Wrist Protection for Snowboarders: Is It Really Effective?

Hi everyone,

I’m a skier transitioning to snowboarding due to a leg issue (I heard snowboarding is generally safer for legs). Last week, I had my first snowboarding session with an experienced friend teaching me, and it went surprisingly well. I quickly learned heel-side falling leaf, toe-side falling leaf, and even started transitioning between the two.

However, during a toe-side turn attempt, my heel-side edge caught the snow, and I fell backward, breaking my left wrist. The original idea of snowboarding being safer for my legs actually worked well—I don’t have anything wrong with my legs—but unfortunately, my wrist didn’t fare so well.

I was wearing wrist protection, but it was actually my girlfriend’s inline skating wrist guards—not specifically for snowboarding. When I looked at actual snowboarding wrist guards that my friends use, they seemed quite similar, with some differences.

So, I’m wondering:

Are there any wrist guards or protections more specialized than the standard snowboard ones that could offer even better wrist protection?

Or is there just an inherent risk of wrist injury in snowboarding, even with proper protection?

I’d appreciate any advice or insights from fellow snowboarders who’ve had similar experiences or who know more about this.

Thanks!