Better Protection by Design – Cutting Edge Snowboard Protection Gear from Alps Gear

June 24, 2008 - Press Dispensary - Some of the latest industry surveys indicate that up to 58% of snowboarders will injure themselves significantly in the first two weeks of learning, most frequently to their wrists*. Alps Gear Limited (www.alpsgear.co.uk) is a London based company that is tackling this problem by sourcing and selling surgeon designed, advanced snowboarding protection gear in the U.K. The main product line-up includes the patented “Flexmeter” wrist guards and gloves, “Helmeter” Air-system® helmets, and the anatomically designed “Azzpadz” tailbone protectors. Alps Gear Ltd distributes these items exclusively in the U.K market.

The most frequent snowboard injuries are to wrists, but head, back and certainly tailbone injuries are not uncommon, particularly from using terrain parks. Investing in the best designed protection gear is essential to minimise the risk of injury. The majority of the Alps Gear range is designed by Dr Marc-Hervé Binet, a trauma surgeon based in the French Alps. His designs are inspired by his direct medical experience of treating snow sports trauma injuries.

Flexmeter Wrist Protection

The latest studies from a Scottish Snow Sports Safety Study indicate that 25% of all snowboard injuries affect the wrist joint, making it the most common area to be injured. Within that, 70% of all wrist injuries are fractures. Beginner snowboarders are particularly at risk. However, with the increasing popularity of terrain parks and off-piste snowboarding, more experienced snowboarders are also increasingly at risk.

In response to the frequent wrist injuries in the French Alps, Dr Binet was inspired to develop the Flexmeter wrist guard range. Based on his analysis, Dr Binet designed the Flexmeter wrist guards to work with the body’s natural biomechanics to absorb force. A feature of their design is that they extend up the forearm from the wrist, to give enhanced protection to the weaker and lower wrist area, where snowboarders typically fracture their wrists. The flexible but durable materials allow natural mobility of the wrist. It is worth noting that the wearing of rigid and short wrist guards (designed originally for in-line skaters) can still result in severe injuries.

Alps Gear Ltd sells the highly recommended Flexmeter wrist guard and glove range exclusively in the U.K. Andrew Taylor, director of Alps Gear, comments: “We sell a lot of Flexmeter wrist guards to customers who have already broken their wrist snowboarding, usually on the first day or sometimes in the first hour of learning to snowboard. We would like to change this trend by encouraging more learners to wear wrist guards from the start. A lot of medical opinion is that wrist guards should be a part of the standard beginner kit. A broken wrist is extremely painful and terribly inconvenient to say the least, particularly if it ruins an expensive holiday on the slopes! We believe the Flexmeter wrist guards are an essential piece of snowboarding kit. They are a small price to pay for such a reduction in the risk of a serious wrist injury”. Recommended retail prices start from £29.99.

A full video description and demonstration of the Flexmeter wrist guards is available on www.alpsgear.co.uk.

Helmeter Air-System® Head Protection

Head injuries account for approximately 10-20% of all injuries on the slopes. Fortunately, many of these injuries are minor such as abrasions and small bumps. However, some head injuries can be life threatening. Many snowboarders now acknowledge the need to wear helmets as an essential piece of kit.

In order to improve the experience of wearing helmets, especially by children, Dr Binet designed a new “air-system” action sports helmet that provides a custom fit for maximum comfort and stability. This is a major evolution in the design of extreme sports helmets, as the Helmeter Air-System® allows wearers of the helmet to pump up a series of air cells that surround the inside liner. This allows for a fully customised fit, improving comfort and with the advantage of a layer of air insulation for enhanced protection. Recommended retail prices start from £64.99.

Azzpadz Tailbone Protection

Snowboarders instinctively protect rearward falls with their wrists first, followed closely by landing on their backside. A hard impact in this area can sometimes result in tailbone (coccyx) fractures which are known to be extremely painful and can take a long time to heal. After researching the market, the Alps Gear team sourced the “Azzpadz” tailbone protectors from Canada.

Azzpadz are the self-preservation creation of a group of learner snowboarders. For them, the foam based tailbone protection pants did not offer complete protection. This reasoning led them to invent the Azzpadz, which incorporate a flexible plastic shell which forms to the contours of the buttocks and disperses the force of an impact, significantly reducing the pain typically experienced from falling on the tailbone. The Azzpadz’s waist straps and leg bands are fully adjustable for ultimate comfort and mobility. They are light to wear and can be worn discretely under snow pants. The recommended retail price is £42.95.

Customers can find out more about these cutting-edge products and purchase exclusively online at www.alpsgear.co.uk

- Ends -

The statistics used in this press release have been primarily sourced from :
Wrist injuries: http://www.ski-injury.com/wrist.htm
Head injuries: http://www.ski-injury.com/head.htm

About Alps Gear Ltd
Alps Gear Ltd is a London based online retail company shipping to the UK and Ireland, and selected international destinations. Alps Gear is the exclusive distributor in the U.K for Flexmeter wrist guards and gloves, Azzpadz tail-bone protectors and other advanced protection gear.

Additional statistical support for rates of snow injuries can be found at the International Society for Skiing Safety: www.isssweb.com
- Particular reference comes from a paper presented by JD Laporte, MH Binet, CC Baudru at the 2007 ISSS conference, entitled: Winter Sports Injuries Trends in France 1992-2006: 436,000 cases – a study by the Medicins de Montagne.

For further information, please contact:
Merinda Taylor, Alps Gear Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)7828 507 905
Email:
Site: www.alpsgear.co.uk