AFFTC Ground Safety Office offers snowboarding safety tips Published Feb. 17, 2010 By Christina Whaley Air Force Flight Test Center Ground Safety Office EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. -- One of the most common causes of snowboarding injury is lack of skill. This is because the majority of injuries occur when the snowboarder loses control, and because the novice lacks proper instruction, the boarder's time in the sport is often cut short. Sprains and fractures are the most common snowboarding injuries, followed by contusions, lacerations, dislocations and concussions. Of the injuries, 20 percent were to the upper-body and 50 percent of the injuries were wrist fractures, mostly to inexperienced snowboarders. The reason for so many wrist injuries is because boarders have both feet fixed to a single board, while their arms are free and are used for balance. The typical mechanism of snowboarding injury is a forward or backward fall broken by outstretched arms and hyper-extended wrists. While more experienced snowboarders suffer the occasional wrist injury, they are now more likely to injure their ankles now because of the advanced jumps they do. Snowboarders are not immune to lower-body injuries. But when compared to alpine skiers, they occur less frequently and are not as serious. The reason for this is because the snowboarder's feet remain attached to the board during falls, which places less torque on the knees, therefore, less damage is done. However, snowboarders are more likely to fracture their lateral process of the talus. LPT injuries now account for 15 percent of all snowboarding-related ankle injuries. The mechanism of injury is snowboarder's fracture is believed to be backward bending of the ankle with inversion of the hind foot. Injury Avoidance The best way to avoid injuries is by taking lessons, but also trying things beyond ones skill level. Other causes of injury include muscle fatigue, overall tiredness, alcohol intoxication or a hangover, poor weather conditions, dull edges on hard snow conditions, and not wearing the proper equipment. Equipment Proper is important to all boarders because it reduces the risk of hypothermia. Helmets are also important because they have been proven to reduce the incidence of head injuries. Boarders should ensure their helmet is either a Central European standard EN1007 or an American standard ASTM 2040 or Snell RS98. To prevent wrist injuries, wearing wrist guards is recommended, especially for beginners. Novice boarders are also best off with soft boots that have ankle reinforcement, to help reduce ankle injuries. The following are defensive boarding tips that help boarders to create and maintain safety: · Attach the board to the lead foot with a security leash. Secure this prior to getting into the bindings. This will prevent a runaway board, which can also injure someone else. · When falling, keep arms tucked to ones sides with fists clenched - this falling form may prevent a dislocated shoulder and/or broken wrist. · When jumping, ensure the landing area is clear. · When observing jumps, stay out of the 'spill way' and steep sections where people uphill can't see others. · If when trying to slow down one can't or are a beginner and don't know how, dropping to the knees and skidding the rest of the way down is the safest alternative. One should not ride straight down unless they know what they're doing or have a clear slope and won't hit anyone. Riding down straight can lead to going too fast and catching a small edge to a big or hard fall.