Snowboarders, You Gotta Love Them

By Beaner Thacker, Terry Peak

Last spring I attended the "Renegade Rider Rally" in Jackson Hole , WY .  On our first run down from the top we made a wrong turn and wound up on a steep bump run that was boiler plate ice.  There was no way out except down...so off we went.  On the way down I did what we always tell our students NOT TO DO!  Tried to catch myself with my hands, instead of closed fists!  It goes without saying, I injured my wrist.  Heck, while I'm at it why don't I tell the whole story.  As any snowboarder will attest to, there is no fall harder than the dreaded "Butt side slam!"  I did this as well, slamming the back of my head on the ice, straining my neck muscles and hitting the back of my head.  Hence, the reason for my article.  Most of the facts and statistics in this article come from an article in the Rapid City Journal written by Dr. Brett Lawlor, a rehab doctor in Rapid City , SD.

Snowboarding is a sport that is still considered fairly new and evolving almost every year.  As the techniques, styles and equipment evolve, so does the understanding about the risks and injuries that come with the sport.

Snowboarding equipment has changed significantly from the 1920's when a French designer built a board to stand on and slide on the snow.  In the 1960's, the "snurfer" was built in Michigan .  This crude snowboard had a fin like a surfboard for control in powder.  In the 1970's the Winterstick was developed, it was a bright yellow swallowtail design that had straps that the user slid his feet under to attach the board to his feet.  Jake Burton and Tom Sims added their 2 cents by getting rid of the fin, adding metal edges for turning on packed runs, and a strap type binding, thus, the modern-day version of the snowboard.

The sport has grown to the point now that it is estimated that 30 percent to 50 percent of ski area users are boarders.  In 1998, snowboarding became an Olympic sport.

Most skiers have accepted the presence of snowboarders at resorts (however Alta, Deer Valley and a few other resorts still ban them). But no matter which sport we choose, we have all come to understand that along with the fun comes the risk of injuries.

Many different studies have identified the injuries suffered by boarders.  Boarding has a 36 percent higher injury rate than skiing, with an injury rate of 4 injuries per 1,000 hours of snowboarding.  Male boarders get hurt 3 to 7 times more often than female riders, and the average age of the injured is 21.

These studies also indicate that unlike skiing, the arm is more commonly injured than the legs.  Wrist injuries account for 20 percent of the injuries.  The good news is that wrist guards can lower the injury rate by 50 percent.

Like skiers, boarders can suffer leg injuries as well, but the types of injuries are different.  Knee injuries are common in skiers, while boarders usually injure their ankle.  15 percent of snowboard injuries are in the ankle, 52 percent of these are sprains and 44 percent are fractures.  A specific type of ankle fracture is so common, that it is known as the "snowboarder's fracture."

Again like skiers, boarders do injure their knees, but usually boarders' injuries are less serious.  Because our stance is sideways on the board, it is usually the front leg that is injured.

I'm sorry to say, I don't have any statistics on head injuries.  But I can say, in my opinion and from experience that helmets do help (especially in the case of the "butt side slam"). As snowboarding continues to evolve and as equipment changes, these injury patterns may also change. 

During the Rider Rally, we had one day off in the middle, so I went shopping.  I purchased a great pair of wrist guards (for next to nothing) and a helmet liner.  I hadn't been wearing my helmet because it always felt a little big.  The wrist guards kept me from reinjuring my wrist and allowed me to continue to enjoy myself.  So, for the rest of the Rally I was able to ride the steeps, deeps, bumps, trees, chutes and yes even one trip through the terrain park.  Note, I didn't say it was pretty, just fun.  Jackson Hole has it all and Mother Nature was very kind to us.  And so the moral of this story is, "SAFTEY, FUN and LEARNING"?  Wow, where have I heard that before?  

Snowboarders, love them or hate them, whether you are one or want to be one, WE ARE HERE TO STAY!