Can You Ski With an Arm Cast?
A person skiing without an arm cast.

Imagine the following scenario. You’ve booked a skiing holiday far in advance. Months pass, and you’re nearing the date you’ve marked in your calendar as day one of your snowy adventure. Unfortunately, during your anxious wait for the moment to come – you fall on your way to work and break an arm. Needless to mention, you feel like the world’s let you down big-time.

So, what’s there to be done if the above scenario turns into the least-expected reality? Should you postpone your skiing trip or do notin’? That’s what you’re about to find out! In the article below, we’ll give a thorough answer to the question: can you ski with an arm cast? 

Yes, it’s possible to ski with an arm cast; at least that’s what most folks suggest (and do). Skiing enthusiasts are rarely “turned off” by a fractured wrist or a similar injury. However, if one should ski with an arm cast, it’s best to opt for easier runs. Also, one should avoid using poles. 

Now, that’s not the complete picture, right? Right! You’ll find more useful info downstairs!

Table of Contents

Skiing 101 (FAQ)

Before we dig deeper into the whole can-you-ski-with-an-arm-cast talk, it might be good the check out other pieces of info we’ve got. Here we’ll go through some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) folks ask Google about the phenomenal human activity simply known as skiing.

Why is skiing good for you?

So, what’s so special about skiing? In other words: why are folks so enthralled by this wintertime sport, they’d even consider skiing with an arm cast? Without further ado, let’s see some of the reasons why skiing’s good for you:

  • It’s a fantastic way to burn calories. You’ll lose weight by doing something that’s fun and dynamic (unlike being stuck in a gym).
  • It’s known as an all-natural mood booster. No need for any chemical (downright unnatural) stimulants.
  • It does wonders for your lower body strength. While you’re out skiing, your body will be in the squat position most of the time. Needless to say, that will have a great (positive) effect on your quads, calves, and glutes.
  • It engages your core muscles and greatly enhances your flexibility. You’ll need to keep your balance all of the time. That will force the core muscles to do their best at helping you achieve the best result.

Not to mention the fact practicing this sport is a ton of fun! That one goes without saying. Just ask anyone who’s tried it at least once!

Is skiing hard for beginners?

Okay, so one might wonder: does skiing require you to invest some otherworldly efforts? In other words: are beginner skiers usually having a bad time? The answer to both of these questions is a simple NO. The only thing you’ll need is proper instruction. Without an experienced someone (a quality skiing instructor) to show you the fundamentals, you might have a hard time. However, that’s almost never the case!

Here’s a quick tip: if you’re a beginner wondering do skies wear Burton, click on this link to find your answer.

How should a beginner ski?

While we’re on the topic of beginner skiing efforts, let’s see some tips for folks starting out their adventures in slope land! A quick disclaimer: never use slope land as a synonym for the world of skiing. We’ve just made it up, and it sounds a bit corny, doesn’t it? Anyway, here are those tips:

  • Opt for a ski resort that’s marked as beginner-friendly.
  • Start slow; conquer easy slopes first.
  • Falling is absolutely inevitable; there’s no point to be afraid of it! 
  • Make sure you’re hydrated all of the time; frequent breaks aren’t so bad either! 
  • Keep the eyes on the road, not your feet! 
  • Practice the so-called pizza formation; you’ll want to position your toes pointed inward, just so you can have more control. 
  • Don’t forget to wear protective gear; goggles and a helmet are a must! 

Now, that’s about it when it comes to tips for folks just starting out skiing! If we’ve left some of ’em unmentioned, we’re sure your skiing instructor will fill in those gaps!

What are the so-called fundamentals of skiing?

If someone was to scan the online skiing community in search of some useful info, they’d surely stumble upon something skiing enthusiasts call the fundamentals. Needless to say, these so-called fundamentals are necessary things you’ll need to master before rising above a certain (intermediate) level. Okay, so what kind of skiing fundamentals are we talking about exactly?

  • You’ll need to manage the interrelation of the mass center to the support base, in order to handle the pressure along the stretch of your trusty skis.
  • The next fundamental is to be in absolute control of the edge angles using the fusion of inclination and angulation. 
  • Also, you’ll need to rotate the skis using only your legs, not relying on the upper body. 
  • Lastly, you’ll need to master the control of the pressure from ski to ski and aim the pressure in the direction of the outside ski. 

Now, keep in mind these are meant to serve as advice to more experienced skiers (you can say: intermediate). Beginners might wanna check them out, but they first need to master the basics of the sport.

Okay, so now that we’ve gone through the introductory FAQ section, it’s time to consider the question we’re all too eager to find out the answer to! So, let’s see is it possible to ski with an arm cast!

A group of three people skiing down a slope.

Can you ski with an arm cast?

Now, of course, “sporting” a cast doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve broken your arm (like we unintentionally implied in the first paragraph). You could’ve just as easily fractured your wrist or forearm or somethin’. Anyway, whatever’s the case – you’re wearing an arm cast and wondering whether it’s possible to ski with it!

If you were to check out the online forums and message boards that have skiing as the main topic, you’d be surprised at how many folks ski with an arm cast. Those who hadn’t had the chance to do it (since they’ve, luckily, never worn an arm cast), say they’d gladly do it! So, should you do it?

As you can tell from the paragraph above, it’s quite possible to ski with an arm cast. A fractured wrist rarely stops skiing enthusiasts from enjoying their favorite sport. However, it might be best if a person wearing an arm cast was to pay great attention in order not to fall. In other words: if you’re in that position, opt for easier, more lightweight slopes.

Most skiing enthusiasts would agree wearing an arm cast isn’t good enough of a reason to miss out on a fun adventure. For all we know, that’s what most readers of this blog would say if you were to ask them if it’s possible to ski with an arm cast! Right? Oh, and there’s one thing we forgot to mention: even though some folks recommend you tape your pole to the cast or try out similar experiments, it’s best you avoid skiing with poles completely. Simply leave ’em at home as you risk hurting yourself even more!

Bonus round: Your typical skier’s slang dictionary

To reward your patience for going through all those lines and words from above, we’ve left something special for the end. So, what’s the plan? Here we’ll show some basic skier’s lingo, just so you don’t end up asking your instructor: oh, wait, what was that? could you repeat? and the one before was? 

  • Alpine skiing. Just another term for downhill skiing.
  • Backcountry. A no-go area for beginners; the area that’s not patrolled.
  • Black diamond. A downright difficult run; experts-only.
  • Fall line. It’s a straight/direct line that connects the skier and the bottom of the hill.
  • French fries. Riding with your skis aligned parallelly.
  • Gondola. It has nothing to do with Venice; it’s like an enclosed chairlift. You’ll have to remove the skis to enter.
  • Green circle run. The complete opposite of black diamond runs; the easiest ones you’ll find out there.
  • Moguls. Mounds of snow you’ll encounter on the path.
  • Nordic skiing. It’s a unique form of skiing; you’ll recognize Nordic skiers by their heels not being attached to the skis (just the toes).
  • Pizza. We’ve mentioned it above. It’s when your skis are a bit pointed inward.
  • Powder. We’re talking about fresh and fluffy snow here.
  • T-bar. Mostly found on beginner slopes, it’s a type of surface that carries skiers up to the top.
  • Terrain park. It’s a freestyle zone that’s full of rails, half-pipes, and other obstacles.
  • Whiteout. It’s when you’re difficulties with the visibility due to heavy snowfall or fog, or both.
  • Yard sale. This term’s associated with falling/crashing so darn hard that your skiing equipment (gloves, hat, skies, etc.) ends up all over the place. (Speaking of skiing equipment, here’s a cool article you’ll want to read)

That’s about it for the basic skiing terminology every skiing beginner will have to become acquainted with! Don’t you agree that the last term is absolutely hilarious?

Final words

That’s about it on the whole can-you-ski-with-an-arm-cast issue, dear skiing enthusiasts (and other folks)! Hope you’ve fun reading this one as much as our last piece on the stiffness of ropes! Here at Go Extreme Sports, we give our best to make our articles well worth the read!

For more skiing tips, visit this section of our blog!

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