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(NC)—While snowboarding and skiing injuries occur with the same frequency (three to four injuries per 1,000 exposure days for both), boarding injuries are usually more severe. U.S. data shows that 38 per cent of snowboarding injuries are fractures, as opposed to 15 per cent for skiing.

Jumps are the most exciting part of snowboarding. Not surprisingly, they also result in the most injuries. Head injuries are usually a result of falling backwards onto hard snow. Safety experts advocate wearing a ski helmet to protect the head. Arms, wrists and hands are often hurt when boarders use them to break falls. The safer way to break a fall is to fall on the fists. Learning how to fall properly is fundamental. Snowboarders should take lessons to learn techniques that will reduce their chances of injury.

If you are a beginner, you should learn to "ollie" on flat snow. Jump up on the board without going over an actual jump. The front edge of the board must come up higher than the back edge and you should land on a downward slope. A flat landing can hurt the ankles, knees and back. Practice ollies until you're comfortable and then move to a sloped groomed run no higher than about half a metre (one to two feet). Always check out landings before jumping and approach with a flat board, not your edge.

When you jump, do an ollie to give yourself a boost. In the air, keep your body upright and immediately look for a spot to land. Land flat on the board and bend your knees to absorb the shock. Once you master the smaller jumps, you can move to bigger ones, but always pace yourself. Despite the benefits of helmet use, many snowboarders maintain a cavalier attitude about using them.

For more information on safety, visit ConsumerInformation.ca. It's a Web site created by federal, provincial, territorial governments, selected non governmental organizations and their partners specifically to provide Canadians with convenient, one-stop access to hundreds of objective, reliable, current consumer information sources.

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Last modified: 12/12/03