5 Precautionary Tips For Snowboarding
Snowboarding is fun. Throwing caution to the wind and letting the slopes guide your journey is almost freeing. Until you take it too far and get too injured to snowboard throughout the season. That is not fun. That’s just plain stupid.
So stay careful to make the most of this fresh snow. Keep yourself and your snowboarding equipment in the best shape to criss-cross the entire icecapade of your area. Prepare yourself to stay safe and sound all year round!
5 Precautionary Tips For Snowboarding
Let us take a look at all the ways we can stay extra safe this snowboarding season:
1. Start With The Slopes
It is very easy to get lost in the process. You don’t always want to be looking over your back when you could be just putting miles on your board. But, it is important to be careful at all times. You need to make safety a habit while cruising on those snowy tides.
Always keep in mind the snowboarder’s blind spot while making a turn. You are faced sideways while on your board so it is difficult to get a full picture of your current surroundings. Always look back first to see if it is safe to turn at that moment.
Similarly, announce “on your right” or “on your left” when someone is ahead of you as you try to make a turn. This precaution is especially helpful when you are on narrow trails. Don’t push the limits too far whether it is of the time or your skill level. No adventure is worth more than your well-being.
2. Correct Equipment
The fit and condition of your snowboarding equipment makes a world of difference. It involves the helmet, goggles, the snowboard, and even your clothes. The helmet should always be of the right fit with the chin strap properly fastened. It should be certified by the trusted standardization authorities such as the CE, Snell or ASTM.
Dispose the single-impact helmet after you have gotten into even a minor collision. Its safety has been tempered during the collision even if you are not able to see its proof in the form of a cracked surface. Use only the helmets meant specifically for the snowboarding purpose.
If you have to, rent the equipment only from a reliable place. It should come with the right fit and in good condition. Never compromise with the size and the fitting of the gear. Often incorrect bindings and a poor fit might lead to otherwise easily avoidable accidents.
3. Train Your Body
If you are injured or not in good shape, avoid going on any sort of snowboarding trip. This will help you prevent making the already bad condition worse. Start with getting your body prepared for the snowboarding season. Religiously follow a daily endurance building exercise. Add a warm-up routine to it too that focuses on the shoulders, calves, hamstrings and the quadriceps.
Keep your body well-hydrated at all times. Otherwise, the dehydration will soon covert into fatigue. And all your hard work till now prepping for the snowboarding season will go down the drain. Make sure you consistently drink enough fluids throughout the day. This will help you make the most out of your day without any major exhaustion.
The “one last run” syndrome leads to a lot of untimely injuries. You are riding high on the adrenaline. The day seems to be full of one mind-blowing run after the other. And that is the perfect time to end the day on a high! But, a lot of us try to squeeze out just one more run out of it. And that is when everything starts going wrong real fast.
4. Alpine Responsibility Code
It consists of a set of important guidelines that must be followed to prevent injuries on a global scale. The code comes under the snow sport injury prevention section. It states a number of noteworthy precautions. According to this code, beginners must always train with a certified instructor. Make sure that your child does not snowboard after being tired. This is because most of the injuries happen during the last run.
Your and your kid’s ski levels must perfectly match with the respective runs when you guys are snowboarding. Pay attention to where you are snowboarding for faster action in case of an accident. The out-of-bounds snowboarding should be avoided at all times. Make sure you have enough company on all your runs.
The snowboarding gear should be in good condition. Check it thoroughly at the start of the snowboarding season to make the required replacements. Keep yourself safe with protective goggles, wrist guards and other equipment.
5. Proper Sun Protection
Skin cancer is no joke. Proper protection against the sun is important more than ever now considering the depleting protective ozone layer. Get useful sunglasses that come with UVA/UVB protection to keep your eyes safe from the glare and harmful effects of the UV rays at all times.
The UV rays are not sunlight. Just because it is shady or you are indoors do not mean that you don’t need sun protection. All you need to do is get an SPF 30 or higher and lather it up. You can never be too careful with your skin.
Up high in the mountains, the atmosphere is already too thin and you are a bit too close to the sun. You take a mini sunscreen pouch with you in your jacket’s pocket. And reapply during your breaks when you feel like your skin can use a coat.
Conclusion
One of the most liberating sports in the world is snowboarding. You get to enjoy an ethereal scenery as you experience the magic of snowboards and slopes. When done right, you can have the time of your life. You get to cultivate a skill that fills your world with unprecedented adventure. But don’t go too far with testing the limits of nature and your body else you might lose it all.
Do you love snowboarding? When and how did you injure yourself the last time? Tell us in the comment section below. Forward it on your socials to make your friends and family a bit safer this snow season.
