Skiing with padding

[HowieT2]

I know there are some you who have taken to wearing pads while you ski. I was looking through a catalog and there are some very interesting base layers with padding built into them. The ones I saw were designed/marketed for football so the bottoms have thigh and hip pads and the tops have rib and spine pads. I was wondering if anyone has tried these out or have thoughts on this.

[teletubby]

I'm not comfortable going into the store to buy pads.

[Hawk]

Pads??????? Seriously. I had no idea that people ski with pads. Now mountian biking I can understand. Actually I take it back. I have seen Tele Skiers wear knee pads and beginner snow boarders were hockey pants and wrist guards but that is it.

At any rate I would never wear pads. Helmets are bad enough.

[powderskirt]

Pads are For 20s!

[skimore]

Say what you will (I have heard it all) if I get hurt & cant work, no work no money to ski, I have been skiing with this for the past 3 seasons, cant beat the price compared to the POC stuff. It is like putting on my helmit, I always wear it.

http://www.allsportprotection.com/Demon_Flex_Force_Pro_p/ds1650.htm

[teletubby]

When they make the iPad smaller I'll ski with it. Wait, that would make it an iPhone that can't make calls ... never mind.

[powderskirt]

Um....isn't that an iPod?

[Hawk]

I mean that is fine for the occasional fall over on trail or maybe a ski collision but if you hit something solid it is probably not going to make a difference. I couldn't stand wearing all that stuff. Hell I hate wearing pads when DH mountain biking. Anyway I do not plan to.........oh never mind, I am going to jinx myself.

I guess if it gives you peace of mind Skimore then all the more power to you. ;-)

[Brew Ski]

I've seen a few people wearing base layers with integrated pads recently. Hockey pants usually come with a "girdle" that has pads in appropriate places for falling on a trail, hip checking a tree in the woods, or taking a tumble in the bumps. The pads protect the parts of your body that "stick out" and hurt when you tumble. Parts like knees, hips, coccyx (bone at top of butt). If you are not a very confident skier in the woods, but want to ski more aggressive in the woods or on steep mogul trails, or enter the "Castelrock Extreme", these base pads can make a much better day out of a few bumps with ski hazards.

I might caution that they will not keep you safe! Just like a helmet, they are their for protection and to lessen the injury, but if you ski into a tree, even with pads, you are going to get hurt. If you fall at the top of an icy Organgrinder headwall, all the pads you can fit under your ski jacket are not going to keep you safe as you bounce off the next 50 moguls below you.

The best protection is to take a lesson. Ski within you ability and have the coaches teach you to broaden your ability on whatever terrain your interested in skiing. The better you get, the better skiing gets.

[Hawk]

Funny the coaches that you ski with Brew teach you go go faster......in the woods......when it is icy. ;-O

[HowieT2]

Say what you will (I have heard it all) if I get hurt & cant work, no work no money to ski, I have been skiing with this for the past 3 seasons, cant beat the price compared to the POC stuff. It is like putting on my helmit, I always wear it.

http://www.allsportprotection.com/Demon_Flex_Force_Pro_p/ds1650.htm

that's some cool stuff.

[HowieT2]

I've seen a few people wearing base layers with integrated pads recently. Hockey pants usually come with a "girdle" that has pads in appropriate places for falling on a trail, hip checking a tree in the woods, or taking a tumble in the bumps. The pads protect the parts of your body that "stick out" and hurt when you tumble. Parts like knees, hips, coccyx (bone at top of butt). If you are not a very confident skier in the woods, but want to ski more aggressive in the woods or on steep mogul trails, or enter the "Castelrock Extreme", these base pads can make a much better day out of a few bumps with ski hazards.

I might caution that they will not keep you safe! Just like a helmet, they are their for protection and to lessen the injury, but if you ski into a tree, even with pads, you are going to get hurt. If you fall at the top of an icy Organgrinder headwall, all the pads you can fit under your ski jacket are not going to keep you safe as you bounce off the next 50 moguls below you.

The best protection is to take a lesson. Ski within you ability and have the coaches teach you to broaden your ability on whatever terrain your interested in skiing. The better you get, the better skiing gets.

I hear where your coming from. I actually ski pretty conservatively. not to jinx myself, but when I've hurt myself, it's had 'nothing to do with ability or skill. Other than my acl (and that just happened-no crash) the only injury I've had was two years ago in a traverse in the woods (high road to orchard). I was just standing waiting for some traffic to clear, and I lost my balance and decided to fall into the nice huge pile of snow to my right. Unfortunately, there was stump maybe an inch in diameter that I landed on with my thigh. I thought I was going to die it hurt so much. I made it back to the gh lodge but nearly passed out and had a welt the size of a softball. padding would have been helpful.

[Brew Ski]

Funny the coaches that you ski with Brew teach you go go faster......in the woods......when it is icy. ;-O

See, lessons make you ski better! and faster! and in control! More fun!
And without padding. Although I believe some of the coaches still think some of us should be wearing pads, and skirts but that is another topic!;-)

[Brew Ski]

I hear where your coming from. I actually ski pretty conservatively. not to jinx myself, but when I've hurt myself, it's had 'nothing to do with ability or skill. Other than my acl (and that just happened-no crash) the only injury I've had was two years ago in a traverse in the woods (high road to orchard). I was just standing waiting for some traffic to clear, and I lost my balance and decided to fall into the nice huge pile of snow to my right. Unfortunately, there was stump maybe an inch in diameter that I landed on with my thigh. I thought I was going to die it hurt so much. I made it back to the gh lodge but nearly passed out and had a welt the size of a softball. padding would have been helpful.

Yup, those traverses are probably the most dangerous spots on the hill. It is easy to be neglectful of your surroundings since the slope is relatively flat. And those are exactly the places that the base layer padding help. In fact, Since I act like a 12 year old most days, I'm the stupid guy who falls over in the lift line for no apparent reason. It is usually the back of the binding that gets me in the upper back of the thigh and hurts for about two weeks. Padding helps that. I just wouldn't assume that padding lets you ski more aggressive. It doesn't prevent the serious injuries that can be sustained while skiing around the mountain and getting close and personal with man made and natural objects. If you are getting bumps and bruises from your kids crashing into you, or because your trying to stand somewhere and video your family ski by and you keep falling off the edge of the trail, or like me your suddenly NOT standing in the lift line, the padding might be a good choice.

Hawk has suggested I wear a harness while sitting on the bar stools in the pub to keep me upright and NOT spill his drink. I lose focus, I can't help being a 12 year old.

[Hawk]

Speaking of Padding......how about some downhill mountain bikeing on Sunday????? I will be at the mountain around 1 to rip it up. How about you Brew???? Come on. Maybe I can get Diggity to do a few runs. Hell I may pack a few Brewski's and leave them at the top for an afternoon picnic. :-)