Essentials: Another Form of Pain Prevention
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Bodywork: Fitness for the Outside Athlete, November 1996
Essentials: Another Form of Pain Prevention Although a rigorous preseason training regimen may take care of your muscular woes, it won’t prevent another kind of pain–that which comes from impact. Thus snowboarding’s newest trend: helmets. “It may seem a bit geeky,” admits Amy Guras, owner of A Racer’s Edge in Lightweight, padded helmets made for skiing are the preferred headgear. Ear cutouts let you hear slope traffic, while an extended back provides added protection. Also, unlike most bike helmets, which by design get crushed upon impact, ski-specific helmets have polycarbonate-and-Kevlar shells made to withstand numerous crashes. Guras recommends ones by Boeri ($80-$260, 800-394-6741), Briko (Windshape World Cup Duo pictured, $200, 800-462-7456), and Jofa ($90-$125, 800-223-4448). Of course, if you’re using your head to the extent of wearing a helmet, you’ll probably already have wristguards, since they can prevent snowboarding’s most common injuries–wrist and finger sprains. Extra-large in-line skating wristguards worn over your gloves offer |