Snowboarding: Knee twisting?
I have snowboarded in the past, and after discovering how much easier skiing is, I quickly made the switch; but I still, of course, see people at the slopes who snowboard, and yesterday I realized something.
When a snowboarding is traveling a distance on flat ground, he unbuckles the strap of his back foot (which, when used, secures the foot to the board), points the length of the snowboard in the direction he wants to go, and walks one foot whilst sliding the other which is attached to the board over the snow.
When this happens, the foot which is still attached to the board perpendicularly (or quite close to that degree) to the length of the board via the strap turns inward toward the other foot. Most people don’t have the hip flexibility to allow that joint to pivit to that degree, and so I noticed that everyone I saw was instead turning his knee about half way between the way his foot and board were pointing.
This must cause extreme stress on the knee, which I’m quite certain was not meant to twist like that (unlike the Radius and Ulna which can).
My Questions:
1. What sort of stress and short/long term effects will an average person’s body endure from this? How about that of a very frequent snowboarder?
2. Why does no one say anything about this during snowboarding lessons or at any point to someone who is just beginning to snowboard (usually children for God’s sake), snowboarding being as popular and prevalent as it is?
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Tagged with: average person • extreme stress • flexibility • god • radius and ulna • sake • skiing • slopes • snowboarding lessons
Filed under: Ski Fitness
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of course your knees will be under a lot of stress but that’s from doing jumps and rails, its just like running on cement you pound on your knees. most knee injuries come from falling, walking like that isn’t incorrect its just different and to tell you the truth it doesn’t hurt at all. to do what most people say is the right way takes a little more balance than expected. i cant think of any way that it would hurt your knees any more than running on the side walk would. and when they walk like that youll notice a lot of snowboarders tend to lift up there leg that is strapped in.
although it might look uncomfy it isn’t.. Its actually just like skateboarding. the only way you will be able to understand is to do it. .
I’m pretty sure no one has ever had a problem
because of this.
Maybe if they ALREADY had a knee problem it
would make a difference.
But, it doesn’t hurt at all, and it’s not extremely uncomfortable.
No one I know has had an issue with it.
I’ve been snowboarding for about 4 years and
this has never been an issue.
i’ve done a bit of snowboarding and to tell you the truth thats not the proper way to move when on flat ground. your supposed to place your foot BEHIND your snowboard and push with the unstrapped foot
the way that i have described is hard to learn so the other way is generally easier, i have had a knee injury and towards the end of your shredding it starts to hurt
It’s not that bad it’s not only the knee that pivots. The ankle pivots as well. Sit in a chair and turn your foot inward. Most snowboarders don’t have their foot at 90 it’s often at anywhere from 80 to 70 degrees.
that is the wrong way to push when you’re moving on flat ground. the correct technique is to put your back foot behind the board and push that way which at first is a bit more of a challenge and takes a bit more balance but with practice it becomes the natural way to move on flat ground its much easier and les strenuous on the body. the way you describe is in-fact uncomfortable but it’s not impossible and i doubt it would cause any sort of permanent damage to a person’s knee.
Most likely, people who do a lot of snowboarding will suffer permanent damage to their knees. Knees are pretty vulnerable to stresses, especially when twisted. I’ve known fairly young men (in their 30s) who walked like old men because of having twisted their knees during football or basketball games they played while in their teens, in junior high or high school. That doesn’t improve with age. It only gets worse, especially once arthritis sets in. And arthritis sets in with a vengeance when a joint has been injured in your youth.
Why doesn’t anybody warn people? Because it’s more lucrative to make money off of this sport’s popularity right now. If they said something now, people might back off and snowboard less. That’s sounds bad, but it’s the plain truth. When push comes to shove, most people will follow the dollar, not their conscience.