No one plans to fall.
Everyone falls anyway.
When you’ve skied or snowboarded long enough, you’ll learn that falling isn’t a failure. It’s a sign of progression.
The problem usually isn’t the fall. It’s how people fall.
Most injuries I’ve seen (at least at beginner level) didn’t come from speed or terrain. They came from panic. From stiffening up. From reflexes.
So here’s how not to get hurt when you inevitably eat snow.
First Thing to Understand
You’re not trying to stop the fall.
It’s too late for that (sorry).
The moment people feel themselves losing balance, they try to save it. They reach. They brace. They twist. They lock up.
That’s how wrists snap, shoulders pop and knees get weird (speaking from lived experience).
Once you’re going, your job is not to fight it. Your job is to go with it in the least damaging way possible.
Don't Reach Your Arms Out
This is the big one.
Hands go out. Palms hit snow. Wrists take all the force. I’ve seen more wrist injuries from slow, awkward falls than from big crashes.
If you’re falling, keep your hands in. Close to your body. Elbows bent. Think about protecting your head and torso, not catching yourself or holding yourself up.
If your arms have inevitably already shot out, bend your elbows and try to land on the flats of your forearms. Spreading out the force means bruises rather than breaks.
Stay Loose
Easier said than done right?
When people tense up, everything hits one focal point. That’s when something’s got to give (like bones).
You want the opposite. You want to be loose enough that the fall spreads out. Hip, thigh, side, back. Not all at once and not straight down.
I often tell people to think about becoming a sack of laundry instead of a board.
It sounds stupid. It works.
Snowboarders
Most beginner snowboarders will fall either directly on the tailbone (which sucks) or on an outstretched wrist (such even more).
If you feel yourself going, let your hips drop and turn slightly so you land on your side. Keep your chin tucked so your head doesn’t snap back and your elbows bent by your sides.
Spread the impact – save your joints!
Skiers
Skis (and poles) complicate things because they don’t come off when you want them to. The biggest mistake I see skiers make is twisting to save the fall. Knees hate that (again, speaking from experience).
If you’re losing it, don’t try to “step out” of it mid fall. Don’t try and twist around awkwardly. Lie the side of your body uphill and spread the impact across your side. Sure you’ll probably slide for a bit, which looks messy, but it’s usually harmless. Twisting our own panic is how ligaments get torn.
Wear Protective Gear
It’s no longer cool to ride in just a beanie hat (in retrospect, it never was). Both disciplines should be wearing a solid helmet as a minimum. Pads are a nice bonus. Beginner snowboarders should definitely invest in wrist guards. Trust me.
But…
Protective gear is not permission to ride like a lunatic. It’s also not permission to fall like one. Remember the above!
The Art of Falling
Falling well is a skill. One of the few skills I’m definitely expert at.
It’s learned. It gets better. Experienced riders fall differently than beginners. Not because they fall less, but because they don’t panic when it happens.
If you’re new and falling a lot, that’s normal. What matters is whether each fall teaches your body to relax a little faster next time.
That’s progress, (even if it doesn’t feel like it).
Final Word
If you’re tired, you fall worse.
Reaction time drops. Muscles get weaker. Everything gets sloppy.
If you start falling in ways that feel awkward or uncontrolled, that’s usually your cue to stop. Not after one more run. Now.
Incidentally, calling “last run” is a cardinal sin in snow sports. Even for the least superstitious amongst us. Don’t do it!
But… be aware that most avoidable injuries happen at the end of the day. Manage that accordingly.
