Skiing and Snowboarding?

Question

How come it hurts so much when i fall when i snowboard but it doesn't hurt when i fall over when skiing? I recently went on a skiing holiday and rented a snowboard. I'm not sure if i am just falling incorrectly or something because i have never snowboarded before. I mean when i ski it never hurts really unless i am going really fast and then flip but even then sometimes it doesn't hurt. Snowboarding hurt my hands and bottom when i fell :(

I am 18...and done a few weeks of skiing good enough to ski on black slopes (not all atleast not well lol). Snowboarding experience...able to blue ok but not red since falling seems to hurt alot...

Answer 1

As a ski instructor, and a fairly competant snowboarder, I've dealt with my fair share of falls, be they mine or my students, and I couldnt agree more, that snowboarding hurts to learn. The reason teh falls hurt more than those of skiers, is the way in which they fall. When a skier learns to ski, they have more control by snowplowing, and it's generally easy to stay slow until youre comfortible. When its tiem to fall, skiers usally fall to the side. To an extent, regardless of how fast ones going, if they fall to the side, it would be the same motion and lateral velocity as if they fell standing still.

A snowboarder tends to fall 1 of 2 ways. On their front or on their back. Unlike skiers, speed plays a large factor in teh pain equation. If a snow boarder were to fall forwards standing still, it would be no big deal. But while learnign to turn, its very common for boarders to catch and edge. Wehn the edge catches, the feet stayput, while the body keeps moving, the edge in the snow acting as a fulcrm. Therfore, the faster a boarder is travelling when they fall, teh more momentum they'll have, and the harder they'll hit the ground. The general mechanics of a snowboarder falling is why there's a large amount of wrist and collarbone injuries associated with learning the sport, due to the accelerated speed the top part of the body is travveling at when it meets the mountain.

Some tips to help you fall less next time.

If youre having trouble linking turns, do the pendulum exercise. go down the hill, sliding right and left, but staying on either the front or rear edge. Do both sides until you become comfortable turning, and then try to link turns without catching edges. Remember, if you ever get out of control, fall. Better to fall going slow, than fast.

Answer 2

when you're snowboarding, you have much less control when you're falling. in Skis you're more flexible.

Answer 3

you probly just bit old,stick to skiing