So once you except you might be in for a few bumps or bruises, and unless you’re the luckiest person it the world, you’re going to need some protection.
Making sure you are kitted out right is one of the first things you should be thinking of for a novice snowboarder (and should be up there for any boarder from amateur to pro). There are and abundance of snowboard safety clothing and equipment on the market and if you make sure you buy reputable stuff, you should be on the right track.
First up. A helmet. Now many snowboarders don’t bother with these and just stick a beanie, cap or some other headgear on, however at the speeds you can reach protecting your noggin is probably a good idea. Shaun White has been an advocator of snowboarding helmets, and he’s had enough knocks over the years to know what he’s talking about. A few good examples are the Protec Classic Snow Helmet and the Protec Ace Freecarve Helmet both solid dependable ways to keep your grey matter intact. Want something flashy as well as protective? Why not go for a helmet with built in earphones so you can snowboard and listen to your favourite tunes at the same time? Well there’s the Protec Classic Snow with Audio Force Ear Pads and the Scotty Arnold Signature Helmet with Plantronic Audio.
As snowboarders often land on their hands or knees, having adequate protection here is vital. Some good quality products here are Dakine Wrist Guards and Protec IPS Knee Pads. Good snowboarding gloves will always benefit the hands as well, with Dakine being one of the market leaders for snowboarding gloves.Other sensible protective clothing includes snowboarding pants (trousers), jackets, boots and goggles and some sturdy hip protectors underneath such as Protec’s IPS Hip Pads, which come in styles for both men and women.
Finally you have back protection and once again Protec come through with the IPS back protector. This back protector offers spine protection for those who want focused back security. Soft shoulder straps keep the pad in place for all day comfort and the anatomical design just adds to this more.So there you go, a run down of some snowboarding protection to keep you safe and hopefully free of broken bones and bruises. It may seem a lot of kit, but to coin the old cliché, better safe than sorry.
For a great range of snowboarding impact protection and protective clothing, as well as snowboards, accessories and more visit S2AS.com, we are all avid boarders ourselves and will advise you on the best protection to buy for your needs and level of skill.