Airboarding Puts Riders at Risk for Injuries

Many people are embracing a new trend at ski resorts known as air boarding or snow body boarding, an alternative to traditional snowboarding.

Airboarders use inflated sleds that are like rafts that have side handles and grooves that allow for steering and control. It’s similar to traditional sledding, but more adventurous and done on a vehicle with a padded surface. Most riders airboard headfirst.

What makes airboarding such an adventure is that it’s done on ski slopes. Whereas someone would traditionally sled down a single hill, airboarding allows you to do an entire run down a mountain with multiple hills.

Airboarding is a less risky version of snowboarding and a less intimidating alternative to skiing. As a matter of fact, the sport was invented by someone who had been injured while snowboarding. For many, it’s more fun than risk and gives non-skiers and non-snowboarders the opportunity to have fun on family and friend getaways to ski resorts.

Though airboarding might seem safer than skiing, and sometimes it is, it is not without injury risk. Riders have been injured in multiple incidents on the slopes and the danger involved in airboarding can be especially severe considering most riders make their runs head-first. This puts riders at risk for serious injuries, including neck and spinal cord damage, as well as traumatic brain injuries. It’s possible someone airboarding could crash into another rider or inanimate object and experience permanent, debilitating injuries.

Most resorts offer minimal training and instruction for airboarding. They might receive 30 minutes of pre-run instruction – far less than someone skiing would want before making a run.

In addition to the minimal training, there are also safety concerns about the way runs are organized. In at least one case, airboarders converge with skiers and snowboarders at the end of the run. This not only puts equipment at risk – hundreds of dollars or more in the case of airboards – it poses a huge risk to everyone’s safety.

Airboarding might be a less risky alternative to other winter sports options, but if facilities fail to implement proper safety restrictions or other airboarders take unnecessary safety risks, a day airboarding can turn into a nightmare.

Airboarding Can Give False Confidence

Some familiar with the new trend of airboarding also list another potential hazard – the false sense of security you get from laying on a raft-like can cause people to take risks they wouldn’t otherwise. For instance, hills that would be intimidating on skis might not seem so with an airboard. And while it might be easier to take a bigger run on an airboard, it still has risks.

Any rider wanting to push his or her limits needs to do so gradually and be experienced on less risky runs. Jumping into riskier airboard runs without experience can put you in danger.

It’s also important to realize that airboading and skiing and snowboarding are very different sports, despite having similarities. Just because you’ve successfully made a run on an airboard several times doesn’t mean you’re ready to hit that same run standing. No adventure seekers, regardless of experience, should assume airboarding has prepared them for skiing or snowboarding.

Heavens Law Seeking Compensation for Injured Airboarders

At Heavens Law, we’ve worked with clients injured while enjoying recreational activities. The dangers posed while airboarding can be exacerbated when the sport is enjoyed at a crowded resort or done without proper safety instructions. Clients exposed to risk deserve to be compensated if they are injured while airboarding or engaging in any other recreational sport deemed safe.

Our goal is to ensure clients are informed and receive the compensation they deserve when they are injured. Nobody should be forced to pay medical bills that occur because of the negligence of others. If you visit a resort or recreational establishment that offers airboarding, it is the facility’s responsibility to offer you instruction and provide you with a safe environment where you can enjoy the sport with limited risk. You must also be provided with or required to wear proper safety equipment, including a helmet.

If you believe you were put at risk because you were not given proper training for airboarding or you were not required to wear safety equipment this was not the case during your airboarding experience, you might have a right to take legal action.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries during an airboarding experience, or you were injured while participating in a recreational sport and you believe those injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us at 888.897.5377.