new to snowboarding

On 4 Jan 2006 12:08:31 GMT, Switters wrote:

On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 11:09:11 GMT, Champ allegedly
wrote:

(PS: why is everyone removing all context to what they're replying to
here nowadays?)

It's all the numpties using google groups. They seem to think this
newsgroup is actually part of google (witness recent references to a post
by a number, like 219!)

I guessed as much.

It would seem that google has a crappy interface that doesn't include the
previous post by default allowing no attributions or context. I guess
clicking that extra toggle button is too much to ask.

I've used google groups ocassionally, and it is a mild pain to get it
to format a post correctly. Fortunately, the Other Place where I
usually post is pretty, er, vocal about people who don't post
properly.

Welcome to the newest era of usenet.

Sucks, don't it :-)

Anyway, enough of that. You've probably read that I've just returned
from 9 days in Tignes. The worst snow conditions I've seen in 6 years
- they managed to keep the pistes open with lots of artificial snow,
but there was almost zero off-piste for 6 days (hence my day on two
planks, just for something to do). Got some fresh on the last few
days, tho, and the sun even came out for the powder too.

What are your plans for this season?
--
Champ

Switters wrote in :

[ Helmets ]

So far this year, I think there's been a big change. I was out in
Switzerland recently and there seems to be a huge increase in the amount
of people wearing them, skiers and boarders, young and old. I'd say it
was 50% if not more.

And in North America I'd say the majority wear them already. At least on
the hills I've been to.

The snowboard shop I go to (Cellblock in Utrecht) said that they are
selling a lot more helmets this season. So I guess I'll see more of them on
the slopes.

Koos

--
Koos van den Hout Homepage: http://idefix.net/~koos/
Fax: +31-30-2817051 PGP keyid DSS/1024 0xF0D7C263 or RSA/1024 0xCA845CB5
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Octessence wrote:
I think all snowboarding helmets are the hard variety. I've never seen
soft ones. You don't really need one as a beginner.


I disagree. My 8 year old nephew is learning to board, which is what
took me to the learner's area last weekend. Full body armor would have
been a good idea.

Dean

Octessence wrote in :
I think all snowboarding helmets are the hard variety. I've never seen
soft ones. You don't really need one as a beginner.

I must heartily disagree here. Beginners should all wear helmets. I speak
from recent experience. I have only been out 5 times this year (my first
year) and the second day out I made use of my 'met.

Depending on conditions, hard groomed tracks, for example can be quite fast
if you're on the edge of being out of control. Beginners are frequently
out of control and catch edges easily and don't know how to fall. Odds are
pretty good they'll bang their head.

GoHabsGo wrote on 04 Jan 2006 14:59:38 GMT:
Octessence wrote in :
I think all snowboarding helmets are the hard variety. I've never seen
soft ones. You don't really need one as a beginner.

I must heartily disagree here. Beginners should all wear helmets. I speak
from recent experience. I have only been out 5 times this year (my first
year) and the second day out I made use of my 'met.

Depending on conditions, hard groomed tracks, for example can be quite fast
if you're on the edge of being out of control. Beginners are frequently
out of control and catch edges easily and don't know how to fall. Odds are
pretty good they'll bang their head.

You could argue that because you were wearing a helmet you felt more
confident, and took more risks.

Obviously, I wasn't there and I don't know anything about your personality,
but it's a thought.

--
David Taylor

Depending on conditions, hard groomed tracks, for example can be quite fast
if you're on the edge of being out of control. Beginners are frequently
out of control and catch edges easily and don't know how to fall. Odds are
pretty good they'll bang their head.

I agree that you should wear a helmet anyway, no matter what level you
are. I was just speaking from personal experience. Sure I banged my
head on the snow a few times while learning, but it was nothing really.
No worse than hitting your head on a door frame. Your biggest risk is
other people hitting you at high speed, not you falling over.

"David Taylor" wrote in
:

You could argue that because you were wearing a helmet you felt more
confident, and took more risks.

I don't think that's true in my case. I just crashed while doing normal
stuff, catching edges as many beginners do. I am taking more risks now and
crashing in a much more controlled manner now but I would not want to take
a chance without a helmet even if I think I am becoming an expert. I am
not concerned with looking dorky since the trend is that more people are
wearing them. If you have something worth protecting, then protect it!

"surf" wrote in message
Sounds like you really need a helmet ? My sis says skiiers don't need
helmets and didn't think snowboarders would. Are there many helmet
options such as a soft helmet that can be packed easier and is more
cushiony like a surfiing helmet for rocks ? Would a hard football type
helmet be best ?

Get a proper ski/snowboard helmet - it is designed for the conditions you get
in the mountains. A lot of skiers started wearing helmets after Sonny Bono and
that Kennedy kid died.

A helmet not only protects your head, it protects your neck. I find the extra
couple inches of padding keeps my head from whiplashing when I catch a
heelside edge.

Take some lessons. If you learn the "right" way to initiate a turn, you will have a
lot less falls. But you will fall - hard some times. All it takes is a skier clipping your
heelside edge as he turns away from you. It happened to me, and after seeing stars, I
quickly bought a helmet. I never saw the guy coming.

Bob

On Wed, 04 Jan 2006 12:22:05 GMT, Champ allegedly
wrote:

I've used google groups ocassionally, and it is a mild pain to get it
to format a post correctly. Fortunately, the Other Place where I
usually post is pretty, er, vocal about people who don't post
properly.

I tried that here, but it had no effect ;-)

Anyway, enough of that. You've probably read that I've just returned
from 9 days in Tignes. The worst snow conditions I've seen in 6 years

Strange. In Switzerland I had the best snow I've seen at this time of
year for at least 5 years. It started off naff (around the same time
you were in Tignes), but then it snowed a reasonable amount with 20cm
over one night kicking things into life nicely. Strangely, the rest of
Switzerland was apparently getting lots more snow, I assumed that
applied to the rest of the Alps as well.

Still, I got some epic first tracks in.

- they managed to keep the pistes open with lots of artificial snow,
but there was almost zero off-piste for 6 days (hence my day on two
planks, just for something to do).

I was considering hiring some skis myself, as in the early part I was
skidding out on the ice. I changed boards and suddenly I was back on
rails. Need to get the old board's edges sharpened.

Got some fresh on the last few
days, tho, and the sun even came out for the powder too.

Always nice.

What are your plans for this season?

Trip to BC later in the season, that's about it so far. You?

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

While pondering the Universe, (Octessence) wrote
:


I think all snowboarding helmets are the hard variety. I've never seen
soft ones. You don't really need one as a beginner. You only really need
one when you start going off-piste where there is a risk of rocks, or
when you start learning rails/jumps.

Even beginner runs in the northeast US can become like cement in
Jan. and Feb. and whacking your head on that (especially if falling
backwards) can be dangerous even at slow speed. Recall Dr. Atiks was
done in not by being fat (!) but by skull****ing himself on a curb.

I didn't start using one until my third year as by then I was also
going considerably faster. Looking back I was a fool as I definitely
saw stars more than once that first year.