Body Armor - Spine Protection?

[milkman]

Fifteen years ago when I was in Chamonix I was surprised to see motocross style body armor featured in more than one ski shop window. This year our resort had more than the usual number of European guests and I noticed several of them wore spine protection or full upper body protection/armor. Some of these were racers but others were just plain middle aged groomed run skiers. In a bar, after a few beers, asked one 50ish gentleman, who had taken off his coat, revealing his upper body protection, if he wore the gear because of a particular physical problem. He said no, he put on the spine protection every day just like he put on his helmet and goggles. He thought it was an imperfect solution to a potential problem but well worth the $150 he had paid several years back. Anyone see a trend toward spine protection gear in the USA?

 

[scott43]

I can tell you it's become mandatory in motorcycling in the last 20 years. Can't do a track day without one and most street riders have some form of back protector. Up to you if it's worth it..

 

[oldschoolskier]

Protection is a double edged sword. It provides extra safety (great thing), however we adapt and understand this increased protection we push our limits further to the next failure point (bad thing).

While I intellectually understand this, I also push those limits further for the same reason (stupidly).

 

[scott43]

Infamous story..David Sadowski crashed at Daytona in 1991 at about 180mph when his rear tire blew out from the speeds at the track..slid on his back with back protector from the start/finish line almost to the entrance of turn 1 on the road course..like 200 yards. Minor injuries walked away. That will make you a believer! I personally found them motion-limiting..if they're secured sufficiently to actually work without moving in a crash you're kinda like in a body cast...

 

[fatbob]

I've worn a spine protector most of the time since 2001 when a shattered scapula in a MTB crash brought home to me the reality of travelling backwards into hard objects at speed. Don't use it when whering an avi pack now because of extra protection from shovel blade etc in back.

Been glad twice, once when scraping over a rock band when my snowboard heel edge skipped out and once the day I travelled to the JH Gathering when I got lauched by an unseen icy bump in a shady gully at Canyons. Without it I doubt I'd have skied at the bash and indeed may not have walked.

Newest gen airbag packs etc e.g. the Scott supercapacitor one incorporate really neat integrated protectors.

 

[firebanex]

I've been contemplating getting a back protector of some sort for the rare days I ski without my pack. Seems like it would be a good idea even though I try my best to not crash into anything.

 

[cantunamunch]

Trivia question: Where does your spine end?

Answer: About level with the bottom of your ears.

Corollary: Spine pro with a shorty helmet -> unprotected spine.

 

[Primoz]

While I agree with @cantunamunch bunch of spine is uncovered when wearing spine protection, there's still lot of it covered with back protector. Yeah I'm using it for years, but I'm not going to say like some do "it saved my life several times". I don't think it did, but neither did helmet. I did landed few times on back, and I'm almost sure I would walk away from every single crash unharmed even without back protector, but I still use it, same way as I always ski with helmet. I would still say (same as for helmet) it didn't save my life, but it made crash a bit less painful. Another plus of back protector is, if you ski between gates. Especially with GS and gates bend pretty badly when you hit them straight, so it's not so uncommon to have gate hit you on the back. But yes I know, most of people don't ski between gates (much), so this is pretty useless plus point

 

[AlpsSkidad]

Our family has skied a ton in Europe the past 3 winters- and back protection is getting to be as common as helmets. While skiing in Davos a couple winters ago, my daughter's ski instructor outright said to us that we should buy back protectors. His reasoning wasn't just for a fall, but also for the many times people crash into others.
Since then, my daughter has been crashed into several times this year in Austria and I am glad she was wearing a back protector and helmet. It was on tough slopes by experienced skiers too, not just some out of control show offs. Stuff happens, and if a back protector helps, I am all for it.
Honestly, to me, it was a bit odd the first time wearing it but after the first ride on the lift/first decent, I all but forgot it was there.

 

[JuneauTheHusky]

I have been thinking about snagging one.

 

[ScotsSkier]

I have a couple of good back protectors available if anyone is looking for one. One is a Poc vest-type and the other is slytech IIRC

 

[AlpsSkidad]

I have a couple of good back protectors available if anyone is looking for one. One is a Poc vest-type and the other is slytech IIRC

POC vests are nice, we have 4 for the family and they seem to be good quality and comfortable for us.

 

[Swede]

I use a POC. In race training it’s mandatory (over here at least), not only in gates but also outside gates. I’ve heard about a few broken backs that might or might not have been saved by a back protector — people crashing into obstacles and to each other. Personally I don’t find it to hinder any movement and it provides some extra warmth on the back which is nice. Always wear one when I ski since a few years back. Started using a helmet ten years ago.

 

[Scrundy]

Do these things have any lower back support built in? I ski with a very bad back and get injections every 4 months. If you see me ski I am very upright and always ski with a back brace. Wonder if I can get protection and support, that would be nice.

 

[Swede]

Some of them protect lower than others. My girls have had Salomon (model name escapes me) vests and rhe went a little further down towards the buttocks than e.g. what my POC does. Google it.

 

[Bruuuce]

I wore a Schutt hard shell vest last season to protect my many broken rear ribs. It got me back on the slopes a month earlier than I would have been and the one time I fell hard on my back it did a great job. I'm not sure I'd want to wear it daily, but I might if I was going to ski in a sketchy area. I'm sure it's not a great option for racing, but it sure gave me piece of mind.

 

[Swede]

Salomon Flexell is the model my girls have. Has been great for racing too (U12-U16).
For FIS level and up vests can’t be used, protectors are marked with ’FIS Aporoved’ or such.

 

[L&AirC]

I wear a helmet all the time and a spine protector when racing or race training but am looking at doing that more often, to include when I'm coaching to set the example - (If my old a$$ can do it there's no reason why you can't).

My view of protective gear is not so much to let me push the limits, though I will admit like OSS said, it does make you feel like you can up your game, but to stave off the stupid stuff; gate smacking your back/head, the new guy carrying gates the first time and turns to see what's behind him, and even simple crashes and falls. One less bruise to contend with.

I've had 4 crashes that required surgery; 2 ACLs and 2 Rotator Cuffs. I know of no protection for them other than me to improve my skills. 3 of them could have been prevented if I was a better skier at the time. 1 was a vision issue (didn't see the clump of yellow ice through my yellow lens).

Another thing I like my back protector for is to help my posture. I noticed it encouraged me to "sit up straight" so to speak. I've been dabbling with telemark the last couple years and one of the athlete's mom coaches telemark now and again. She took me out so I could learn some of the basics and she pointed out my posture needed work because it is more straight up and down than it is in Alpine. I went back out with the back protector on and could feel it as soon as my posture would change. I still suck at telemark but at least my posture is good

I have a Slytech semi rigid vest so it is flexible and I can move around and bend over, but it is most comfortable when my back is in the "sit up straight" position.

Adds a layer of warmth too.

If you get one, pay close attention to the sizing.

 

[Nobody]

I have been using one since about thirty years ago
At first it was one of those lumbar only spine portion protection in use by dirt bikers in the mid late '80s early '90s.
Then I added up a hard backpack from Bob'lbee. Never skied without both for many, many years.
Then I purchased a "soft" but more complete one from Dainese, specific for skiers, it has padding covering the spine but also the sides of the chest, in fact more of a webbed vest than a back protector. Still use the backpack on occasions as well.
Would feel weird skiing without the protection, even if, last fall I went to ski fro a week long trip to Austria and forgot the protective jacket at home. Felt weird the first day, then I forgot about it and concentrated on what was doing.
As said by others, it is not intended for falls, but mainly for protection from other crashing in from behind (I had a skier crashing me from behind in Switzerland some years ago. I was wearing the hardshelled packpack, and thank God for that, I was just left lightly stunned by the impact but uninjuried, in five minutes I was back on my skis). I don't feel I am risking more when wearing mine.

 

[JuneauTheHusky]

Is there anything for the neck? My girlfriend broke her C2 vertebrae two years ago and this will be her first season back. Looking to see if there are any products out there for support or even protection for te neck.