the_intern

I always thought those asspads were for beginners that didn't want to get bruised up. Hearing from you guys, it makes total sense how useful it could be for park. Are those pads restrictive in any way? Do you think there's too much padding in areas that you won't typically hit?

Snowolf

Good brands fit very well and are not bulky. Skeletool and Azzpadz are really good. Another advantage is warmth when sitting on cold, wet chairlifts... Older riders and skinny, bony riders really can benefit from these things. No matter how good of a rider you are, you should fall a little every day if you are truly pushing yourself in the park.

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oneplankawanka

yeah mon go with what fits well. I have the protec stuff thats resonablly priced and pretty durable.

The best reason I can think to wear protective gear is: LACK OF HEALTH INSURANCE!!!! HA!!! Its a good idea when you are pushing your limits trying to learn new tricks etc etc. I agree again with the wolfie...No falls no balls..no guts no glory.

I really believe a helmet,wrist guards and butt/hippads give you more cajones, atleast for an old dog like myself.

The butt/hippads they are making today are very low profile and your buds won't even notice you are wearing them...(so they won't be able to give you a hard time for wearing them)

Anyone who has ever fallen on there bum and had a spincter stretcher can relate to what I am saying..thats a double ooooch!!

[Ian]

Being a downhill skateboarder and wearing a helmet very often I don't midn wearing one while snowboarding. It doesn't really give me mroe confidence but it does make me feel safer i guess. I've seen what can happend from skating without a helmet and thats sort of scared me into wearing one(coastlongboard.cim and go to safety section if ytou want to see what i mean). Also my school requires helmets since a kid got a concussin last year on a trip and wasn't wearing one but i still wear a helmet when i'm not with my school.

oneplankawanka

good on ya mate.....you are wise beyond your years. To often young people do not wear a helmet cuz the think its not very hip to do so, but one good concussion is all it takes to knock some sense into you...if you are lucky and don't fracture your skull....spread the word!! word!!

AAA

I began wearing a helmet just a few years ago, at the insistance of my wife. "You go too fast. You go too fast." Like a broken record, she chanted. I went for "light" and "comfortable", and ended up with a Giro Nine.9. I found immediately that it was so light, that I didn't notice it in the least. I've been very pleased with it. My only complaint (with any helmet) is that, even with the vents open, they're hot. I'd love to see a Nine.9 with a little reservoir on top with a snap lid that I could pack snow, or one of those blue ice bags into to keep cool.

I've never worn butt protectors. Don't need them, really, as almost all my falls happen during carving when the edge slips out and I go for a gentle slide. I think beginners would probably love them though, since they're still in the edge catching stage. I know my wife complained of how sore her butt was last year, when learning. I tried a pair of gloves on with wrist protectors once, but they were uncomfortable as heck, and I had serious concerns that they could create more injury than prevent. Until reading this, I'd never heard of a spine protector. Just the sound conjures up a macabre image of a stiff steel rod and flesh penetrating screws. Doesn't sound comfortable, at least.

[Ian]

I thoguht about getting a buut pad and i still might get one as i coudl use it for skateboarding as well. I fall on my butt a lot, espeacially if i don't land a jump.

Snowolf

Actually, the spine protector things are not as bad as you would imagine. They are of the same low profile, high density ballistic foam as the hip/ass pads. As in anything you can go overkill and a lot of this is really for park riders who are put themselve at far greater risk than the cruisers. I don`t wear any of this stuff except for park where I know I am going to be pushing the envelope every day.

On the wrist guards; like anything they will not 100% protect you from a break, but they will prevent the most common injury and that is strains and sprains which take for ever to heal. Also, if you ever do strain your wrist, you will want to wear a guard to ride so the thing can heal. As we all know, anything you injure becomes a target for more abuse.. One area of controversy over wrist guards is that they can cause a breakage of the arm in a bad fall. While no one wants a broken arm, given the choice, considering all the little bones, ligaments and tendons in the wrist, an arm break is better really.

Another observation I have made is that a lot of people who wear helmets, do get this "I`m invincible" attitude and it shows in their riding. I have never been run into by a skier or rider who is helmet free. It is always the people with helmets who seem to think that now they don`t have to look out for other people. Just remember that helmets are basically worthless in impacts much over 14 MPH, so paying attention and riding defensively are still going to be your best protection.

Space, not speed...

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[Ian]

I disagree. helmets can save your life in impacts much faster than 14mph. Sure, you may still get a concusiion but I'd rather have a concussion than permanent brain damage or even death.

BurtonAvenger

Every company has a different model thats for sure. Leedom uses someone with an elongated head thats pushed in, Burton I believe uses their riders, Giro has a few different fits the G9, G10, and Omen are more round, the Fuse is oblong, Boeri uses someone with a monster sized cranium, Capix well I just won't go there.

Helmet weight isn't a big thing its like board or binding weight after a few runs you don't notice it. I've ridden heavy helmets and now I have my super light Smith that I don't even notice I'm wearing a helmet when I have it on.

You take one C rail right up the ass and land on your tail bone and you realize how fast those things save. I lost mine and need to get some new ones but those things were fucking amazing. I could bail on rails and ass check and not worry.

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