Wintersport can lead to injuries. Protective equipment and clothing for skiers and snowboarders are now widely used but many of them overestimate the impact of their protectors. We tell you what equipment protects more and what you can do without.
1) Concerning knee- and elbow pads there are no studies clearly proving their benefit. The knee pad does not protect for example from the cruciate ligament tear, a typical injury in ski accidents.
2) Snowboarders frequently have wrist injuries, because when we fall we tend to automatically protect ourselves with our hands. Therefore, wrist pads are very useful for beginners who fall frequently. Its protective effect is scientifically proven.
3) A back protector can blunt light falls. But it does not protect from serious back injury. It is important in any case, that the back armor should not be too large. Otherwise its hard plates can slip up to the neck and injure sensitive vertebrae. If you don’t want to wear a back protector, can simply wear a backpack stuffed with a sweater – this can also protect in case of fall.
4) So called safety or crash pants, a kind of padded underpants are used to protect the coccyx. Their protective effect has not been scientifically proven. Nevertheless, experts recommend wearing them when performing stunts in the snowpark.
5) A helmet is the only protection that really is highly recommended for all. Its protection against serious head injuries is proven. A pleasant side effect: it is also warm.
6) In addition to these wintersport equipments, we recommend ski – or sunglasses against the strong sunshine, the branches and snow pellets.
7) Also remember to wear sun cream as even on a partly cloudy day, the sun rays are reflected by the snow.
Above all, careful skiing and snowboarding is much more important than any expensive equipment.
