Snowboarding safety

By BRIDGET RAYWARD

The cool word in snowboarding is wrist-guards. Before boarders strap into bindings, they should put on their wrist-guards.

An estimated 500 snowboarders in New Zealand broke a wrist last year. Wrist-guards should decrease the rate of injury by 90 per cent.

All resorts will rent wrist-guards. A $20 refundable deposit will have you sliding safely, so make sure you strap in.

Bridget Rayward is director of the ski-school at Cardrona, and president of the New Zealand Ski Instructors Alliance.