Downhill Snow Sports Protection Gear滑雪用護具

I couldn’t believe that for many sports, when I just started, I didn’t wear any protection gear. I learned to acquire helmets, kneepads, wrist guards, struck by hard experience, such as elbow bruises, skin cuts, and an ambulance ride. Protection gear gives you extra weight but the additional mental strength it boosts definitely makes the weight negligible.

For downhill snow sports, I own a helmet and a pair of kneepads. The helmet has accompanied me for several years, which I bought right after I rolled down a black diamond hill like a ball for about 30 meters. The kneepads were obtained about 2 months ago, because I started to learn telemark skiing this season, and every telemark skier kept telling me “you need those.”

I’ve done some research on kneepads, mostly by reading the discussion threads on the Telemark Talk Forum, and reviews I located on line with Google.com.

A few things worth paying attention to when selecting a pair of kneepads are probably the following:

1. Protection. They have to be strong enough to protect your knees. After all, this is the basic requirement, isn’t it? So, select a pair of kneepads which do not have the reputation to crack easily.
2. Comfort. You should not feel them exist, and your motions should not be hampered by them. (This sounds like a commercial of female products, but the basic idea is the same.)
3. Stability. They have to stay in place no matter how wild your movement is. Kneepads are usually worn under snow pants, so it is not easy to adjust them during or between your ski runs. You basically want to put them on once and leave them there.
4. Low Profile. They are low-profiled so that it is easy for you to wear them under your snow pants. Even if you wear them outside of your snow pants, because they are low-profiled, it is less likely that they will tangle branches.

It is also fine to wear the kneepads you use for other sports, such as volleyball and in-line skating. However, my volleyball ones do not usually stay in place and my skating ones are too bulky, therefore I still tried to look for a new pair that is designed for snow sports. (All right, I admit that I have outdoor gear acquisition syndrome.)

I narrowed down to three models: Arc’teryx Knee Caps, Black Diamond Telekneesis, and Voile Kneepads. The first two models are widely used by many telemark skiers according to the discussion on the forum, and both had good reviews. Although some complained that early Arc’teryx models had a problem of cracking easily the current model seems reliable. I didn’t hear much about Volie, but based on the first impression, I felt that the product is no better than my volleyball or skating ones.

I after all chose the BD Telekneesis because it has a wider protection range, although I do think it is over-priced. Based on three or four times of use, I am basically a satisfied customer. The kneepads are comfortable, low-profiled and they stayed in place; however, since I haven’t done any backcountry runs, I haven’t gotten a chance to test their durability after hitting tree stems or rocks.

These kneepads do seem to have potentials to protect my knees well in the backcountry. Why do I say this? Last weekend, I tried snowboarding for the first time. Of course I rolled all over the place and did a lot of butt-slides and face plants. During those falls, my knees kissed the slopes numerous times and I didn’t feel a thing. After the snowboarding ride, I laughed at myself: I bought all this protection gear for skiing but the first time I really used it was for snowboarding.

Wearing kneepads has another advantage for snow sports: they keep your knees warm. Warmth improves circulation and your joints need it. Right now I even consider wearing them when I snowshoe especially after seeing a girl’s knee cracking on ice, but I can’t decide whether it is too over the top.

I also need to buy a new helmet. The helmet I have was an impulse buy, and now I wish I had done more research. The main complaint I have is I can’t hear anything while I am wearing the helmet, as well as it should have a little more space for me to insert a heavier balaclava. I’ve seen people wearing helmets which have some opening/holes at the ear area, and I can’t help but wonder whether that is what I want. I need to do more homework on helmets, in the meantime, if you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to leave me some comments!


實在很難想像，在嘗試許多運動的初期，我幾乎沒有穿戴什麼護具。隨著年齡的增長，從血的教訓中，學習到護具的重要，包括手肘的瘀青、膝蓋的擦傷、還有一起需要勞動救護車的意外，所以我先後購買了安全帽、護膝、護腕等裝備。雖說穿戴護具增加額外的重量，可是護具給予心靈的支持，讓那一些些重量顯得毫無份量。

針對滑雪運動使用的護具，個人擁有一頂安全帽和一雙護膝。那頂安全帽是在一次嘗試滑黑鑽的雪道的時候，從半山坡像球一樣的骨轆轆地滾下大約三十公尺後，立刻毫不遲疑地就買了，現在也陪了我好幾年了。該對護膝則是此季冬天才剛進的貨，由於今年冬天開始學習telemark skiing，許多先進不約而同地提醒我：「妳該買雙護膝。」所以才開始留心。

基本上，在買進那雙護膝之前，我在一個telemark skiing的討論群上，做了不少的功課，閱讀了很多討論串，再根據所得到的訊息，到google查閱更詳盡的評論。

以下列出購買護膝的時候需要注意的事項：

1. 保護性：

該雙護膝能不能確實保護你的膝蓋？這個條件好像是廢話，買護膝就是要保護膝蓋的，當然要確定它的保護性啊。所以要留心的就是產品是否有容易碎裂的不佳評論？

2. 舒適性：

好的護膝需要讓你感受不到它的存在，同時，所有身體的律動都不能被它所影響。（這聽起來好像是某種女性用品的廣告詞，不過基本概念是相通的啦）

3. 穩固性：

穿戴上護膝之後，護膝是不是會隨著從事的動作，來個大移位？基本上，滑雪時護膝通常是穿戴在雪褲之下，也因此如果還需要時時調整護膝，那真是大工程一件。好的護膝應該在穿戴好之後，就不需要再調整。

4. 貼身性：

護膝若是貼身，才不會給穿脫雪褲帶來不必要的麻煩。同時，如果你將護膝穿在雪褲之外，貼身的護膝也不會在滑雪的時候，去牽扯一些雪徑旁的斷枝殘幹。

當然，其他運動（像是排球、直排輪等）使用的護膝，也可以拿來當滑雪的護膝使用。可惜，我打排球使用的護膝，跑跳一陣子之後就會順腿滑下，不符合穩固性。直排輪的護膝又有點太大隻了，不符合貼身性。總而言之，我最後還是買了一雙專門為滑雪設計的護膝。（好啦，我承認我就是愛買戶外裝備啦！）

常看到常聽到的滑雪用護膝有三款，分別是：Arc’teryx Knee Caps，Black Diamond Telekneesis，和Voile Kneepads。前兩款為討論群上的滑雪者廣泛使用，同時也享有不錯的評價。只是聽說Arc’teryx早先的護膝有容易碎裂的問題，不過目前市面上販售的這一組，似乎已經克服了這個問題。我沒有看到許多關於Volie的討論，不過根據我看圖片以及規格的第一印象，該護膝似乎不會比我的排球或是直排輪護膝，有更佳的表現。

最後，我購買了Black Diamond的Telekneesis，因為它的設計感覺相當貼身，同時保護的範圍較廣。以截至目前為止，三四次的使用經驗，算是相當滿意它的表現。非常地舒適，不會找雪褲的麻煩，同時穩固性佳。可惜一直到現在還沒有機會到山林間滑雪，要不然可以測試一下這款護膝撞到樹幹或是岩石的表現。

不過，我對這款護膝在山林的保護性相當看好。為什麼這麼說呢？上週末第一次嘗試滑雪板（snowboard），當然新手上路，沒事就在雪道上滾來滾去，三不五時屁股著地，或是五體投地。在這一連串跌、滾、帶跑的經歷中，護膝接觸地面的次數已經數不清了，就算如此，我的膝蓋並沒有感覺太大的衝擊，也沒有受傷。事後，我笑我自己，買了一堆護具本來是為滑雪（ski）準備的，卻在滑雪板的時候，才算真正發揮它們的功能。

穿戴護膝還有另外一個好處，更容易保持膝蓋的暖和度。暖和可以促進血液循環，也讓關節可以更佳靈活。現在，我甚至考慮在雪鞋健行的時候，也穿戴護膝，尤其上次看到那女孩膝蓋硬碰硬，磕上河面上堅實的冰層之後。不過卻又覺得似乎太小題大作了。

其實，我倒是想要換一頂新的安全帽。現在我的安全帽的問題在於，一戴上之後，幾乎什麼聲音都聽不到。同時，我想要有多一些空間，多加一層保暖層。當初買那頂安全帽，有點衝動，沒有做充分的調查，現在果然有些後悔了。曾經看過有人戴的安全帽，在雙耳旁做出耳洞或是打薄，似乎就是針對我想要的功能的設計。當然，我還要多做些功課，才能下定決心。如果你有什麼建議，也請不吝指教喔！