Snowboarding

[Rossco]

I'd use wrist guards that u can pick up from any sports retailer at a reasonable price. Thats what I've used in the past when I've done me wrists in on my (skate)board.

Injuries are the worst & I wouldnt say I get a thrill when I'm 'on the edge' so to speak. It get more of a buzz when I land summat I've been trying for a while.
You guys'll feel it when u get older & your wrists are killing in the cold weather!!
No seriously, its all good fun though isnt it.

Yeh I know, I'm just being silly. I really should get something as I do get carried away and try to do stupid stuff alot so if anyones gonna get injured its me!

[dave heats]

best thing you can buy is bum protection when your starting tbh, as thats what hurt me the most, never mind the wrists. A decent pair of bum pads is well worth getting!

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

I'd use hip pads too then if you're gonna hurt your arse a lot.

Hippers are the worst & hurt like hell!! You just dont want to end up with a tennis ball sticking out the side of your hip I can tell u, so make sure u get hip pads!!

[bootmonster]

was out in chamonix a couple of years ago, basically went out a novice (falling leaf only my friends) and came back a pro. well no quite, but was doing jumps on the last day. A week and half of solid boarding really forces you to learn

it's good fun too

[Rossco]

I'm getting well better at this now, been every Monday night since I started, really loving it.

Started on the proper jumps today too, and next week I shall try a bit of the ol' grinding hopefully and some more exciting jumps!!

[charlesr]

Nice one. Wish I could do it that often. Jumps are totally beyond me unless it's in deep powder. Just too scared.

[Madjock]

I've been Snowboarding for 18 months now, learned on the dry slopes, which is tricky but forces you to do everything right, or you'll never get turned.

I've been down to Xscape Braehead quite a bit, it's great until you go on a full mountain, then it suddenly seems rather small!

Spent a week in Whilster back in January, mind blowing how big Blackcomb and Whistler are.

I'm not great at this jumping malarky though....

[RustyS Badge]

Nice one. Wish I could do it that often. Jumps are totally beyond me unless it's in deep powder. Just too scared.

Think thats the difference between being a skier who boards and a boarder

Spinal surgery means my days are long gone but lived in Austria for a few years and went boarding nearly every day in the winter. Start work at 8.. clock off at 10, hit the slopes and back to work at 3 and finish at 7. Then there was bugger all else to do at night but go to the pub. Salad days.

About the wrist protectors.... I know everyone always recommends these but a good mate of mine told me not to bother when I started as the injuries with them can be a lot worse.

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

About the wrist protectors.... I know everyone always recommends these but a good mate of mine told me not to bother when I started as the injuries with them can be a lot worse.

Wrist protectors are to be used after an injury has occured to avoid any further damage, not as a future deterent.

[Marmite]

Im well in to my snowboarding. Started about 5 years ago i think, and spent the season in 2006 in tignes and Val D'isere, which was just ****ing brilliant. got pretty decent over the course of the season, but only managed 2 weeks this year and my god did it show! 1st morning back on my board everything felt so weird as i had got so used to just being able to do what i wanted without thinking about it.

Anyway, keep with it Rossco. I envy you going every week. Ive tried Milton Keynes a few times but i just cant get in to it. The snow is usually terrible and the runs are so short it just frustrates me. I do keep meaning to do the freestyle night some time though.

Protection wise, the only thing i have ever used is wrist guards whihc are built in to my gloves. they are good because unlike normal wrist guards they allow more of your arm to move. One of the worst things ive heard about wrist guards is that they can save your wrist at the expense of sending the jolt up to your arm and breaking that slightly instead. Dont know if thats true or not but anyway.

Couple of my mates use arse pads. I would recommend these if you do start hitting rails etc. Make your bum look big though!

[dave heats]

ah Tignes! I was there for a week in 2005. Such ridiculously cold wind (because its a glacier isnt it?), but great snow. Was my first snowboard trip, ah memories <3

Hoping to get back into it over in Japan, as Ive got a few mountains near(ish) where Im going.

[Marmite]

Would like to do Japan. Ridiculous powder over there due to the way the weather fronts work coming across Russia dn the other chilly eastern european countries. My understanding is that Japan is home to lots of micro resorts that only have a few lifts. But the off piste is meant to be some of the best in the world, as none of the locals like to go under the barriers to get to it.

Yeah, Tignes is a glacier resort (there is also a glacier in Val D'isere). Gets bloody cold up there. Getting the first furnicular up in the morning is something you have to do once though when the weather is decent. On my last trip it had just snowed over night and was a sunny day, so got up on a hangover and went all the way to the very top, then blasted down the entire mountain in one massive off-piste dream run. Was absolutely awesome. Nobody else around, sun shining, and fresh pow-pow flying all around us.

Funny thing is i only went to the very top once when i was out there for the entire season, and that was in April!

[Rossco]

LOVE THIS SPORT!!!

Another Monday night, another 3 hours on the slope.. Was ace tonight, doing alot more jumps and tricks today along with grinding the boxes which I have down to a fine art now!

I've now went every week for the last 6 weeks which is when I started, cant get enough of it. And I really think I've came a long way in that short time considering I dont do any skateboarding or similar sports.

[charlesr]

Just got back. The snow was amazing. The shot above was on piste but was mostly off piste. On Wednesday the pistes disappeared in snow so could just head straight down the mountain anywhere. Top.

Taught myself to do 180's (small jump turn) while going along. Worked fine on reds and blacks but cocked it up on a really easy blue! Feels like I broke a rib. doh.

[charlesr]

Here's Lucy enjoying the deep powder after a tree run.



See that town down there? 10 mins away



Mountains were empty. Like a private 650km playground.