Snow blades in powder?

Walt wrote:

Richard Henry wrote:

"foot2foot" wrote


Do a google for snowblade injuries. Or skiboard injuries. Or
google for last years thread, same subject.


This always irritates me when someone says "Do a google..."

Don't you already have a url saved up from when you did a google?


Here's 100 results from Google:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X6F0215C9

99 of which take you (indirectly) to
http://www.ski-injury.com/snowblade.htm

According to that study, snowwblades increase the probability of lower
limb fracture - 35% of skiblade injuries are fractures, and 60% of those
are leg fractures.

I'm inclined to agree with foot, but keep in mind that it's just one
study (anybody know of any others? I'd like to see more), and I don't
think they're quite as dangerous and extreme as foot2foot seems to
think. But I'm not putting them on my feet. Eveyrbody else can do
whatever they want to.



Hey boys and girls, let's think about this. Where are the majority of
snowbladers hanging out, on the powder slopes or the parks? Do you
think this has anything to do with the injury rate? I couldn't say.
Think of the last time you saw a snowblader take some steep bumps.
Think of the last time you saw a snowblader bite it in the bumps.
Probably the same time and it wasn't a pretty sight, was it? Get the
point? Don't take "statistics" at face value.

RAC

"lynze w." wrote in message
om...
Hi,
I'm a journalist in Logan, Utah, who is interested in doing a story on
the growing popularity of snow blades. I'd love to hear why you snow
blade, what are the safety hazards (it sounds like there are quite a
few), the start-up cost, etc. Thanks!

I spent a week or so on some 100 cm high lift carving/park grind
base snowblades, and it took me that long to realize I'd be a fool
to continue to use them. I then got a pair of 120cm carving skis
with release bindings. I spent a season on them.

These things are absolute weapons on ice. Ice skates for sure.
The narrowest chute becomes laughable, moguls might as well
be groomers, and fear in general disappears.

As Cliff Taylor first said, and using the techniques he described,
it is possible to use them in most powder conditions, if the
terrain is steep enough. Why you would want to is another
story.

They really shine in what would be otherwise nearly unskiable
slop. In the spring, I went places that no one else would go
on various slopes, and had a great time, using mostly the
techniques described by Taylor, and the down unweight,
twisting extension type turns described by Tejada Flores in
his latest book.

You can probably go as fast on them as you could on other
skis, but, on anything but pristine groom, you get the crap
beat out of you. This is because they do not surf right over
all the irregularities in the cut up snow, but instead, bounce
you around unpleasantlyj, and sometimes uncontrollably.

In message , lynze w.
writes

I'm a journalist in Logan, Utah, who is interested in doing a story on
the growing popularity of snow blades. I'd love to hear why you snow
blade, what are the safety hazards (it sounds like there are quite a
few), the start-up cost, etc. Thanks!

In assessing the injury reports, you'll find there's no proper study
with the bladers and skiers matched for age, sex and experience.
Without that match, the numbers can only mislead.

In particular, many skiers are old and sedate, or very young and under
supervision, or are going along with keen spouses. These people do have
injuries, but they have a strong bias toward minor ones. People like
them seldom try blades.
A large proportion of bladers are risk-prone youths, playpark users and
novelty seekers. They have more serious accidents more often because
they're chancing it. People like that do ski, but as skiers they're
outnumbered.

So blades would have to be *amazingly* safe to not have a worse accident
record than skis. It doesn't mean they're more dangerous on the same
user.
They might be more dangerous if you don't do roller or ice skating,
because you won't have the right reflexes for when you fall.

--
Sue ];(

Looking forward to trying them

"Sue" wrote in message


In assessing the injury reports, you'll find there's no proper study
with the bladers and skiers matched for age, sex and experience.
Without that match, the numbers can only mislead.

There are no proper studies at all, one thing the snow sport
industry does better than anything else is hide actual injury
stats.

In particular, many skiers are old and sedate, or very young and under
supervision, or are going along with keen spouses.

Back up that claim if you can.

These people do have
injuries, but they have a strong bias toward minor ones.

Back up that claim if you can.

People like
them seldom try blades.

Back up that claim if you can.

A large proportion of bladers are risk-prone youths, playpark users and
novelty seekers.

Back up that claim if you can....

They have more serious accidents more often because
they're chancing it. People like that do ski, but as skiers they're
outnumbered

Back up *that* claim if you can. I don't beleive any of them.

So blades would have to be *amazingly* safe to not have a worse accident
record than skis.

No they wouldn't.

It doesn't mean they're more dangerous on the same
user.

Yes it does.

They might be more dangerous if you don't do roller or ice skating,
because you won't have the right reflexes for when you fall.

There is no reason on earth these things can't have release
bindings, except for industry greed and disregard for the safety
of customers.

Sue, if you want to "try some" try 120cm skis with release bindings.
They *are* just the same as anything shorter, and have advantages
over the absurdly short blades. There's nothing you can do on
an 80 that you can't do on a 120.

"foot2foot" wrote in message
...

"Sue" wrote in message


In assessing the injury reports, you'll find there's no proper study
with the bladers and skiers matched for age, sex and experience.
Without that match, the numbers can only mislead.

There are no proper studies at all, one thing the snow sport
industry does better than anything else is hide actual injury
stats.

Back up that claim if you can.


In particular, many skiers are old and sedate, or very young and under
supervision, or are going along with keen spouses.

Back up that claim if you can.

These people do have
injuries, but they have a strong bias toward minor ones.

Back up that claim if you can.

People like
them seldom try blades.

Back up that claim if you can.

A large proportion of bladers are risk-prone youths, playpark users and
novelty seekers.

Back up that claim if you can....

They have more serious accidents more often because
they're chancing it. People like that do ski, but as skiers they're
outnumbered

Back up *that* claim if you can. I don't beleive any of them.

So blades would have to be *amazingly* safe to not have a worse accident
record than skis.

No they wouldn't.

It doesn't mean they're more dangerous on the same
user.

Yes it does.

They might be more dangerous if you don't do roller or ice skating,
because you won't have the right reflexes for when you fall.

There is no reason on earth these things can't have release
bindings, except for industry greed and disregard for the safety
of customers.

Sue, if you want to "try some" try 120cm skis with release bindings.
They *are* just the same as anything shorter, and have advantages
over the absurdly short blades. There's nothing you can do on
an 80 that you can't do on a 120.

"Richard Henry" wrote in message
news:dIzld.51421$SW3.34512@fed1read01...


There are no proper studies at all, one thing the snow sport
industry does better than anything else is hide actual injury
stats.

Back up that claim if you can.

Where are they? The injury stats I mean. Where are the real
snowboard versus skier frequency/severity/etc stats?

You tell me where all these stats are, there for me and
everybody else to see.

The most well known publication in re ski area operations
which I shall timidly not name, is has been and will be
lacking any real info in re blade injuries (with non release
bindings) vs.the other sports.

My own personal observation and experience tells me this
more than anything else.

There is only *one* source of snowblade injury stats. Why
is that?

Once again, Richard there is no reason these things couldn't
have release bindings. IMO, smart people will vote with
their feet, and buy shortie skis with release bindings, or
nothing at all.

People, do not be fooled. Do not ski on these blades,
and don't let your kids ski on them either.

foot2foot wrote:

Sue, if you want to "try some" try 120cm skis with release bindings.
They *are* just the same as anything shorter, and have advantages
over the absurdly short blades. There's nothing you can do on
an 80 that you can't do on a 120.

You can't stuff them into an 81-cm suitcase.

--
Cheers,
Bev
================================================== ===========
"What's truly sad is that your vote counts the same as mine."
-- S. Brown

"Walt" wrote in message
...

in a similar vein, I asked last year whether the "indemnification list"
was a purely North American phenominum, as the shops I use over here
have
never heard of it.

Don't know about that.

It's a US phenomena. Not sure about Canada (I'll ask next time I'm
there).

Exactly the same here. Every shop has an indemnification list.

foot2foot wrote:

"Sue" wrote in message



In assessing the injury reports, you'll find there's no proper study
with the bladers and skiers matched for age, sex and experience.
Without that match, the numbers can only mislead.


There are no proper studies at all, one thing the snow sport
industry does better than anything else is hide actual injury
stats.

Oh, for heaven's sake. Foot, there is a _world_ of difference between
_hiding_ information and failing to collate it. When you hear
hoofbeats, look for horses.

--
Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield, other days you're the bug.

Mary Malmros wrote:
foot2foot wrote:

There are no proper studies at all, one thing the snow sport
industry does better than anything else is hide actual injury
stats.

Oh, for heaven's sake. Foot, there is a _world_ of difference between
_hiding_ information and failing to collate it.

And there's a world of difference between failing to collate
information and refusing to release it so that others would have the
opportunity to collate it.

The latter is a better description of the industry's stance. "Nobody
gets to know nuttin' bout no alleged injuries." Foot's use of the
word "hide" may be inflammatory, but it's apt.


When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses.

And then be careful where you step.


--
// Walt
//
// There is no Volkl Conspiracy