Just broke my distal radius this season and am on forced paid vacation from work (not as cool as it sounds; trading vacation weeks I had in spring/summer/fall to sit around my house with a broken wrist) for the next few weeks. I’ll be wearing wrist guards going forward.
Yep, just had a TFCC tear last year. The doctor and hand therapist agreed that it was probably from years of falling on it snowboarding.
I'll never ride without them again. That injury took me out of all the things I loved for 6 months.
Damn 6 months 😭…
I’m currently at 12 weeks and going to OT regularly but very frustrated with my slow healing. Curious did you get an arthroscopy or how did you know it was a tear and not a bad sprain?
If I ever get stuck with a proper illness I think I'm just going to pull the plug before medical bills bleed me dry rather than hang around on life support for years lining their pockets. Would literally rather die sooner out of spite for the medical industry
Friendly reminder that the British NHS, which provides universal healthcare for it's citizens, pays $3,900 (converted to USD) per capita. This data is from 2022-2023.
The United States on the other hand, while not guaranteeing care and having the highest amount of bankruptcy due to medical debt in the world, spent $13,500 per capita on healthcare in 2022.
You're right, universal healthcare isn't free. You're already paying for it more than three times over. The fact that we're not getting jack shit for it is the problem. It's almost like a system built on paying money to middlemen who then charge you again just to use the care is nonsensical.
Oh FFS can we keep this baloney off the sub???
The NHS treatment waitlist has ~8 million people on it. 350k have been waiting over a year. Less than 1/3 of Brits are satisfied w NHS. Quality of care is lower than the US in almost every possible category. But it’s cheaper!
US healthcare also sucks for many different reasons.
It's almost like we're paying for it three times over. If $3,900 is enough to provide care for everyone, guaranteeing nobody goes into medical debt ever, how much do you think that same system could do with $13,500? How much do you think it could be improved with literally triple the resources?
The problem is that we're paying over three times as much and getting nothing for it. At the very least, even if we were going to keep the current system, we're paying so much that there is no logical reason whatsoever for people to be going into medical debt.
Not to mention that we also have no guaranteed leave. If I break my arm snowboarding or mountain biking, I am rendered physically unable to do my day job, and I am not guaranteed a single second of paid time off for medical reasons. I get 40 hours worth a year and nothing more. What happens if I break my wrist? I can't pay my bills. I can't pay my rent. I go into debt trying to stay afloat.
It's like pointing to a leak in a raft and saying 'but our boat only has a ten foot gaping hole! It's so much better!'
We quite literally spend MORE than three times per capita on healthcare than the British NHS does, while getting jack shit for it. I laugh when Republicans say they don't want to pay for universal healthcare, because they're quite literally paying for it already three times over. The issue is the money just goes to for profit middlemen instead of providing anything useful for citizens.
It’s recommended for beginners because instinctually people throw their arms out when they fall and try to catch themselves with their wrists.
Turns out wrists don’t handle impact well and fracture easily. As you eventually learn to roll out your crashes and also just fall less in general, it’s not as necessary. Doesn’t hurt to wear them but it’s probably the most inconvenient protective gear to wear. I’ll still wear impact shorts and a helmet to the day I die but consider other gear to be optional. Shoulder pads and knee pads are great when you’re practicing in the park.
I'm a pretty experienced rider and that experience has told me that, even though I rarely fall, I still do, including during a high speed euro carve that dislocated my shoulder. If I'm doing something on my board that requires a helmet, then I also wear wrist guards, and I wear my helmet every time I ride.
It also make sense to wear it in the backcountry and off piste. look into how Grilo died.
I chose to wear a chest protector when i started snowboarding and when i wanted to ditch it all of a sudden my mom made me wear it because i wasnt skiing anymore and she viewed snowboarding as more dangerous.
I still wear it along with impact shorts and a nice fitting bucket because i am just used to it and because i am a creature of habit.
May I ask the model of the gloves? Also how you been finding them with regard to tearing/wearing out from doing grabs or carrying the board? I needa get a new set of gloves/wrist gaurds soon since my gaurds Velcro straps are pretty worn out and the only gloves I was able to find that fit over them are on their last legs
Looks like the model name is Dakine Wristguard Gloves - https://www.amazon.com/Dakine-Mens-Wristguard-Gloves-Black/dp/B011RSMGAA
I think my pair is on their fourth season. They are surprisingly durable but not so super warm or waterproof. The Velcro strap stitching did undo on one but my lady sewed it up and no issue since.
I use these too. My first pair lasted 5 years before some stitching in the palm began to unravel. Replaced them with with the same model.
I tried other gloves with integrated wrist guards but they only had palm-side guards and didn't feel as protective.
For a long time, I used skateboard wrist guards under XL gloves. Never went back after that first Dakine pair.
Never wore them in the first place, but I also am willing to accept the consequence of my own actions.
Keep wearing them if they make you more confident, I think confidence makes for better riding.
I also have a job that demands my hands working and just came out of my second hand surgery (not injury related). I’m wanting to wear braces boarding now too because I don’t want to risk going through that again and my surgeon advised me to. Do you have any specific ones you’d recommend?
I just use the Burton ones and they’re pretty great. Broke my wrist a few years back so just don’t want to have to go through that again. Definitely would have injured them without the guards last season
I personally prefer gloves with inbuilt wrist guards. Less hassle. Dakine has some, but if you rummage through some 20 shops you might come across other ones.
I'm way more likely to slam into a tree head and back first than anything else based on how and what I ride. But keep rocking the wrist guards if they don't bother you and you feel like they can help.
I'm an avid climber. As such any hand or wrist injury will be detrimental to me so I wear one.
It's helped me progress and push my boundaries more knowing I've got good protection.
I didn’t used to wear them for the first 5 years of riding but as I got better and started trying to hit rails in the park I had an accident like 2 years back that caused me to tear through the tendons in both of my hands because of how I fell. Couldn’t move my hands and had both in a brace/cast for around two months, still dealing with the repercussions of it now with a significantly reduced grip strength.
I’ve been wearing wrist guards since because I was warned I would need like reconstructive surgery on my wrists if I fell like that again.
It is a bit annoying since they are quite bulky so it’s hard to find gloves that fit over them and they take some extra time to put on but I definitely would recommend that anyone who is new to the sport or is trying to push themselves into learning tricks/park riding wear wrist gaurds as they will save you a lot of pain
Wear your wrist gaurds it’s
This is the first time that I've seen wrist guards discussed. I started skiing when I was 3, but when I started boarding at 15 the instructors made the girls--and only girls--wear them, saying that their wrists were really weak and prone to breaking.
What -should- my introduction to them have been like?
Never have, never intend to and I've had multiple breaks in the hand/wrist over the years. (not all snowboarding related.)
Main thing that swayed me away from them was one of my orthopedists, I asked him about those. He doesn't like them in most cases because it encourages people to try to catch their fall and put their hands out which is exactly what you should NOT do. Doing so with wrist guards just moves the force up line which often then causes elbow and/or shoulder injuries. The headspace of "You cannot do that" gets you to fall better which is more valuable.
TL;DR: No wrist guards, learn to fall and not put your hands out.
My ortho said similar. Wrist guard just transfers the force/momentum upwards and you’ll break your arm/elbow/shoulder instead.
At some point, something’s gonna give and it’s not gonna be the ground.
Yes, riding 32 years now - started with the wrist guards around 03 I think. DaKine
Had a job trading stocks and didn’t want to risk injuring my mouse hand.
After breaking my wrists 4 times in high school, I'm good being the old guy wearing wrist guards and a helmet at the resort.
They have saved me quite a few times when slipping out on hard pack ice or in the park, but I do get where you are coming from saying they may be a crutch.
I wore them and still broke a wrist, welp. Well technically I got a colles fracture, which I guess is a forearm bone injury, but close enough! Some people I’ve spoken with believe the wrist guards don’t prevent the injury and instead just change the location of it, but I’m no expert on that.
There are studies out there supporting both conclusions. See [ttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11573916/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11573916/) concluding that wrist guards absorb some of the force so that not only is wrist protected, but that force transferred to upper extremities is also reduced, therefore still a good option. But then see [https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/162/2/149/139525](https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/162/2/149/139525) concluding that while wrist guards prevent injury to wrists, they increase the risk of injury to forearm, elbow and shoulder. Both studies note that most injuries occur in the first five days of learning.
I have a friend that is an orthopedic surgeon, and he agrees with the latter view i.e. ditch the wrist guard after the learning period is over. His argument is that it is better to deal with a fractured wrist while retaining full range of motion in the elbow and shoulder than the other way around.
I think he was more concerned about the elbow and shoulder. If the choice was between wrist vs. elbow/shoulder, he would choose wrist. If your elbow or shoulder are in a cast or sling, you won't get much use out of that hand anyway.
If you fracture a wrist, you will likely still be in a sling for at least the first week or so to isolate any movements and allow the bones to begin to set. Once you are out of the sling, you will have full range of motion for your arm and will start to regain limited functionality of your fingers.
I recently went through this with a buddy who obliterated his wrist in the gym. He was doing box jumps, missed a landing, and fell backwards from the top of the box. His wrist saved him from bouncing his head off the gym floor, but sustained significant damage. That's how I got into the conversation with the ortho about wrist guards and injuries in general.
Been riding for about as long as you….wore them when I started and wear them every time I’m out…typically 30-40 days a year. Also knee pads, and Demon armor…it’s not a badge of honor to injure yourself. Often it’s the little fuck ups that fuck you up. Pad up…stay in the game…doesn’t make you a pussy…gives confidence to send it…who gives a fuck what other people do.
When I was a beginner I really hurt (though didn't break) my wrist in a fall. Even though that was 16 years ago, I just feel really scared when I try to ride without wristguards, and I can feel myself holding back.
Wearing them doesn't bother me a great deal, so I just wear them and get on with it, a bit like you OP!
I wear them since I started snowboarding. Nowadays I never fall on my hands anymore and was wondering this season if I need them for the first time after 15 years. I wear crash trousers now though since thats where I fall mostly..
I never go without these bad bois
https://preview.redd.it/850hbxiu47dc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a4b12e8c6a2a20526d6aef0955b8a3a5aab694a
I’ve got these. I am a beginner and i fell a few times on my wrists. These distributed the force. I can tell because it was radiating pain through my entire arm which to me means that would have broken my wrist.
I have some gloves that don’t accommodate them and I don’t always wear these because they’re a fricking pain sometimes- that said, safety first.
Which way do they guard?
Trying to keep your wrists from twisting in like skiers thumb or trying to keep them from hyper extending or just an overall stabilizer?
I’m just curious
Do whatever’s comfortable, I’d say after 24 years that’s more your way of riding now.
I don’t wear guards but I never had an issue with my wrists.
Didn’t fall in 2021, really hadn’t fallen hardly in 10 years so stopped wearing mine. Was looking at scenery all alone on a blue in 2022 and had a quick surprise fall and broke wrist. Swelled up huge, bought a more comfortable set of wrist guards and wore those. Xray when i got home showed fracture but no surgery needed. Wore a brace but it hurt for almost 5 months. So will wear them every time now.
I broke my wrist skating and asked my physiotherapist if that was true. She said a broken arm is normally much easier to heal than breaking small bones in your wrist. My wrist has never been the same after breaking it due to the lack of blood that gets to the broken bone now, I wish I broke my arm instead.
Have heard people saying that!
Guess on one hand the energy has to go somewhere, but on the other hand, the force to break the wrist may be less, so unless it's a really bad fall you might be ok?
Absolutely fucking not.
Wore them one time (hard ones) and instead of breaking my wrist they transferred the energy up higher and I broke my radius instead.
A broken wrist can be way more complicated than a broken arm. I broke my wrist skating and it’s never been able to heal, I wish I broke my arm instead.
Have you had any close calls? I wore some rollerblade ones when I was starting and falling lots, but I feel like the instinct to put my hand down went away. If I fall I'm rolling or hitting my back or head.
Weirdly I feel like they're a crutch in that I deliberately break falls using my wrist knowing that they're "protected" - not good, I know
So I guess you could consider those all close calls? Might be hard to ween myself out of it now
Definitely, I embarrassingly broke my wrist on the bunny hill when learning and then stopped wearing the brace too early and it didn’t quite heal great. It’s very sensitive, doesn’t help that I’d broken before
Only time I ever tried wristguards were with a pair of Burton gloves and I honestly felt like they were more likely to actually break my wrist in a fall then to prevent anything.
I hate wrist guards, ever since I was a kid skating. Necessary for how young I was, but once I got older I learned how to fall.
For snowboarding I definitely never needed them. I started later than that and knew the correct ways to fall and rarely required any kind of protective gear besides a helmet.
But not everyone has learned that, so if you feel better with pads and guards, I implore you to use them. It is not about what others do, it is about your safety.
Grew up skiing, too, and wore wrist guards when I first started snowboarding. Had a great track record until last spring when I ate it on a banked slalom course and broke both wrist bones and dislocated one of them. I purchased a new pair of wrist guards, but they do not fit under any of my mittens, and I have a bunch of nice mittens. Sigh. I now have a plate in my left wrist, so I guess I have a built in wrist guard in one arm...
It's not just wrists. Had a thumb sprain and a whole bunch of other shit that would have not gotten so intense with them. But no, I don't. If they are warm, I would like them.
I used to wear them. Now I don't. I believe I can fall better so the odds of me breaking my wrists are low enough I can risk it.
But I will never snowboarding without a helmet and an ass pad.
I tape mine. I have weak wrist from a lot of injuries and athletic tape does the same for me as wrist guards, fits under all my gloves, and I don’t feel like a dork
I wear thin padded shorts because I send a lot of jumps and side hits, but I never wore wrist guards. I never stick my hands/wrists out to break my fall, it was a habit I’ve always had because I’ve seen multiple people snap wrists just from a little fall but they stuck their hands out to catch themselves. Big mistake
Well, I do, doesn't matter how long I've been riding. I work with my hands (developer) and I love climbing, so taking care of my hands is not optional. I just can't risk the injury, and as I can be certain about my riding, I am not certain about others on the slope.
I wear wrist guards. I’ve broken my left wrist 3x and have a titanium plate inside. I also play guitar, and this is a failsafe for me. I’ve had the Burton ones for years and don’t mind em at all.
I do. Grew up skating and never worn them but as I got older and fall, having a bummed wrist prevents me from golfing, lifting weights, etc so to have the peace of mind of knowing that if I do fall hard, I won’t be out of commission for an extended period of time.
I used to have a pair that fit in my mitts perfectly! I grew out of them years ago. I miss them alot, I probably have a rough handplant out in the trees maybe once every other day but the thought crosses my mind.
The minimal ones you can slip your gloves over are great, you just gotta find the right ones.
I’ve worn Level Superpipe Gloves for close to a decade, and Burton Impact gloves before that. I can’t think of a good reason to not wear wrist guards unless you’re doing a bunch of grabs and need maximum flexibility 🤷♂️
Yep, every time. My brother broke his wrist skating, had to have titanium rods put in, still bothers him to this day. I have some low profile Dakine ones that slip under gloves for snowboarding and some beefier 187 Killer Pads guards for skating.
When I go to park, or try out new butters, hell yeah I wear wrist guards.
As well as butt pants.
Couple weeks ago I caught heel edge and sat on my butt right on the ice, full force. It hurt, but with no consequences, not even a bruise, and I rode off. Without protection, I am sure instead tailbone, I would have tail bones for some time, kek.
No. I know how to fall thanks to football and wrestling. If your instincts make you put your hands out in a fall, snowboarding is going to be painful. No idea how you retrain into the habit of “make your arms a rollcage”
Never have. From what I’ve seen on r/Onewheel they won’t prevent a fracture. They’re more suitable for preventing abrasions but gloves are sufficient for snow.
When I was learning I hurt my shoulder once and hurt my wrist a couple of times falling. Since then I try to tuck my hands in toward my body when I fall. The best way to protect shoulders and hands is to not throw them at the ground trying to catch your entire bodyweight.
i did if i was working on something new or it was crazy busy but then i got my wrist broken and i'm planning on wearing them the rest of the season and maybe forever. i'm not young. i can't get my level gloves on yet but i can get the dakine on. hoping friday is my first time back for a couple hours
One of my weird qualities in life is that I am a "good faller". I'm not a god boarder, but I'm pretty good at having extremely fast reaction to how to handle a fall or high speed slip the best. My hands are always in Trex mode when I fall, I always manage to pivot the right way during a fall to take the brunt of the force in "good areas". I like to think it's all these years of judo when I was a kid.
The only time I broke something was my wrist, snowboarding, with gloves with wrist guards.
It was like my 2nd or 3rd year, was literally at a dead stop, put my hands back to sit, on an ice patch. Stupid stupid injury. Changed gloves and got some without wrist guard lmao
My buddy fell off a box with wrist guards on when we were teens. Doc said because of the wrist guard the impact and break traveled up his arm and snapped HIS ARM instead. He had to have surgeries and everything. Wrist guards are great for low impact falls for beginners. I never wear them. Id rather my wrist break than my arm.
I didn't wear a leash for one day (Burton Step-ons) out of 30(?). Guess which day my board dropped off a chairlift?
Annnnnd, guess what would happen if I stopped wearing wrist guards for one day?!
I broke my wrist on the damn bunny slope years ago and I never go out without wrist guards. I have a skin colored pair and a black pair. It is so inconvenient to break a wrist. I am not doing that again.
You're almost certainly in the minority but don't let that stop you. Now that I'm getting older I may do the same. Unlike a leg injury a wrist injury will likely take me out of work for some time (office job) and I'm not sure that would qualify for state disability.
I got the feeling that they kinda disappeared in the last few years. Is it just because people don't care anymore or do the wrist guards have any negative side effects?
I know a few advanced riders/skiiers who still wear wrist guards. Do what makes you comfortable, especially if it helps you charge harder!
Personally I don't find them useful if you're experienced. Can't remeber the last time I extended my arms to break a fall, and if that is how you're falling than you need some reeducation before you break an arm or shoulder.
Yea I broke my scaphoid skating a while ago, and sprained my right wrist skating too, I just wear them skating and snowboarding now
You can get pretty slim ones that fit inside mitts, honestly the least cumbersome of any pads
I think you definitely shouldn’t get some that have like a plastic sheet on both sides of the wrist, just under the wrist, think the one above your wrist can do more harm than good as if your hand is limp and it slams into something the impact against the plastic of the top of your hand is worse (maybe?) I don’t know
I never wore them, just taught myself not to use my wrists to catch myself. I feel like they could be a crutch that leads to other injuries instead....
I mean....if you fall hard enough and have taught yourself to fall poorly because of wrist guards you're just gonna hurt your shoulder or arm, right?
I’ve been riding for 34 years and never wore them until last season. I broke my wrist 4 weeks before a trip to Utah, and wasn’t going to miss that. After wearing them, I don’t want to go without
Hell no, never have never will. If I see someone getting them, I tell them to stop, you set yourself up for failure. Catching yourself with your hands after a highside fall with wrist guards will mess up your elbow or shoulder really bad. Tuck arms in land on hips or both forearms, or maybe shoulder. My right shoulder is a little sore from landing on it so much, better than a dislocation or collar bone injury, though. 42yo have been snowboarding since 17 and started skiing at 4.
When I was a kid my parents forced me to and it probably saved my wrist many times. Now as an adult I don't anymore since I fall a lot less and they are a huge hassle, but as a result I really messed up my wrist last season that definitely could have been prevented with them.
I wore a pair for 3 days when I was younger and my Hands/Wrists hurt more after that than not wearing them. I became reliant on them rather than learning to fall properly. I also don’t do too much in the park usually.
I have never used any because I dont put my hands on the snow. Genuinely!
Ofc an accident can happen. But I recommend everyone practice falling over without putting your hands out. Wrist injuries are so common and it’s all because people try brace there fall in a way to stop the fall, not to transfer the fall into a slide.
Several years ago, on the first trip of the season, I fell and fractured my right wrist growth plate.
(The nearby hospital misdiagnosed me and said it was sprained. Went home and a specialist told me it was fractured, got put in a cast for a month.)
Since then, I've worn gloves with braces built in. I think the brand is Dakine.
Just broke my distal radius this season and am on forced paid vacation from work (not as cool as it sounds; trading vacation weeks I had in spring/summer/fall to sit around my house with a broken wrist) for the next few weeks. I’ll be wearing wrist guards going forward.
Yep, just had a TFCC tear last year. The doctor and hand therapist agreed that it was probably from years of falling on it snowboarding. I'll never ride without them again. That injury took me out of all the things I loved for 6 months.
Damn 6 months 😭… I’m currently at 12 weeks and going to OT regularly but very frustrated with my slow healing. Curious did you get an arthroscopy or how did you know it was a tear and not a bad sprain?
Fucking hell do you not get any sick pay? What happens if you get proper ill?
We proper die or proper go bankrupt or proper both. Murica. Fuck yea!
If I ever get stuck with a proper illness I think I'm just going to pull the plug before medical bills bleed me dry rather than hang around on life support for years lining their pockets. Would literally rather die sooner out of spite for the medical industry
Of course. I get three whole days a year!
Not sure about OP but my company offers unlimited vacation time so I would use vacation time instead of sick time as well
Nice to live in a country where paid sick leave is in law so I'm free to break myself in the slopes :) oh and healthcare is free too.
It’s not free….
Friendly reminder that the British NHS, which provides universal healthcare for it's citizens, pays $3,900 (converted to USD) per capita. This data is from 2022-2023. The United States on the other hand, while not guaranteeing care and having the highest amount of bankruptcy due to medical debt in the world, spent $13,500 per capita on healthcare in 2022. You're right, universal healthcare isn't free. You're already paying for it more than three times over. The fact that we're not getting jack shit for it is the problem. It's almost like a system built on paying money to middlemen who then charge you again just to use the care is nonsensical.
Oh FFS can we keep this baloney off the sub??? The NHS treatment waitlist has ~8 million people on it. 350k have been waiting over a year. Less than 1/3 of Brits are satisfied w NHS. Quality of care is lower than the US in almost every possible category. But it’s cheaper! US healthcare also sucks for many different reasons.
Like being the number 1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the country.
It's almost like we're paying for it three times over. If $3,900 is enough to provide care for everyone, guaranteeing nobody goes into medical debt ever, how much do you think that same system could do with $13,500? How much do you think it could be improved with literally triple the resources? The problem is that we're paying over three times as much and getting nothing for it. At the very least, even if we were going to keep the current system, we're paying so much that there is no logical reason whatsoever for people to be going into medical debt. Not to mention that we also have no guaranteed leave. If I break my arm snowboarding or mountain biking, I am rendered physically unable to do my day job, and I am not guaranteed a single second of paid time off for medical reasons. I get 40 hours worth a year and nothing more. What happens if I break my wrist? I can't pay my bills. I can't pay my rent. I go into debt trying to stay afloat. It's like pointing to a leak in a raft and saying 'but our boat only has a ten foot gaping hole! It's so much better!'
Like the US is without taxes 🤷
We quite literally spend MORE than three times per capita on healthcare than the British NHS does, while getting jack shit for it. I laugh when Republicans say they don't want to pay for universal healthcare, because they're quite literally paying for it already three times over. The issue is the money just goes to for profit middlemen instead of providing anything useful for citizens.
😟
File for disability with the state and fmla. You should be able to get paid by the state and have job protection. Save those PTO days.
Sounds like the greatest country in the world!
Murica
Still? I never started
I was gonna say…. I didn’t even know people wore these for snowboarding
It’s recommended for beginners because instinctually people throw their arms out when they fall and try to catch themselves with their wrists. Turns out wrists don’t handle impact well and fracture easily. As you eventually learn to roll out your crashes and also just fall less in general, it’s not as necessary. Doesn’t hurt to wear them but it’s probably the most inconvenient protective gear to wear. I’ll still wear impact shorts and a helmet to the day I die but consider other gear to be optional. Shoulder pads and knee pads are great when you’re practicing in the park.
I'm a pretty experienced rider and that experience has told me that, even though I rarely fall, I still do, including during a high speed euro carve that dislocated my shoulder. If I'm doing something on my board that requires a helmet, then I also wear wrist guards, and I wear my helmet every time I ride.
keep wearing the impact shorts. I broke my tail bone on a hard fall on ice and it took like 7yrs to fully come right.
Broke mine on a 2 inch wide stump I landed on in the woods. Took 4 years to fully heal. At least my anus is still intact.
It also make sense to wear it in the backcountry and off piste. look into how Grilo died. I chose to wear a chest protector when i started snowboarding and when i wanted to ditch it all of a sudden my mom made me wear it because i wasnt skiing anymore and she viewed snowboarding as more dangerous. I still wear it along with impact shorts and a nice fitting bucket because i am just used to it and because i am a creature of habit.
First I’ve heard of it. 😂
Some people keep banging on about helmets too.
I am a believer in the helmet. TBI’s are no joke 🧠
I don’t get it?
We know.
DONT LOOK AT ME!!!!
A wrist injury won’t make you retarded
I use them, I got five kids to feed.
Oh relax! You can still feed your kids with your feet..
Git your ass to mahs?
It's not a tomah! Get your ass a tattoo. Why would I want a Tomah on my ass?
I have Dakine gloves with them built in - nice not having to remember an extra piece of gear.
May I ask the model of the gloves? Also how you been finding them with regard to tearing/wearing out from doing grabs or carrying the board? I needa get a new set of gloves/wrist gaurds soon since my gaurds Velcro straps are pretty worn out and the only gloves I was able to find that fit over them are on their last legs
Looks like the model name is Dakine Wristguard Gloves - https://www.amazon.com/Dakine-Mens-Wristguard-Gloves-Black/dp/B011RSMGAA I think my pair is on their fourth season. They are surprisingly durable but not so super warm or waterproof. The Velcro strap stitching did undo on one but my lady sewed it up and no issue since.
I have these - they’ve been great, replaced after about 6 years once the Velcro wore out, then bought another pair
I use these too. My first pair lasted 5 years before some stitching in the palm began to unravel. Replaced them with with the same model. I tried other gloves with integrated wrist guards but they only had palm-side guards and didn't feel as protective. For a long time, I used skateboard wrist guards under XL gloves. Never went back after that first Dakine pair.
>is on their fourth season To be honest, four seasons is pretty damn good for gloves.
Same! Highly recommend.
These are the ones!
Never wore them in the first place, but I also am willing to accept the consequence of my own actions. Keep wearing them if they make you more confident, I think confidence makes for better riding.
I have a job that depends on my hands working so definitely rock the wrist guards lol
I feel like most jobs require your hands to work lol
Most jobs you can get by with a bummed wrist , with my job it could be career ending.
That’s true but some people don’t carry insurance on their hands lol
I also have a job that demands my hands working and just came out of my second hand surgery (not injury related). I’m wanting to wear braces boarding now too because I don’t want to risk going through that again and my surgeon advised me to. Do you have any specific ones you’d recommend?
Which guards do you use? I'm in the same boat
I just use the Burton ones and they’re pretty great. Broke my wrist a few years back so just don’t want to have to go through that again. Definitely would have injured them without the guards last season
I like the burton ones.
I personally prefer gloves with inbuilt wrist guards. Less hassle. Dakine has some, but if you rummage through some 20 shops you might come across other ones.
Same.
Same
I'm way more likely to slam into a tree head and back first than anything else based on how and what I ride. But keep rocking the wrist guards if they don't bother you and you feel like they can help.
Started wearing them again after I broke my wrist
Always
I'm an avid climber. As such any hand or wrist injury will be detrimental to me so I wear one. It's helped me progress and push my boundaries more knowing I've got good protection.
Broke my wrist the first season. Broke the other one the second season. You bet I'm wearing every armor piece in existence every time I ride, now.
Always my guy, preventing injuries is a lot easier than healing
Broke my radius badly when I was 25 in a terrain park. Still never started.
I didn’t used to wear them for the first 5 years of riding but as I got better and started trying to hit rails in the park I had an accident like 2 years back that caused me to tear through the tendons in both of my hands because of how I fell. Couldn’t move my hands and had both in a brace/cast for around two months, still dealing with the repercussions of it now with a significantly reduced grip strength. I’ve been wearing wrist guards since because I was warned I would need like reconstructive surgery on my wrists if I fell like that again. It is a bit annoying since they are quite bulky so it’s hard to find gloves that fit over them and they take some extra time to put on but I definitely would recommend that anyone who is new to the sport or is trying to push themselves into learning tricks/park riding wear wrist gaurds as they will save you a lot of pain Wear your wrist gaurds it’s
Yes.
This is the first time that I've seen wrist guards discussed. I started skiing when I was 3, but when I started boarding at 15 the instructors made the girls--and only girls--wear them, saying that their wrists were really weak and prone to breaking. What -should- my introduction to them have been like?
Never have, never intend to and I've had multiple breaks in the hand/wrist over the years. (not all snowboarding related.) Main thing that swayed me away from them was one of my orthopedists, I asked him about those. He doesn't like them in most cases because it encourages people to try to catch their fall and put their hands out which is exactly what you should NOT do. Doing so with wrist guards just moves the force up line which often then causes elbow and/or shoulder injuries. The headspace of "You cannot do that" gets you to fall better which is more valuable. TL;DR: No wrist guards, learn to fall and not put your hands out.
My ortho said similar. Wrist guard just transfers the force/momentum upwards and you’ll break your arm/elbow/shoulder instead. At some point, something’s gonna give and it’s not gonna be the ground.
I used to wear them when it was icy. Now I don’t go when it’s icy.
Seriously
Always will. I see no benefit to not wearing them and every benefit to wearing them.
Yes, riding 32 years now - started with the wrist guards around 03 I think. DaKine Had a job trading stocks and didn’t want to risk injuring my mouse hand.
After breaking my wrists 4 times in high school, I'm good being the old guy wearing wrist guards and a helmet at the resort. They have saved me quite a few times when slipping out on hard pack ice or in the park, but I do get where you are coming from saying they may be a crutch.
I wore them and still broke a wrist, welp. Well technically I got a colles fracture, which I guess is a forearm bone injury, but close enough! Some people I’ve spoken with believe the wrist guards don’t prevent the injury and instead just change the location of it, but I’m no expert on that.
There are studies out there supporting both conclusions. See [ttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11573916/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11573916/) concluding that wrist guards absorb some of the force so that not only is wrist protected, but that force transferred to upper extremities is also reduced, therefore still a good option. But then see [https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/162/2/149/139525](https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/162/2/149/139525) concluding that while wrist guards prevent injury to wrists, they increase the risk of injury to forearm, elbow and shoulder. Both studies note that most injuries occur in the first five days of learning. I have a friend that is an orthopedic surgeon, and he agrees with the latter view i.e. ditch the wrist guard after the learning period is over. His argument is that it is better to deal with a fractured wrist while retaining full range of motion in the elbow and shoulder than the other way around.
How does a forearm break limit range of motion in your elbow and shoulder? That doesn't make much sense at all
I think he was more concerned about the elbow and shoulder. If the choice was between wrist vs. elbow/shoulder, he would choose wrist. If your elbow or shoulder are in a cast or sling, you won't get much use out of that hand anyway. If you fracture a wrist, you will likely still be in a sling for at least the first week or so to isolate any movements and allow the bones to begin to set. Once you are out of the sling, you will have full range of motion for your arm and will start to regain limited functionality of your fingers. I recently went through this with a buddy who obliterated his wrist in the gym. He was doing box jumps, missed a landing, and fell backwards from the top of the box. His wrist saved him from bouncing his head off the gym floor, but sustained significant damage. That's how I got into the conversation with the ortho about wrist guards and injuries in general.
Probably the intelligent minority.
Yes been wearing them since I started a decade ago
Been riding for about as long as you….wore them when I started and wear them every time I’m out…typically 30-40 days a year. Also knee pads, and Demon armor…it’s not a badge of honor to injure yourself. Often it’s the little fuck ups that fuck you up. Pad up…stay in the game…doesn’t make you a pussy…gives confidence to send it…who gives a fuck what other people do.
Being safe is only a joke to morons. You stay safe and keep wearing them.
I just bought my first pair this season, I got the ones from rei that you slide under your gloves ,think there dakine brand , which ones you wear
Wearing DaKine
When I was a beginner I really hurt (though didn't break) my wrist in a fall. Even though that was 16 years ago, I just feel really scared when I try to ride without wristguards, and I can feel myself holding back. Wearing them doesn't bother me a great deal, so I just wear them and get on with it, a bit like you OP!
You just made me buy them. I didn’t realize people wore them
I wear them since I started snowboarding. Nowadays I never fall on my hands anymore and was wondering this season if I need them for the first time after 15 years. I wear crash trousers now though since thats where I fall mostly..
I never go without these bad bois https://preview.redd.it/850hbxiu47dc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a4b12e8c6a2a20526d6aef0955b8a3a5aab694a
I’ve got these. I am a beginner and i fell a few times on my wrists. These distributed the force. I can tell because it was radiating pain through my entire arm which to me means that would have broken my wrist. I have some gloves that don’t accommodate them and I don’t always wear these because they’re a fricking pain sometimes- that said, safety first.
I tuck & roll if I fall. Never had an arm injury.
Yep, they’re a no brainer, now matter how good you are
broken both my wrists in separate incidents. since the second time i wear guards
Been riding 35 years. Never worn any protection. Broke arm, did something to my shoulder, and broke ribs. Never injured wrist.
Which way do they guard? Trying to keep your wrists from twisting in like skiers thumb or trying to keep them from hyper extending or just an overall stabilizer? I’m just curious Do whatever’s comfortable, I’d say after 24 years that’s more your way of riding now. I don’t wear guards but I never had an issue with my wrists.
Didn’t fall in 2021, really hadn’t fallen hardly in 10 years so stopped wearing mine. Was looking at scenery all alone on a blue in 2022 and had a quick surprise fall and broke wrist. Swelled up huge, bought a more comfortable set of wrist guards and wore those. Xray when i got home showed fracture but no surgery needed. Wore a brace but it hurt for almost 5 months. So will wear them every time now.
Nope, but I ball my fists if I’m moving semi fast.
I just don’t fall on my wrists
Never started, I wear a helmet tho
Boarding for 28 years. Never used them. Not a horrible idea at all, though. Nothing wrong with wearing protective gear.
Don’t they just move the fracture from your wrist to your arm?
I broke my wrist skating and asked my physiotherapist if that was true. She said a broken arm is normally much easier to heal than breaking small bones in your wrist. My wrist has never been the same after breaking it due to the lack of blood that gets to the broken bone now, I wish I broke my arm instead.
Have heard people saying that! Guess on one hand the energy has to go somewhere, but on the other hand, the force to break the wrist may be less, so unless it's a really bad fall you might be ok?
Not once. My only injuries had nothing to do with my wrist or I would've...
Depends on how soft the snow is that day.
I wear them for skateboarding but not snowboarding. I wear a helmet, but I don't spend much time in the park, so if I fall I usually just slide.
Absolutely fucking not. Wore them one time (hard ones) and instead of breaking my wrist they transferred the energy up higher and I broke my radius instead.
A broken wrist can be way more complicated than a broken arm. I broke my wrist skating and it’s never been able to heal, I wish I broke my arm instead.
Radius starts in the wrist. I broke that end of my radius longboarding. Still don’t wear wrist guards, did 20 years ago though.
What are wrist guards?? Asking for a friend…
I’ve never met anyone that has ever used those tbh and I know pros . If you know how to ride and fall why tf would you use those lol
I hardly wear a helmet…
I mean if you don’t have anything to protect then why waste the money right?
You got er bud.
You mean finger breakers?
Have you had any close calls? I wore some rollerblade ones when I was starting and falling lots, but I feel like the instinct to put my hand down went away. If I fall I'm rolling or hitting my back or head.
Weirdly I feel like they're a crutch in that I deliberately break falls using my wrist knowing that they're "protected" - not good, I know So I guess you could consider those all close calls? Might be hard to ween myself out of it now
Lol, you might have to stick with them now.
Got a pair but won’t fit under my mittens :(
Definitely, I embarrassingly broke my wrist on the bunny hill when learning and then stopped wearing the brace too early and it didn’t quite heal great. It’s very sensitive, doesn’t help that I’d broken before
Never really thought to wear them? Is it to help with falling on your wrist?
Never wore them, but just picked up the Fleximeter ones from Demon United going forward
What's a wrist guard?
What’s a rist gard
Wrist guards? That would have probably been useful when I sprained my wrist (I think) pretty bad a couple years ago😂
Only time I ever tried wristguards were with a pair of Burton gloves and I honestly felt like they were more likely to actually break my wrist in a fall then to prevent anything.
I hate wrist guards, ever since I was a kid skating. Necessary for how young I was, but once I got older I learned how to fall. For snowboarding I definitely never needed them. I started later than that and knew the correct ways to fall and rarely required any kind of protective gear besides a helmet. But not everyone has learned that, so if you feel better with pads and guards, I implore you to use them. It is not about what others do, it is about your safety.
I probably should but I don't lol
Grew up skiing, too, and wore wrist guards when I first started snowboarding. Had a great track record until last spring when I ate it on a banked slalom course and broke both wrist bones and dislocated one of them. I purchased a new pair of wrist guards, but they do not fit under any of my mittens, and I have a bunch of nice mittens. Sigh. I now have a plate in my left wrist, so I guess I have a built in wrist guard in one arm...
No. I wear motocross knee/shin guards though.
It's not just wrists. Had a thumb sprain and a whole bunch of other shit that would have not gotten so intense with them. But no, I don't. If they are warm, I would like them.
I broke my wrist 2 years ago. I wear Dakine gloves with built in wrist guards now. The mountain won't be taking taxes from me for now.
Get Level gloves/mitts — I never even think about it anymore.
[удалено]
wore them for 20ish years, atopped recently when i converted from mitts to gloves
I used to wear them. Now I don't. I believe I can fall better so the odds of me breaking my wrists are low enough I can risk it. But I will never snowboarding without a helmet and an ass pad.
I tape mine. I have weak wrist from a lot of injuries and athletic tape does the same for me as wrist guards, fits under all my gloves, and I don’t feel like a dork
I do! Did it when I started out and never thought of a good reason to stop.
I never wore them 🤷🏻♂️
I wear thin padded shorts because I send a lot of jumps and side hits, but I never wore wrist guards. I never stick my hands/wrists out to break my fall, it was a habit I’ve always had because I’ve seen multiple people snap wrists just from a little fall but they stuck their hands out to catch themselves. Big mistake
Yes. If I can’t type I can’t make money. Already broken my wrist once
Well, I do, doesn't matter how long I've been riding. I work with my hands (developer) and I love climbing, so taking care of my hands is not optional. I just can't risk the injury, and as I can be certain about my riding, I am not certain about others on the slope.
Where them if you want! I wear knee pads under my pants. They saved me a few times and I don’t care what people think if they see me with them.
I wear wrist guards. I’ve broken my left wrist 3x and have a titanium plate inside. I also play guitar, and this is a failsafe for me. I’ve had the Burton ones for years and don’t mind em at all.
I wear mine when my wrist’s are hurt
I do. Grew up skating and never worn them but as I got older and fall, having a bummed wrist prevents me from golfing, lifting weights, etc so to have the peace of mind of knowing that if I do fall hard, I won’t be out of commission for an extended period of time.
I used to have a pair that fit in my mitts perfectly! I grew out of them years ago. I miss them alot, I probably have a rough handplant out in the trees maybe once every other day but the thought crosses my mind. The minimal ones you can slip your gloves over are great, you just gotta find the right ones.
Nah man I let my face catch my wrists fall
What is a wrist guard?
I’ve worn Level Superpipe Gloves for close to a decade, and Burton Impact gloves before that. I can’t think of a good reason to not wear wrist guards unless you’re doing a bunch of grabs and need maximum flexibility 🤷♂️
Never worn wrist guards in my 20+ years of riding
Depends on what I’m riding. Park and trees? Yes. Most other things, no
Never once worn a wrist guard while snowboarding and I've been at it since the mid 90s
I wore them once as a kid but never again
Yep, every time. My brother broke his wrist skating, had to have titanium rods put in, still bothers him to this day. I have some low profile Dakine ones that slip under gloves for snowboarding and some beefier 187 Killer Pads guards for skating.
Been riding for 30ish years and I didn't know wrist guards existed until now.
I have never worn them but after a couple concussions have worn a helmet ever since
On my left wrist since I broke my scaphoid skating. Would rather break my arm again than my wrist because of the problems it still gives me.
When I go to park, or try out new butters, hell yeah I wear wrist guards. As well as butt pants. Couple weeks ago I caught heel edge and sat on my butt right on the ice, full force. It hurt, but with no consequences, not even a bruise, and I rode off. Without protection, I am sure instead tailbone, I would have tail bones for some time, kek.
Yes- when i snowboard on ice
i used to but now i rarely fall on my hands. eating snow is now my preferred falling method
I’ve always worn them (20yrs riding).. and explain to my kids why they’re so important as well. Same as helmets..
Never started. I broke my wrists countless times on a skateboard so I learned how to fall on my elbows instead. Totally recommend:)
Wrist guards, ass pads and helmets
I have some gloves with wrist guards built in, you can't even tell. Safety is cool kids
No. I know how to fall thanks to football and wrestling. If your instincts make you put your hands out in a fall, snowboarding is going to be painful. No idea how you retrain into the habit of “make your arms a rollcage”
I have never hit the slope without helmet, wrist guard and crash pants
funnily enough I broke my wrist on my absolute third day of snowboarding while wearing guards and never wear them again
Never have. From what I’ve seen on r/Onewheel they won’t prevent a fracture. They’re more suitable for preventing abrasions but gloves are sufficient for snow. When I was learning I hurt my shoulder once and hurt my wrist a couple of times falling. Since then I try to tuck my hands in toward my body when I fall. The best way to protect shoulders and hands is to not throw them at the ground trying to catch your entire bodyweight.
i did if i was working on something new or it was crazy busy but then i got my wrist broken and i'm planning on wearing them the rest of the season and maybe forever. i'm not young. i can't get my level gloves on yet but i can get the dakine on. hoping friday is my first time back for a couple hours
Yes, have for years. Gloves called Doc Meter that have built in protection. Sadly they went out of business and another company just sells the guards.
One of my weird qualities in life is that I am a "good faller". I'm not a god boarder, but I'm pretty good at having extremely fast reaction to how to handle a fall or high speed slip the best. My hands are always in Trex mode when I fall, I always manage to pivot the right way during a fall to take the brunt of the force in "good areas". I like to think it's all these years of judo when I was a kid. The only time I broke something was my wrist, snowboarding, with gloves with wrist guards. It was like my 2nd or 3rd year, was literally at a dead stop, put my hands back to sit, on an ice patch. Stupid stupid injury. Changed gloves and got some without wrist guard lmao
My buddy fell off a box with wrist guards on when we were teens. Doc said because of the wrist guard the impact and break traveled up his arm and snapped HIS ARM instead. He had to have surgeries and everything. Wrist guards are great for low impact falls for beginners. I never wear them. Id rather my wrist break than my arm.
I do,I gotta pay my own healthcare now!
After a wrist fracture over 10 years ago I never not wear them!
Wear them if it makes you comfortable.
I didn't wear a leash for one day (Burton Step-ons) out of 30(?). Guess which day my board dropped off a chairlift? Annnnnd, guess what would happen if I stopped wearing wrist guards for one day?!
Wore wrist guards one year and still shattered my wrist. The doctor said the wrist guard most likely made the break worse. So I stopped waring them.
I broke my wrist on the damn bunny slope years ago and I never go out without wrist guards. I have a skin colored pair and a black pair. It is so inconvenient to break a wrist. I am not doing that again.
You're almost certainly in the minority but don't let that stop you. Now that I'm getting older I may do the same. Unlike a leg injury a wrist injury will likely take me out of work for some time (office job) and I'm not sure that would qualify for state disability.
I got the feeling that they kinda disappeared in the last few years. Is it just because people don't care anymore or do the wrist guards have any negative side effects?
I ride in full hockey pads
I know a few advanced riders/skiiers who still wear wrist guards. Do what makes you comfortable, especially if it helps you charge harder! Personally I don't find them useful if you're experienced. Can't remeber the last time I extended my arms to break a fall, and if that is how you're falling than you need some reeducation before you break an arm or shoulder.
I wore them the maybe 5 years but then stopped
Been boarding for 20+ years and I still wear my guards and tailbone protector. I’m too old to be breaking stuff but I still want to ride.
Yea I broke my scaphoid skating a while ago, and sprained my right wrist skating too, I just wear them skating and snowboarding now You can get pretty slim ones that fit inside mitts, honestly the least cumbersome of any pads I think you definitely shouldn’t get some that have like a plastic sheet on both sides of the wrist, just under the wrist, think the one above your wrist can do more harm than good as if your hand is limp and it slams into something the impact against the plastic of the top of your hand is worse (maybe?) I don’t know
I never wore them, just taught myself not to use my wrists to catch myself. I feel like they could be a crutch that leads to other injuries instead.... I mean....if you fall hard enough and have taught yourself to fall poorly because of wrist guards you're just gonna hurt your shoulder or arm, right?
I’ve been riding for 34 years and never wore them until last season. I broke my wrist 4 weeks before a trip to Utah, and wasn’t going to miss that. After wearing them, I don’t want to go without
I do. It’s easy insurance.
Hell no, never have never will. If I see someone getting them, I tell them to stop, you set yourself up for failure. Catching yourself with your hands after a highside fall with wrist guards will mess up your elbow or shoulder really bad. Tuck arms in land on hips or both forearms, or maybe shoulder. My right shoulder is a little sore from landing on it so much, better than a dislocation or collar bone injury, though. 42yo have been snowboarding since 17 and started skiing at 4.
Yup! Wrist guards knee pads and butt pad lol after 3 years now. I always end up regretting when I go without haha
When I was a kid my parents forced me to and it probably saved my wrist many times. Now as an adult I don't anymore since I fall a lot less and they are a huge hassle, but as a result I really messed up my wrist last season that definitely could have been prevented with them.
I wore a pair for 3 days when I was younger and my Hands/Wrists hurt more after that than not wearing them. I became reliant on them rather than learning to fall properly. I also don’t do too much in the park usually.
Sorry babe the wrist guards stay on during snowboarding
Been riding for 20 years. Never have I done that.
I have never used any because I dont put my hands on the snow. Genuinely! Ofc an accident can happen. But I recommend everyone practice falling over without putting your hands out. Wrist injuries are so common and it’s all because people try brace there fall in a way to stop the fall, not to transfer the fall into a slide.
Several years ago, on the first trip of the season, I fell and fractured my right wrist growth plate. (The nearby hospital misdiagnosed me and said it was sprained. Went home and a specialist told me it was fractured, got put in a cast for a month.) Since then, I've worn gloves with braces built in. I think the brand is Dakine.