Buying Guide for Ski Helmets
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Protective Gear for Skiing
Whether you are racing, back country skiing, or taking on the bunny hill on a snowboard protective gear can be an excellent investment. Skis.com carries a wide selection of spine protectors, upper body protectors, shin guards, crash pad shorts, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads and slalom guards for racing poles. Now wearing all of this gear at the same time might be a little overkill, but it all has a purpose to protect skiers in different situations.
Protective gear for recreational skiers or snowboarders:
Based on the way skiers and snowboarders typically fall most of the protective gear that Skis.com carries for recreational use is geared toward protecting snowboarders. Crash Pad Shorts or Bumsavers are simply compression shorts with pads in them. This helpful piece of gear helps protect the tail bone when snowboarders fall backwards. Skis.com carries a few models of wrist guards and knee pads. These pieces of protective gear are also helpful to novice snowboarders. Wrist injuries are the most common injuries for snowboarders, wearing wrist guards is an easy way to prevent a trip to the emergency room. Knee pads can protect you if you fall forward.
Unfortunately for skiers the most common injuries on the slopes include and head injuries. Since the majority of the knee injuries experienced while skiing are a result of a twisting motion, there isn’t really any gear that can be worn to prevent such injuries other than medical knee braces. Head injuries can be combated by wearing the most important piece of gear, a ski helmet.
Protective Gear for Side Country or Back Country Skiers and Snowboarders:
Back country riding exposes you to more danger than you would typically find by skiing or snowboarding in bounds. Rocks and tight trees are the majority of dangerous obstacles you might encounter when you hike for your turns. Protective gear like a spine vest or jacket is highly recommended in addition to knee and elbow pads. You never know when you might clip a tree branch at speed so having the proper gear on can keep you out of a world of hurt.
Gear for ski racers:
For ski racers rocks and trees aren’t the obstacles, gates are. While only some protective gear is actually required there are plenty of pieces of gear that will keep you from being black and blue all season long.
Spine Protectors are the new push from many coaching staffs across the country. Spine protectors can be worn underneath your outerwear or race suit and protect your back not only from gates, but in the event of a crash where it is possible to land on gear or end up in the B netting.
For slalom racing it is important to have shin guards, pole guards, and a chin guard attached to your helmet. This gear not only protects your body but allows racers to cross block the gates out of their way to keep a better body position bringing their mass down the fall line. These pieces of protective gear aren’t required or recommended for any of the other events other than slalom.
Regardless of what kind of skiing or snowboarding you are planning on doing, having the proper protective gear can keep you save and sound on the slopes.
