Last season I loaded up on protective gear since I moved to Michigan from Tahoe and started riding the park more. Some people might give you sh*t for wearing protective gear but it allows me to ride all day and still go to work the next day. My key components are a helmet, wrist guards and some crash shorts if it's an icy day.

Helmets - look for something that fits well and has good venting, comfort is the most important thing here. A helmet is the difference between nothing and a concusion, or a concusion and serious brain damage.

Wrist guards - Probably my most utilized piece of protective gear. I use the burton RED guards because they are the only ones I could find that comfortably fit under my gloves. The protection is minimal but helps avoid sprained wrists for small crashes. If you crash hard you could still mess yourself up though.

Crash Shorts - Great for icy conditions. After slipping of a box or rail I no longer have to leave the hill early due to a sore tailbone. Again it won't save you in a hard crash but might be worth it for general soreness.

I also use a set of kids size soccer shin guards above my boots for rails and boxes.

 

Are the crash shorts the ones where you put pads in pockets? Or are they just lightly padded shorts? I think that these are a must for me, as i tend to fall on my side or back.

Also the other two will be a definate purchase as i'm still learning!

 

Yes, crash pads are essentially shorts with padding. Lots of different companies make them, usually they are a combination of some sort of foam, or foam layered with some hard plastic. I use skeletools shorts, basically just spandex shorts with pockets containing 1/2 inch foam rubber shapes. In hind sight I might have gone with the pads that are layered with plastic but just the foam does OK.

 

if you're a noob wrist and helmet mos def. Helment is pretty self explanatory but a lot of people don't think about thier wrist.

 

helmet and an a**pad that isn't thin as heck foam. OMG the one i got was useless as all heck...

foam + plastic would probably fair better. when you fall, make sure you're not falling on your hands. try to fall like a boxer protects his/her face?

 

anyone have suggestions on crash pants? i've seen the RED ones and they don't seem like they have much protection. i want something that will actually help me when i miss a rail or jump.

how are the skeletools? hows the protection? mobility?
Skeletools Products

i also looked into POC Loin shorts - POC Loin Pants, Body Armour, - OneBelowZero.co.uk

RED shorts
Burton Total Impact Short : Snowboard Pads

Burton RED Mens Impact Shorts : Snowboard Pads

same goes for wrist guards. what does everyone use? what have you tried? what would you reccommend?

 

bump. no one has any comments/suggestions/reviews?

 

i have a protec helmet & freefallgear shorts: Free Fall Gear: Protective wear for extreme sports - Free Fall Pro Shorts

 

Thanks for all the help guys.

Where would I be best looking for such items? I'm in the UK, are there any good sites?

 

Clenching your fist has helped me before..Althou im looking to get some wrist guards this year. Ass pads are a must, nothing like a bruised tailbone to ruin your week. I had a pair of reds and those are good not bulky and you can remove some of the padding if you feel you dont need it. Knee pads are also good, not the hard skate type,but the foamy ones from (triple 8).Helmet a must.

 

i went to the los angeles snow covention last year and they were selling these pads that were no joke. they were like bullet proof vests, it was nuts. they looked like cevlar. i am not sure but i think they were called armordillos. im not sure the convension is on dec 1 so i will make sure. If i had to go with protection i would go with that. ill give you the update

 

If you can afford it TPro (Forcefield body armour) is awesome. I just got mine and am looking forward to trying it out hardcore on the slopes. So far I have just suited up with my snowboard gear over it and pretty much ran around slamming myself into walls and doing some drops to my knees and arse. It surprisingly kept me cooler then if I was just wearing my snowboard coat & pants so it's very promising to not overheat me on the slopes. I'll start a thread when the season starts and provide a detailed review. The gear is a long sleeve shirt and full length pants. It's nice cuz you don't have to worry about the sweat rash from your knee pads and everything stays in place without cutting off circulation. You won't see this gear on the boarding sites usually cuz it's actually crossover for cycle and law enforcement. That and there is only one distributor right now in the states makes it difficult to shop around. BTW full suit with back protector can knock you back $500

Anyhow to reiterate with everyone else. Helmet, kneepads (especially for beginner), and wrists are you're #1 priority and pay close attention to any padded clothes you buy, often times the pads are more painful grinding into you then if you had nothing at all.