J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by surfarthur

I agree with you ewan, and on the point of older people snowboarding, due to a knee injury I will never be able to get on a pair of skis, but I am able to snowboard quite well, so I intend to be snowboarding for many more years to come. There are plenty of people now, and more every year that are over 30 and snowboard.

81 days until I arrive at Rusutsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
no chance of any practice here in Western Australia though :-)

That is not at all what I meant, I am a very cautious person by nature, and I do not think that I am invincible. The point i am trying to make is that wearing a helmet can help you develop your skiing or riding by increasing your confidence in the same way that a good haircut can improve your confidence in other situations. I am well aware of my limitations. In my experience, there are many people that think they are invincible that do not wear helmets, and it is partially because of those people that i have chosen to wear one myself.

Wrist guards are a must, I broke my wrist first time snowboarding, 5 years on and I still love it, still wear wrist guards, under the glove ones are best, especially if your kids are concerned with looking good

I started wearing a helmet a couple of years ago, after 2 seasons without one. For me, as an intermediate snowboarder, I found that putting on a helmet gave me more confidence to attempt more difficult terrain, on and off piste, not having to worry about a head injury is one thing off my mind while trying to concentrate on a new slope or technique.

Also, don't forget the importance of replacing your helmet after an impact, as just like a bicycle helmet, the integrity of the helmet may be compromised even if you cannot see any damage.

I would also like to add, I don't think that it matters whether you are a skier or a snowboarder, you should consider wearing a helmet regardless of the terrain that you ski or ride. It only takes one out of control person to cause a serious collision, and these can and do occur off piste and in the back country too.