Safety Tips

• As the snowboard is not very stable unless it is in motion, the first lesson before learning to ride should be to learn to fall correctly to avoid injuries. The basic principle here is, when losing balance, to crouch down to reduce the falling height of the upper body. If falling forward, make your hands into fists and land on your knuckles. You may sink past your elbows, but this technique will prevent the sprained wrists that happen when you try to distribute the force over an open palm (since your weight pushes on the heels of your hands, the snow pushes your fingers back, spraining wrists easily). If falling backwards, you can either bend at the waist and land on your bum, or extend your elbows backwards and take up the shock with your arms.
• Wearing safety gear is highly recommended. The body parts most affected by injuries are the wrists, the tailbone and the head. Useful safety gear includes wrist guards, padded or protected snowboard trousers and a helmet.
• Padding can be useful on other body parts like hips, knees, spine and shoulders.
• General safety tips for winter sports, alpine conditions and skiing should also be respected.