Have Snowboard Will Travel

I have snowboarded at 39 ski areas in the Pacific Northwest (so far).

I only began snowboarding in earnest in 2005, but I have made the most of the past four seasons. You will find more details and photos from my travels on the blogs.

This season it looks like my travel will be limited, but I'll still get my share of riding in as a snow reporter at Mount Hood Meadows.

Snowboarding Blogs

• Ski Washington
• Ski Oregon
• Ski Idaho
• Snowboarding videos

I have also become involved with the Portland, Oregon Ski Club scene:

• as a member of Mountain High Snowsports Club (since 2006)
• as Treasurer of the Northwest Ski Club Council (since 2008)
• as a participant in the Northwest Ski Challenge (since 2005)
• as a PACRAT racer (since 2009 - go Rat Racers!)

Safety First!

I have had the pleasure of many wonderful days snowboarding, but I have also suffered injuries on the slopes. I wear a helmet and carry a whistle for safety, but I still do a lot of solo riding in marginal territory. Injury avoidance and recovery are important skills that I am working on.

My first major injury snowboarding was a broken leg on a very icy slope. My helmet probably prevented me from suffering much more severe injury. I was out for almost four months in 2007 due to the fracture. My only other significant injury was suffered on the 28th of April 2009 - I crashed into a tree, and my left knee took the brunt of the impact. The initial diagnosis reveals no broken bones or permanent damage, so I expect to be back on the board by my birthday this summer.

I might not be the best person to take snowboard safety tips from, but experience is a teacher like no other. The single biggest factor in the severity of an injury is almost always speed. Therefore, the best way to avoid injury is to maintain a reasonably pedestrian pace - obviously this is not entirely desirable, so speed is always an area of compromise. Part of the thrill of riding is the speed - and the grace of moving fast and smooth.

The second major factor in injuries is jumping - going airborne is always a danger, because you have very little control once you leave the snow. This tends to be a bigger problem for snowboarders than for skiers. They usually have more trouble with trees.

Trees are the third major factor in injuries, and a typical scenario would be a young male snowboarder along the edge of an intermediate run. This was the case for me, and my impact with a tree ended my season about four weeks early. My advice - go between the trees, always.