s an instructor, the safety of my students is very important to me. When teaching I always follow the code of the mountain and make sure my students understand what it is and how to follow it.
1. Stay in control
2. People ahead of you have the right of way
3. Stop in a safe place for you and others
4. When starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield
5. Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment
6. Observe signs and warnings, and keep off closed trails
7. Know how to safely use the lifts
This is a standard at any mountain and by keeping these seven common sense rules in mind you will be helping to keep yourself and others out of harm.
When learning to ride it is important to keep in mind that you will fall and as a result of those falls you will get some bumps and bruises. The two most common sites of injury for beginner snowboarders are the wrists and the head. The risk of injuring these two sites can be reduced easily.
Wrist fractures and sprains are generally the result of falling on outstretched arms. The best prevention is to not fall with your arms out. Some people like to wear wrist guards to prevent this type of injury but the best thing to do is to keep your arms in when you fall and not stretch them out or try and catch yourself. I am not a fan of wrist guards for a few reasons. I think they are too big and clunky. They do not fit nicely under gloves, mittens, or coats and they are not warm. Wrist guards can support the wrists and prevent a possible break but they will cause the break to happen higher up in the arm. Wearing wrist guards is your choice.
The best way to prevent major head injuries is by wearing a helmet. Snowboard helmets come in a variety of colors and styles, and many have built in headphones or the option to add that later. Something to consider when getting a helmet is whether you want it vented, unvented or a combination. Vented helmets have air vents in them to help keep your head cool. They are similar to the vents in a bicycle helmet. Unvented helmets do not have vents so they tend to keep your head much hotter. The new combination helmets have adjustable vents than can either be closed or opened depending on the weather conditions and how hard you are riding. I cannot stress the importance of wearing helmets enough, especially to new riders, because the protection they provide is worth more than their value. The cost of a helmet is less than 100$. Pretty cheap, considering they prevent nasty head injuries and expensive hospital bills. You can also rent a helmet on the mountain for $6/day.