Avoiding Injuries

As the sport of snowboarding grows, so does the number of snowboarding-related injuries. Wrist injuries are by far the most common of all snowboarding injuries, followed by ankle and knee injuries.

Wrist injuries tend to occur when snowboarders fall backward and try to catch themselves with their arms. The instinct to extend one or both arms to catch a fall is hard to curb, but snowboarders should be advised to try to keep their arms safely tucked in. It is better to roll out of a fall, distributing impact over a greater portion of the body. Beginning snowboarders are at particular risk for wrist injury, most likely because beginners accumulate a greater number of backward falls at slower speeds than more advanced riders. Wrist guards are the best protection against injury, but are not a sure thing.

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