biking, this one might be worth a gander to get a different slant on what you could be doing in a few years:

http://www.splitboard.com/talk

North America based, but quite a few Euros and everywhere else on there too. Some of the Trip Reports on there are incredible. I'm pretty jealous of the guys who can start skinning from their back door!

hp_source: nice one, glad you enjoyed it! Once you start linking turns there is no going back 🙂

Now where's my card for these lessons, pants, protection, boots, board, bindings etc!

Definitely worth looking at the SCUK membership before you buy any gear. 10% off gear can easily pay for the £15 membership price itself.

Don't jump straight to getting a board. But getting your own boots will help a lot. Getting your own helmet will avoid other peoples head stink!

Also worth bearing in mind that all next seasons kit is about to be launched.
If you can then it might be worth getting along to The Big Bang Snowboard Show 2009, if there is one hosted near you, because you'll get the chance to try out a whole bunch of kit.

i got my board last season (v sexy forum destroyer :D) from here. it's the snowboard asylum's outlet store and if you are in the NW you can pop along to their store under ellis brigham in castlefield. very healthy prices!

http://www.snowboard-clearance.com/

Excellent Peachos, I am indeed NW based, infact I work in Manchester city centre, I feel a lunchtime wander coming on!

Cheers

I was taught to fall onto my forearms, so my wrists dont usually hit the ground.

After my first lesson I could hardly walk the next day, not from falls, but from using all the little used muscles to stay on my toes for an hour!

Catching an edge is usually painful.

Glad you liked it, but you have all the fun bits to come yet. 😀

To the OP – If your instructor's name is Adam ask him if he's sorted out his back leg tic on his heel-side carved turns yet.

Are people more "risk averse" these days or are we just more aware of dangers?*

Mix of the two I'd say. I learned to ski then to snowboard with no protective gear at all, but then I've not (seriously) hurt myself doing either.

Picked up a cheap helmet though for indoor sessions (to save using the nasty hire ones) and took it with me for the first time last winter. Didn't really mind it, kept my head nice and warm and didn't get in the way.

I wouldn't consider it essential, I'll still go out without one, but certainly on days where I'm pushing myself a bit harder I'll take it.

Padded shorts, wrist protectors and the like? Maybe worthwhile if you're a beginner and falling over all the time (I remember the aches and pains from my first week away!) or if you're getting into jumps/rails but I wouldn't bother the rest of the time.

I wouldn't consider it essential, I'll still go out without one

i always wear one; seen so many people knock emselves out on ice and even just hard-packed snow. more essential than a helmet for mtb imo

The last week I had away, the only real injury someone had was a jarred neck after hitting the back of his head really hard on the piste… The cause – a skier and his instructor jumping back onto the piste from some trees and caught him square-on…

Personally after seeing that I wear a helmet all the time… I rarely fall myself, but you can't legislate for other people…

I do wear padded shorts though as they make a little bit less unpleasant sitting in the snow waiting for people!

RE wearing helmets – It's not me I'm worried abou it's everyone else!

I saw a lose board flying at about 100kmh down one slope just missing the people at the bottom and coming to rest by slamming into a barn.
Heart in mouth moment watching it and it wasn't even mine.
My mates helmet has a massive scar where his friends board hit him in the head on a dual run.

I'll wear my helmet and take the hit on the style points thanks.

FFS I took so long to type it everyone has already covered my points 🙄

I'm NOT asking if helmet wearing is right or wrong. God knows there have been enough discussions about that on here.

I'm just questioning why it is that these days someone asks about snowboarding and the discussion quickly turns to helmets, wrist protectors and impact shorts.

5 years ago no one was wearing a helmet. Back in '93 (when I was learning) we were on awful cheap boards, crap boots, and no protection at all. We all survived.

So what has changed? Has the sport become more dangerous, are we more aware of the risks, or have we become more afraid of injury?

In terms of the helmet debate, I think most people would agree that as a learner it's a good idea to wear one, then as you get more proficient you'll want to be stepping up your skills so will probably prefer to wear one again incase you come unstuck in a bigger and more spectacular way. Then when you're happy with that level, you'll move on again (off piste, steeper, bigger drops, etc) meaning you'll probably opt for a helmet again…

It's the same with biking, most people on here would class themselves as more than proficient, and can manage from month to month without any serious off, but would you ever go without your helmet 'just incase'.

that's my 2p anyway

Are people more "risk averse" these days or are we just more aware of dangers?

It's bloody insurance isn't it!? When you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself riding in places and at speeds when you can get really messed up. But I think people should be free to accept whatever level of risk they want but be responsible for the possible outcomes e.g. 3rd party costs, rescue and medical costs and not feel they an $ue resort owners unless the resort is genuinely negligent.
Snowboard is not a risk-free activity, but I hate lay-offs caused injuries and dislike unnecessary pain. So tend to pad up because I've been knocked out, damaged wrist and elbow etc. Injuries are boring!

Hope you have fun.