Snowboard Club UK (SCUK)

Technique - Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

vixen - Mar 05, 2008 - 02:58 PM
Post subject: Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

I've now managed to break my wrist in the same place twice (1st time 2 years ago at the SCUK Winter bash, 2nd time last week) and am looking for ways to not do it again (giving up snowboarding, obviously, isn't an option).

I asked the doctor at the fracture clinic about the break and seemingly I'm likely to break it in the same place again as the break will always be the path of least resistance. Her other advice was wearing wrist guards...

....the 1st time I did it I had Dakine wrist guards on, last week I had Level Biomex gloves on.

Anyone got any suggestions on how I can avoid doing it again?

(sensible or silly suggestions welcome - I need some cheering up!).

rhys32 - Mar 05, 2008 - 03:10 PM
Post subject: RE: Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

dont fall with your hands out, or dont put your hands to save you.
instead try falling onnto your forearms if your tumbling forward. (if that makes sense)
and well if ur falling back just kinda tuck in a bit and either fall on your ass
or let your elbows take the brunt raather than stickin your hands down.

i know its hard as ur natural reaction is to reach out to break your fall..
just a suggestion

rachie - Mar 05, 2008 - 03:12 PM
Post subject: RE: Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

yeah DONT fall over Wink

StephenShutt - Mar 05, 2008 - 03:22 PM
Post subject: RE: Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

Attach stabilisers to your board like you would a bike Wink

Fresh_Kid_Ice - Mar 05, 2008 - 03:24 PM
Post subject: RE: Broken Wrists - how not to do it again

as rhys says....

I wear protection but try to fall as safely as possible.

mikemiek - Mar 05, 2008 - 03:39 PM
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yeh i try to twist and roll just wen i start falling so i land on my side or back. this kinda spreads the impact out a bit too.

think i've broken the habit of landin on my wrists now by doin so. I remember when i was learning i always finished the day with sore wrists.

liam0114 - Mar 05, 2008 - 04:39 PM
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how did you do it with level gloved on. i have some and they are awesome !

vixen - Mar 05, 2008 - 05:22 PM
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I managed to fall, nothing fancy or clever. Just trying to get out of the way of a skier who stopped suddenly in front of me on a really narrow run!

Tomahawk - Mar 05, 2008 - 05:51 PM
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as ppl have said.

dont stick your arms out!

they are week just take the hit with your body or if you have to put your arms out then fore arms.

Tiberius - Mar 05, 2008 - 06:15 PM
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oh, bummer V...for obvious reasons I am not gonna offer and advice on how to avoid breaking bones Smile

What ya doing avoiding skiers? There's your problem, just hit them, they deserve it.

BoardingJay - Mar 05, 2008 - 06:27 PM
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After i broke my arm i have always grabbed my pants if i can and let my bum take the brunt of the fall... if i'm about to fall on my face then i get my forearms to take the brunt rather than my hand... result is that i dont have as many sore wrists and the occasional sore bum =))

and yes i agree, skiers that fall in front of you deserve to get hit... there was one that fell directly in front of me after comin in from behind me to the right and thought the best way to stop was to fall in front of me... course i didn't have any time to react so i rode straight into her skis, rode away fine myself but she ended up with broken bindings... quite frankly ithink she got away easy...

MattR - Mar 06, 2008 - 09:08 AM
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learn to fall is the only way to do it.

It's instinctive to put your arm out, with snow sports it's usually the wrist that goes!

It's similar in biking, but instead it's usually the collar bone that gets it, i know at least half the old mtb team i raced with had broken collar bones at some point!

Might be worth going the whole hog and getting the flexmeter gloves, they offer even more protection than biomex, but start to make your bank balance suffer and restrict movement more than biomex.

Branny - Mar 06, 2008 - 09:58 AM
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check out this link

http://www.ski-injury.com/wrist.htm

learning to fall is something that can be completely overlooked by teaching staff, okay a lot of it is experience but ingraining some knowledge into newbies grey matter about falling correctly can really help, as if they keep getting remind at low speed etc then when they need to do it for real it'll be intuative.

yellowlala - Mar 10, 2008 - 09:28 AM
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Yo Branny when doing my Basi course one of our instructors told us of a guy that successfully sued a snowschool as he had injured himself when being shown how to fall. I don't need to tell you it occured in the US. He's an english instructor but cautioned about teaching people to fall. I think it's crazy to not let people in on the secret myself but such is the way of the world.

As everyone has said tuck those hands into your body and fall on your forearms if you go forward. I think the best way is to teach yourself not to be afraid of falling, once you know you're going just relax into it. Sounds daft but got taught this when doing track days on motorbikes, the more you try to resist your fall the more you will break bits of yourself. Relaxing instead of tensing during a fall is the key.

Branny - Mar 10, 2008 - 10:10 AM
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yellowlala wrote:

but cautioned about teaching people to fall.

argghhh...the no win no fee mentality rules again...personally i'd sue the instructor who didn't teach me how to fall!!

okay don't throw the newbies down the slope and see how they stop, but advise them of the safe methods, ie forearms, and bums rather than hands & heads.

Then remind them each time they fall and don't follow the methodology

diggity - Mar 10, 2008 - 01:21 PM
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Or you could try landing on your face instead like I did

yellowlala - Mar 10, 2008 - 02:26 PM
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Branny wrote:

yellowlala wrote:

but cautioned about teaching people to fall.

Yep yep yep totally agree, the ambulance chasers strike again. I'm of the school of thought that you need to do your best to show ppl to keep themselves safe.

I got made to fall over with the board on backwards and forwards, just on the flat at the bottom of slope, think it's important.

sarah_s - Mar 14, 2008 - 01:43 PM
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My boyfriend broke his wrist this year too. He was taken out by a skier. We both wear wrist guards, but the shorter kind so the advice here has been really helpful. Think we'll be investing in some Flexmeter guards.

I was taught to fall when I had lessons but I never seem to do it right in the heat of the moment. I'll have to fall over more for practice Wink

Branny - Mar 14, 2008 - 02:33 PM
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LOL..if your not slammin' your not trying hard enough!!!

luketheboredborder - Mar 14, 2008 - 02:46 PM
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NZ instructors don't teach people how to fall - as we can get sued.
I have always encouraged helmets and wrist guards all round for my classes though.

2 Breaks - that's unlucky. I've had a lot of sore wrists, but no breaks with my biomex gloves. If your'e crashing at speed you usually don't have time to put your arms out before you hit - i've found the slower speed rail stacks to be the worst by far. So i'd strap that wrist up and go faster.

You can prevent your arms from hitting first if your'e head strong enough - but it's difficult. We do this on dendex all the time, as you really really don't want your hands and fingers getting stuck in the slope when you go down.

vixen - Mar 14, 2008 - 03:15 PM
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So I've just bought some new Flexmeter wrist guards. If they don't work not entirely sure what I'll do (someone had the cheek to suggest I take up skiing!).

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I'm thinking my best option is not to fall over.

Only 3 1/2 weeks until the cast comes off and the board goes on.

Lesley - Mar 14, 2008 - 04:15 PM
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As Laura berry's mum I can give you a bit of advice on injuries Sad

Laura has broken her wrist twice and her collarbone 5 times.
Laura now wears the flexmeter wrist guards and swears they've saved her from a broken wrist on 3 occassions.
One problem with the advice on using your forearms........you'll break your collarbone instead!!
Basically how you fall is a natural instinct but wearing protection helps to lessen the chances of major injury.
Laura's tried everything to help prevent breaking something and has found it's down to fate.Last time she fractured her collarbone earlier this year she fall onto bum but the force made her whiplash her head back which fractured her collarbone.
Hope you mend quickly.

thestunnertier1 - Mar 14, 2008 - 05:29 PM
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I bought some Flexmeter wristguards but cant be arsed to wear them, but when I have a big wipe out I have got in the habbit of clenching my fists when I fall and to this day I have never knowingly broken a bone snowboarding !!!

My mate broke his wrist in st anton in December, had a cast on 4 weeks, had it off and come to Tignes with us in the 1st week of feb, he was wearing the £90 Flexmeter gloves which has built in double splints, he never had a problem all week and swears by them that they are the best !!!! I tried them on and they were the business. I still have some 10% discount vouchers if you are intrested from when I bought mine !! they sell them at alpsgear.co.uk

SnowAndrew - Mar 15, 2010 - 10:06 AM
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The thing i would say is that if your riding cautiously worried about falling on your wrist, then that is usually when you will fall on your wrist.

ColdComfort - Mar 15, 2010 - 02:38 PM
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Yeah Wrist guards + learn how to fall - o.c the bad news is with wrist guards u then have a greater possibility of defering the break to somewhere else like a rib most commonly - but still its a safe bet specially when learning jumps and stuff to use them.

RE: Learning to fall is a dam good thing to do - i spent a lot of years doing proper contact martial arts ( Judo and Jujitsu) where u spend a great ammount of time learning break falls to lessen the risk of impacts.

Knowing how to do it - is one thing - learning to do it by instinct is what u need and that needs lots of practice. So if ure looking for a new summer sport - there ya go Smile

ChasKi - Mar 15, 2010 - 04:25 PM
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I always seems to slide out rather then stacking huge stacks.

Once I ended up going head first down a mogully red on my chest for a few meters because I caught an edge and slid out and round 180 degrees.

I always try and make myself as low as possible to the ground before I stack it, if I can feel it happening then when it does happen I just end up on my bum or chest shooting down hill.

Then again, so far I only ride piste!

yellowlala - Mar 15, 2010 - 07:24 PM
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How the hell did this post come back...2 years (nearly to the day) of the last post on it from 2008? You must have one massive shovel to have dug this one up!!! Laughing

BigDan - Mar 15, 2010 - 10:21 PM
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yellowlala wrote:

How the hell did this post come back...2 years (nearly to the day) of the last post on it from 2008? You must have one massive shovel to have dug this one up!!! Laughing

Tis evidence of the fabled "search" button!

And anyway, if they started a new thread, someone would complain that this was discussed in March 2008 and then it would kick off and someone would get banned! Laughing