# Tips on falling?



## thedude88 (Sep 13, 2015)

Okay, so I first tried snowboarding in January this year. I went with a group of buddies or acquaintances (my close friends aren't into winter sports) and some of them ended up doing their own thing while I took beginner lessons. I was doing okay with the most basic things, but having some issues on a more substantial slope and falling alot (even though I guess it was still technically a beginner slope). I got a bit better in a few hours and after taking a lunch break decided to go on one last run from the top of the slope, despite my instincts telling me I was tired and should have called it a day. Long story short is I ended up dislocating my shoulder badly that day because once I gained too much speed and fell forward as I tried turning sideways to slow down or stop, instinctively putting out my hand to catch myself, causing it to pop out because I guess the snow was pretty densely packed and firm from all the people on it that day. It also a day with a lot of families, and part of the reason I fell some of the time was to avoid little kids in the way as I was gaining too much speed and losing control.

Anyway it took a while to actually get out of there and get driven back to the hospital which was over an hour away, because some of the guys I was with there didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal. Was out of the socket for a good 8-10 hours before it finally got back into place after three attempts by the docs, so needless to say it was not a good experience. That and the 3 months of physical therapy after to get it back to a somewhat normal feeling, though it still feels painful and weird at times.

So this whole experience left me kind of afraid to try coming back to snowboarding, even though I always wanted to learn and do well beforehand (it was definitely fun while doing it for the most part, despite the falls and pretty badly bruised tailbone). I remember that day I also had a lingering ball of the foot injury from hiking before, which maybe affected me. So is it recommended that I try again this season? I also starting dating a girl and told her I snowboard a bit so I do want to get better by the time we go out together lol

I don't know if I just didn't have good instructors that day (it was just some impatient high school kid who was teaching a fairly big group, and he didn't really seem to care much about it or be that great of a teacher, kind of rushed through it). It is a bit discouraging. I wasn't even able to really determine what kind of stance I should have, as both sides at times seemed natural and other times not, and I could have gone either way. My biggest issue was maintaining balance when picking up speed; I think I leaned forward too much... I get the mechanics of turning but am not good at coming to a stop smoothly or quickly without flipping the other way and wiping out. So is there a good way to fall to avoid injuries like this? Protective padding couldn't have helped with the one I got.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Definitely get back up there. Your post reads like it was just one day? Snowboarding has a pretty steep learning curve for most which means 2-4 days of falling before it 'clicks' and then things get easier and the fun starts. Unlucky that you injured yourself so badly, it sounds like you caught an edge - everyone does this and it sucks.

You'll probably find yourself progress more quickly with private lessons and then practice on your own but you might find this lonely and a little boring. This is how I learnt but I'm a stubborn bastard so it suited me. Padding, wrist protectors etc will help but nothing can protect the shoulder other than learning how to fall more safely - I'm sure someone with better knowledge than me on this will chime in.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

It's really bad luck you damaged your shoulder... how heavy or athletic are you? 
Don't try to absorb a fall with outstretched arms. Wrists will be the next thing in danger to break. Quite a lot of force which impacts on wrists (or shoulders) when a catch edge fall is tried to be absorbed with outstretched arms.
Try to get used from scratch to absorb with underarms. You have two angles (elbows and shoulder) which can absorb distributed parts of the impact then. With outstretched arms, the impact goes straight. It's like when you jump and land with stretched legs: no good. 
It's an instinctive move to absorb a fall with the hands... try to make it a concious habit _not_ to. It can help to make fists, with this you're _aware_ of your hands and may remember to rather use underarms.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Learn how to scrub off speed by turning and stop before you hit bigger slopes. I spent a season on bunny slope until I could carve faster than people on blues down the greens and stop on a dime.
I understand the anticipation but if you don't even have any basic board control you gonna just hurt yourself over and over.
Anyways if you do have to fall, fall on your ass.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

thedude88 said:


> It also a day with a lot of families, and part of the reason I fell some of the time was to avoid little kids in the way


This I"m wondering about. Did they hit you from behind. Otherwise it's your responsibility to look out for "any & all" ppl in front of you. Yes even if they turn in front of you it is your fault if you hit them. STUPID and AGGRAVATING I know. Also your on the bunny hill or green runs. This is where everyone learns to ride, so they are crowded with lots of ppl "like you" trying to figure it out. So thinking the way that your not the pro on the green runs and realizing everyone is probably newer or learning like you are on these kind of runs will put your mind in a place of Zen to try to glide down the snow, become one with the board and have fun. Concentrating on being annoyed by how crowded it is, or that "Pink Missile -chomps" that took you out will do no good 



thedude88 said:


> because some of the guys I was with there didn't seem to think it was that big of a deal


Don't blame them. You were the one hurt, if you felt it was more serious you could have left them for the ER Room, got them off the hill faster or called an ambulance. You had options. 
It is often hard for someone else to tell are you injured (bruise, sprain) or are you hurt (broken bone, concusion) I myself am a suck it up guy, and the result of that was my daughter broke her arm bad and I didn't know it. YES I took her home immediately after ski patrol took her of the hill I also listened to them saying it wasn't broke.  Wife took her to the ER upon us getting home, long story short, 3 pins later.....Again if you are hurt, make the decision to get help regardless of who your with and what they are doing. 



thedude88 said:


> I don't know if I just didn't have good instructors that day (it was just some impatient high school kid who was teaching a fairly big group, and he didn't really seem to care much about it or be that great of a teacher, kind of rushed through it). It is a bit discouraging. I wasn't even able to really determine what kind of stance I should have, as both sides at times seemed natural and other times not, and I could have gone either way.


When teaching a big group you need to take everyone into consideration. You can't help the best all the time and you can't focus on those stuggling to just strap in. The nature of a "group lesson" especially if it's 10 ppl. 
So don't blame to much on the instructor even though it sounds he could have possibly helped a bit more. Again though, a large group to teach some basics to in one hour time is a lot.



thedude88 said:


> I got a bit better in a few hours and after taking a lunch break decided to go on one last run from the top of the slope, despite my instincts telling me I was tired and should have called it a day. Long story short is I ended up dislocating my shoulder badly that day because once I gained too much speed and fell forward as I tried turning sideways to slow down or stop, instinctively putting out my hand to catch myself


Like Neni said angry hands are the best. I"ve also been told hug yourself. This causes you not to outstretch any body part, absorbing the fall over a larger area of the body, reducing the impact to one limb or part of the body. It also helps to pick a side to fall onto especially if your falling backwards or up hill. This will hit the hip area and side of the body greatly reducing the impact to your butt or the common tailbone soreness of learning to ride. 
If you wish to continue, armor is a great investment, but not off set by learning to fall correctly !!!
Search my threads I have a few pics of me looking like a black night I got so much body armor on :injured: I'm old and break easily



thedude88 said:


> So this whole experience left me kind of afraid to try coming back to snowboarding, even though I always wanted to learn and do well beforehand (it was definitely fun while doing it for the most part, despite the falls and pretty badly bruised tailbone).


Search the forum threads this is the exact same thread I posted, many others have posted and many of us went through. Snow Hound nailed it !! Took me 3 days to be able to ride the green runs, not confidently, but without being scared out of my gord and not having fun. There is that click point and when you hit it you will know and that is when the fun really starts. You will have more set backs, learn from them and grow to become a better rider. 
At the end of this season you'll be posting Hey look at me videos and pics :dance1:

Question: what state do you ride in? as you stated the snow was heavily traveled and hard packed, ice like. 
Well this is nearly every Midwest resort and many East Coast hills as well. These conditions are fairly common if not what you will be riding on your whole snowboarding lifetime. Barring the trip out west to ride real mountains and real snow powder conditions. My local resort is very heavily trafficked, minimal natural snow, and tons of newbie riders like yourself. As mentioned in a previous quote. I don't let it ruin my time riding. Embrace it, meet new ppl with similar riding skills and make new friends. It'll make your experience so much more fun

:eyetwitch2: damn this was long I think my coffee has kicked in...


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## rpadc (Mar 10, 2014)

As noted by others, when falling forward, don't put out your arms. Yes, that goes against instinct so you have to practice. Literally stand still and practice falling forward and not putting out your hands. I try to tuck my arms in so my forearms take the hit. Bruises are better than fractures and dislocations.

When falling backward, roll into the fall. It's like parkour. Instead of a single hard impact on your tailbone, you redirect the force across more of your body. Commit to the momentum as you're falling and roll to your back. Tuck in your knees and bring your board off the ground. That helps avoid the board hitting you or sticking in the snow (which can mess up your ankles) and it helps the rolling process.

Again, practice. Stand on a flat or small grade and look like a dork by falling over while strapped into your bindings. When I've caught an edge at speed, I've often been able to fall and roll right back onto my board and keep going.

And wrist guards have been a mandatory part of my kit since I started this sport. They've saved me many times. Also, helmet. *duh*


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## rpadc (Mar 10, 2014)

slyder said:


> If you wish to continue, armor is a great investment, but not off set by learning to fall correctly !!!
> Search my threads I have a few pics of me looking like a black night I got so much body armor on :injured: I'm old and break easily


I'm no spring chicken myself. I've considered getting some. I have a big ass so even hard crashes don't hurt much when taking the hit right on the seat. It's that tailbone. Hip bones too I guess. Last major wipeout I had bruised my ribs. Not gonna wear football pads for that. And bruised ribs are still way better than fractures. Didn't stop me from riding. Hot tub and cold beer helped.

But yeah.. armor. Gotta get me some.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

rpadc said:


> I'm no spring chicken myself. I've considered getting some. I have a big ass so even hard crashes don't hurt much when taking the hit right on the seat. It's that tailbone. Hip bones too I guess. Last major wipeout I had bruised my ribs. Not gonna wear football pads for that. And bruised ribs are still way better than fractures. Didn't stop me from riding. Hot tub and cold beer helped.
> 
> But yeah.. armor. Gotta get me some.


Found it.....and this only shows my top half. I assure you there is more armor than you can see in the pic


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## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

Best falling advice is to take a jujitsu or other martial arts class where they practice rolls and break falls. It will help you and the ground become friends again.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

learning to fall is surely as important as learning to turn, and the only way to do it is by doing it, a lot. too bad though you got so messed up so early, don't let it be a showstopper

biggest mistake was telling your girl you can ride if you can't, that's like a rom-com movie trope, haha good luck with that


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## Rogue (Nov 29, 2014)

If you have the desire to try again then do so. Maybe take another lesson and ask them to teach you how to fall. If you want to get better, then just ride as much as possible. I think most of us are impatient to ride effortlessly, but it honestly takes time, pain, practice and riding within your limits. 
One of the biggest things to remember is, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. When your body is exhausted and you pull the, one more run, it may be your last run. Riding tired is the worst and it's not usually worth it. I am often guilty of this as I cannot tear myself away from the slopes, but that's always when I do something stupid and pay for it the next few days. 

The first time you snowboarded you dislocated your shoulder and you proceeded to tell your new girlfriend that you "snowboard a bit" ? hahaha too funny!!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Learning how to fall is initially more important than learning how to turn.

The general idea is to hit the biggest body part. Basically it’s tuck, cumble and roll. And bring your hands up to your chest/breasts/man boobs...grab those titties and tuck your elbows to your ribs. Grabbing your man boobs should become an instinctive survival response. Thus when you hit you will be hitting with your torso, chest, shoulders, thighs or a butt cheek. Go with the fall but crumple. 

So if you are following backward, you want to go loose in the knees, sit but sit towards a butt cheek (not directly on the old tail)...and continue to roll on to your back...backwards roll. If you are falling forwards try to first impact to a side of the knee or thigh (not a direct hit to the knee…but glancing), then crumbling up to your thigh, hip, torso, shoulder and lastly your helmet. It’s all about going with the fall....tucking, crumbling, rolling or sliding with the fall...and then let it slide out til you burn off some speed. Nowhere do you put your hands or arms out to break the fall.

As a beginner do the of above. As you progress into the advanced level you can learn to use the momentum of the fall to keep going and end up back on your board continuing your direction of travel. During this phase you will also learn how to fight through the fall and amaze yourself that you didn’t biff.

Another beginner skill, is how to get up efficiently. By roll or lay back on your back, raising your board above you and then twisting your hips to one side then follow through with your torso to rollover onto your knees and then squat and rise. Also learn how to set your your edge and then merely squat or bend over to do up your bindings.

Dude, have a good season.


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## SkullAndXbones (Feb 24, 2014)

i agree with rogue, i think the biggest mistake you made was continuing to ride while you were too tired. even though you may have still had the energy to keep riding fatigue can cause bad lapses in concentration. and i would think it's even worse for a beginner because you don't have enough skill to save yourself from taking a bad fall. i always call it a day when fatigue starts to set in even though physically i can keep going but my mind just isn't focused anymore. and don't be discouraged by the fact that you suck. everyone sucks in the beginning. it's gonna take a while to get better. just keep riding/practicing and you'll get better.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

DaveMcI said:


> Best falling advice is to take a jujitsu or other martial arts class where they practice rolls and break falls. It will help you and the ground become friends again.


Very good hint. SO did judo as teen and falling/rolling is imprinted in his muscle memory; when he falls from a horse, I'm always surprised how smoothly he rolls whil I? I fall flat like a beetle and hurt myself :facepalm3:


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

*I got this exact same injury in 1995 in Whitefish, Montana.* I was with guys all better than me and we went down a blue before I was ready, had too much speed and caught an edge flipped right over and dislocated my shoulder. I'm a bigger guy so that impact was huge. Doctor had to pop it back in. 

It sucks getting hurt like that but I got back on the horse and now I can hit black diamonds and tree runs, I'm not super good but I have lots of fun. It was probably 10 or 20 days before I was really comfortable on my board.

Get a private lesson. I taught myself and that was a big mistake. Get a private for a whole day. It will cost you $200-$300 but if it keeps you out of the ER it is worth every penny. Or get a couples lesson with that girl. 

The best tip I ever got for falling was keep your arms tight to your body and fall on your elbows. NEVER EVER put your hands out, really easy to break a wrist. 

I never had wrist guards but I always rode with ass pad and knee pads, saves a lot of pain if riding hard pack or ice. 

Good luck and keep riding!


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## Snowboardingsam (Sep 18, 2015)

I live in montana


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## thedude88 (Sep 13, 2015)

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I definitely get what you're saying by tucking and rolling with the falls. I think I'm going to give it a try in the next few months. But I've got to practice that fall technique on a very mildly inclined slope or even off the mountain so I ingrain it into my muscle memory as a natural reaction instead of what my instincts tell me to do. It's just that the way I was falling forward so quickly that time, it was either catch myself or do a straight-up face plant on the slope lol. At least I was wearing a helmet though.

And yeah, I think being really tired and winded at that point (even to the point of being slightly lightheaded) also affected my focus. Also I'm not a big guy, and have a fairly wiry, flexible, resilient frame for the most part, so maybe it could've been worse. But it still sucked. And it's mostly a mental block since that had to happen to me on my very first day. I get that it takes a bit longer to get used to it.

My buddies weren't intentionally being assholes, but no one could tell beforehand if it was actually dislocated or just something else. And they still had several more hours on the slopes planned, but they were my only ride, so I felt kind of bad about making them leave early to drive me back, especially as the place was kind of out of the way and far from our town.

Unfortunately, I am on the East Coast, and many of these resorts are heavily populated. Is it better out west in say Colorado or whatever? I'd imagine more people would gravitate toward the Rockies because of their reputation and everything. But I guess you also get more snow, and especially real fresh snow, as opposed to the manufactured stuff out here.

I was thinking of taking ju-jitsu lessons for a while actually; that might help. 

The thing I'm nervous or worried about is with these kinds of injuries, especially to the extent I had it, it becomes unstable and you're prone to having it come out again at some point, so that's why I want to be extra careful. Haven't had that happen in the last nine months so far, and I've strengthened that joint area by working out, but it's definitely not fully fixed or healed by any stretch. So I really have to avoid falling like that.

And yes, I know it was kind of silly of me to say that to my girl when I first met her, but I guess I just wanted to have more things to connect with her on at the time and seem cool, haha. Now that we know each other a lot better and are in our comfort zones, I think I can afford to be honest about it, and maybe even have her help with lessons.

Speaking of which, I do think I might consider taking private lessons to avoid that again. But other than that incident and a few other falls, I kind of enjoyed doing things on my own at my own pace after the short instructional class wrapped up. Felt like I was actually doing something, experimenting with things, learning by trial and error.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

thedude88 said:


> Speaking of which, I do think I might consider taking private lessons to avoid that again. But other than that incident and a few other falls, I kind of enjoyed doing things on my own at my own pace after the short instructional class wrapped up. Felt like I was actually doing something, experimenting with things, learning by trial and error.


Start now by watching some basic training vids so that you can begin to visualize how to move on the board and move the board...then take some lessons


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## Mizu Kuma (Apr 13, 2014)

Not sure if I've ever been ready to take a fall?????

I just try deal with it the best I can at the time!!!!!

Just like ya did when ya started to walk at around 12 months of age, ya learn by mistakes!!!!!

Get back on that horse, and go shred!!!!!


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## quinpat34 (Sep 21, 2015)

Sad to hear about your injury make sure you are safe from next time onwards. Sometimes these minor injuries can cause serious health problems. Like neni said, don’t try to absorb a fall with outstretched arms. You have to take special care on your wrist, injuries to wrist is another possibility in most cases. I had a minor wrist injury last year when I did the fly for the first time. When I consulted my physio in Mississauga for the treatment, he gave me some tips and precautions to be taken care before falling. It’s always good to collect as many tips and advice before you start doing anything.


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## stillz (Jan 5, 2010)

DaveMcI said:


> Best falling advice is to take a jujitsu or other martial arts class where they practice rolls and break falls. It will help you and the ground become friends again.


Make friends with the ground. I'm totally stealing this phrase for my lessons. And teaching rolls. Thanks for the great idea, Dave!


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## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

stillz said:


> Make friends with the ground. I'm totally stealing this phrase for my lessons. And teaching rolls. Thanks for the great idea, Dave!


What do u train in?


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## stillz (Jan 5, 2010)

Sadly, it's been about 10 years since I've trained any martial arts. But back in the day, it was karate and jiu jitsu. I'm convinced that my knowledge of break falls helped me learn safely, because I couldn't afford lessons and didn't wear a helmet (I do now). I think yoga is also good cross training for snowboarding, or anything else for that matter.

I actually ran through a falling/rolling progression with a bunch of other snowboard instructors the very next day after my last post. At first it felt like they were just humoring me, but by the end, everyone was genuinely having a good time with it. I doubt I'll use it all the time, but I think it definitely is worthwhile for those guests who are timid about falling, whether they're afraid of injury, or are just worried about looking silly or stupid.

One of these days, I'll make MA training a part of my life again, and be a better man for it. What do you train in?


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

There is not much more to be said that hasn't already. Sometimes shit just happens. Just keep at it. Everybody here took their licks when they first started too.

The best tip I got is tuck and roll. Just try to keep your arms in and take it on your side. But of course there are going to be those ones where you have no time to react, especially when your learning.

IMO the best snowboard fall training is skateboarding because your standing in the same stance and you learn pretty quick how to deal with your body hitting the concrete.


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## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

I thought u were teaching MA. I've been practicing jujitsu for 14 ish years and teach. I'll never know how many times knowing how to fall with a little grace has saved my ass. I do combat rolls through pow pillows if I'm not cold and wet enough.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

thedude88 said:


> The thing I'm nervous or worried about is with these kinds of injuries, especially to the extent I had it, it becomes unstable and you're prone to having it come out again at some point, so that's why I want to be extra careful. Haven't had that happen in the last nine months so far, and I've strengthened that joint area by working out, but it's definitely not fully fixed or healed by any stretch. So I really have to avoid falling like that.


I had this fear too after hurting my shoulder. And it is easy for people to say but it truly is all in your head. I never hurt my shoulder again snowboarding after that first time. If you fall with your arms in, you won't hurt your shoulder. 

You are doing the right things, strength training is a must after an injury like this. A physio can give you good exercises. I found joint stability work helped alot. These days I do alot of Kettlebell Turkish Get Ups. I had to start light because I was worried about popping my shoulder but I built alot of joint stability/strength over time. I went from 12kg to 28kg over a year or so. 

Stretching/mobility is important too. Your shoulders are likely super tight. I like to put chest to a wall with one arm at shoulder height with a 90 degree bend at the elbow. I then slowly/gently turn away from my arm, you get a great stretch in the shoulder. Over time you will greatly increase your shoulder flexibility

Just keep training and stretching your shoulder and you will be better than ever. And don't quit snowboarding.

Below is a video of the Turkish Get Up. It can be done with a dumbell too, but the kettlebell makes it much more challenging.


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