Snowboarding/Skiing Catch-all

It’s weird, I was thinking about step ins when I was in Utah a couple of weeks ago, and wondering whether they were still around, I feel like I never see them on the mountain, but maybe they’re just camouflaged well.

On that same trip, i had someone ask me what my safety leash was. It was then I realized that snowboarders apparently don’t wear them anymore, when I looked around, no one had one on. Then I felt old. I remember when they were a requirement by the area to ride a board on their lifts. Anyone else still use a safety leash? /oldman

jonnypolite wrote:

It’s weird, I was thinking about step ins when I was in Utah a couple of weeks ago, and wondering whether they were still around, I feel like I never see them on the mountain, but maybe they’re just camouflaged well.

The old style step-in bindings are pretty much gone - I don't think anyone has sold one since 2004.

The new Step On bindings have been in development for 5ish years and just released for the 2017/18 season. I'm not sure how many they produced, but they sold out their initial run pretty much immediately. Probably not too many on any given mountain, but also they're pretty hard to tell apart from regular bindings at a distance unless you're really looking for them.

jonnypolite wrote:

Anyone else still use a safety leash?

I think the advancement in binding/strap materials has eliminated the requirement. Nowadays there's virtually no way you're going to break free of both bindings. So yeah, safety straps aren't a thing anymore

Doesn't that increase ankle/knee/calf injuries, in kinetic falls?

I don't know the answer to that really, I just know that snowboard bindings do not release, short of a catastrophic materials failure. I would assume that the people who design boards and bindings would have done the math on whether to eject or not.

Edit: A bit of google research would seem to indicate that lower extremity injuries are significantly less common for snowboarders than for skiers, so I guess having your feet locked in place is a good thing.

We don’t have the rigid boots and independent limbs that a skier does, so we’re much less likely to tear our ACL or MCL. We’re more likely to do our wrists, ankles and shoulders, and release bindings probably wouldn’t help us. We’re also 1/3 less likely to die on the slope than skiers, although apparently snowboarders, albeit inexperienced ones, are more likely to get injured.

When coming down the Gondola at Steamboat Springs we saw a boarder crash hard or awkward but he lost both feet surprisingly but it has never happened that I have seen before. Mostly anything I have gotten minor hurt on has been upper body and that comes from the ice pack we have for hills here in MN more than mountains. I love having the legs locked in. I did see a sign out west stating boarders must have a leash on & it reminded me I used my old one as a key lanyard or something but not used one in over 10 years.

I didn't realize the boots were that flexible (and I'm not sure they used to be?). Thanks!

jonnypolite wrote:

We’re also 1/3 less likely to die on the slope than skiers, although apparently snowboarders, albeit inexperienced ones, are more likely to get injured.

I'm pretty sure every beginner snowboarder I know has had some level of injury to their tailbone or wrists - you're definitely going to fall on one or the other many, many times. I bought my wife a big butt pad designed for snowboarders years ago when she was just learning, but she never wore it because it "made her look like she was wearing a diaper". She fractured her tailbone shortly thereafter. So yeah, new boarders, wrist guards and butt pads are cool, eh?

Wrist guards are not a bad idea in general as I had enough wrist stinging falls and I don't fall much anymore. I need to get me a set of them and make a good practice of using them.

I have a buddy I’ve been riding with for over 20 years, and he still wears his wrist guards. And I’ve definitely had a couple of close calls where I thought I’d broken something and wished for em. Prob should trade in my safety leash for a pair.

I tend to strap the safety leash on just so I don't do something stupid and let go of my board while both feet are out.

And yes, wrist guards. I'll be wearing them as long as I continue to snowboard. More so the older I get, as healing from injuries takes longer.

Wrist guards last year after two years of damaging myself. Cheap but effective. My right wrist still giving me problems.

How do you find waterproof gloves that will fit comfortably over wrist guards? I can't seem to find a combo that works near me.

Mixolyde wrote:

How do you find waterproof gloves that will fit comfortably over wrist guards? I can't seem to find a combo that works near me.

What kind of gloves do you have?check out www.goodride.com and their wrist guard reviews. I don't have my own yet but my gloves are pretty roomy non finger gloves. Northface hyvent I think?

I do mittens, used to have a pair of burton mittens that were pretty roomy, and fit over wrist guards.

There are plenty of gloves with built-in wrist guards too, so you can just put em on and forget about it.

All of my gloves fit over my wrist guards. How big are your wrist guards? Mine look something like this:

IMAGE(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTM04UH0IoeJR6jdOCc3N0ybBLd5on8dUG0Iw8i-FHILBTJNlRKu56AahAASQFXAJBzVbz19ng&usqp=CAY)

To be fair, I have comparably dainty wrists, I suppose. Maybe I just always tend to buy gloves on the big side versus snug?

Did my first uphill skin yesterday morning at 5am! Climbed about 1800 feet and it kicked my ass. So much fun watching the sun rise from the top of the mountain, and then skiing down the untouched pristine snow was amazing!

Today we got a ton of powder and I took the wife on her first double black chute. Apart from one rock that was hiding under the snow, it was an unmitigated success. I'm starting to get worried that she'll be leaving me in the dust soon!

That sounds awesome.

We just got back last week from a weekend at big snow in MI. Fun to be out on the boards. Looking forward to taking my daughter to snowboard lessons for the 2nd year this month.

My plans of upgrading my gaming rig in time for Alyx have officially been waylaid thanks to a new pair of sticks and a forthcoming purchase of new bindings.

This will finally complete my conversion to the NTN setup from an old scabbed together 75mm telemark set.

I've been renting while I've been teaching my boys how to ski(putting them in ski lessons) at our local hill, and I'm really looking forward to being back in my own gear.

https://www.backcountry.com/scott-vo...
https://www.backcountry.com/voile-su...
https://www.backcountry.com/scarpa-n...

I’m on a new board this year, got a last season Never Summer Maverix, this thing is quite a step up from my 17 year old salomon. Shorter, but navigates and rides better in powder, quicker and so much easier to rotate. Just got back from 5 days of powder rides in Big Sky, wow. What a mountain/area.

That's awesome jonny! I missed out on my chance to ski Big Sky both times I lived in Bozeman. My mean RA would go and rub it in ever time when I was a freshman at Montana State University. I kid, he's a great guy...and a goodjer.

Druidpeak wrote:

That's awesome jonny! I missed out on my chance to ski Big Sky both times I lived in Bozeman. My mean RA would go and rub it in ever time when I was a freshman at Montana State University. I kid, he's a great guy...and a goodjer. ;)

Hey, I know that guy!

I only ever got to go to Big Sky in the extended season. Not sure if they still do that, but still remember a few times when school was out in May and went up skiing. Only the top lifts were ever open and getting back to the bottom of the mountain was a two-foot wide track of ice surrounded by rock.

Nowadays Big Sky is sooo expensive (actually they all are really, it's not a cheap sport)

I haven't been up to Mt Hood this year (too much going on this winter), need to get up soon. Last year was the first year my oldest (6, now 7) really got into it. Anyone in the Portland area looking to teach a kid, I can't recommend Summit enough. Perfect for young beginners.

Yeah, Summit is awesome for young kids! We went up there a couple of weeks ago when Meadows was turning away people, and my boys had a great day.

Why is it that all of the new ski clothing today is so plain and boring?

My ski jacket is literally falling apart, and I've had it repaired twice now over the last couple years, but it's really time to get a new one. I just can't find anything out there that's unique in any way - every major brand is just putting out lame stuff that looks just like everyone else.

A big part of why I love my current jacket so much is that I've never seen anyone else wearing it, so all my friends can spot me on the hill super easily. It's got orange, white, and grey stripes and when someone is looking for me, they refer to the act as "Finding Nemo", so you know, hard to give that up

Anyways, guess I'll check eBay and such for older jackets that are a bit flashier...

Plain jacket + neon duct tape = problem solved!

Last trip of the season was a bucket list heli-skiing trip to Silverton.

Unfortunately now I'm addicted and will spend all my money on heli trips for the rest of my winters!

That’s so awesome, Serengeti. We almost did a cat day at Silverton a couple of years ago when we were at Wolf Creek, but there was so much snow at Wolf that we passed. I would love to do that, but helicopters are right out according to wife. I’ve been trying to set up a multi-day BC Cat lodge trip for a while. But coordinating dates with friends and finding openings has been too hard.

Because of COVID concerns and some family stuff, this is the first season I haven’t gotten on my snowboard at all since 1995:( Man, I really miss it.

That is awesome Serengeti!

Any more, I'm just happy to get a lap in every year. Can't say I even have a skiing bucket list any more.

I finally finished my new set with some 22 Design NTN bindings on my Supercharger skis with Scott Voodoo NTN boots. I ordered some skins for my fat(to me) skis, but they've been on backorder since January. Too many people getting into the backcountry.

I did get a resort day in on my new setup and it was very tiring, but good.

We brought our kids — 11, and 6 who have only ever seen snow on the few occasions that a few of us have brought some down from Mauna Kea and dumped it in a backyard for kids to play in — up to Big White in Canada for spring break this year.

I’m excited for them, but also this will be the first time I’ve been skiing since I moved to Hawaii in 2010. Today will probably be a disaster for all of us, but I’m hoping it’s a sport that’s easy to pick back up.