My parents are huge skiers. Every winter we go on a ski vacation. I want to snowboard. They say it’s too dangerous. Really? Which is more dangerous, snowboarding or skiing? —Peyton, 12, Hell’s Kitchen
Peyton, you invite a valid discussion; this has been a debate since the late 1970s. Snowboarding is a hybrid sport inspired by skiing, surfing and skateboarding. Its unorthodox maneuvers and young participants strike fear and dismay into the hearts of traditional alpine skiers and raise safety concerns.
Although vitalizing and fun, snow sports share many inherent risks and the incidence rate of injury is comparable. The sport of snowboarding brings with it a different set of injuries from those seen in alpine skiing. Snowboarders have a higher percentage of upper extremity injuries, while skiers have a higher percentage of lower extremity injuries. Because a snowboard necessitates both feet being fixed to the same object, a snowboarder will have a tendency to fall directly forward or backward, exposing the wrists, face, head and tailbone to injury. Skiers tend to fall to their sides, exposing them to injuries to the hip, knee, and shoulder.
It is imperative that, while enjoying snowboarding, you are conscious of your own ability. Keep in mind that just because you are a good skier, you may be a novice on a snowboard. Take a lesson from a qualified instructor. One of the most important skills snowboarding instructors will teach is how to fall correctly, thereby avoiding the most common situations that lead to injuries. To ensure safety, purchase the proper equipment such as a good helmet, wrist guards and possibly a tailbone pad.
Boarding requires both technical and physical skills including strength, endurance, agility and balance. It would be wise to perform specific conditioning and workout routines so to not only perform better and prevent fatigue, but to help reduce the risk of injury on the slopes.
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Kimberly Caspare, DPT, ATC, CSCS, CES, is the founder of Body Architects, NYC, which delivers One-to-One physical therapy using the most progressive healing techniques available. Dr. Caspare graduated from Boston University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She earned her Bachelor’s of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where she specialized in Exercise Physiology and earned her Athletic Training degree.
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