The scenery that comes with snowboarding is like that of no other sport: The snow-covered mountains and the evergreen trees zooming past you as you soar down the slopes are a sight to behold. Snowboarding is an exhilarating and adrenaline-inducing winter sport—with a variety of potential hazards that come along with it. But these risks shouldn’t deter your inner thrill-seeker. If you’re taking a vacation to the mountains and plan to do some snowboarding, you should invest in a quality snowboarding travel insurance plan to ensure medical coverage while you’re abroad.

Travel Insurance for Snowboarding

If you’re taking a ski vacation and decide to try snowboarding as long as you’re there, you’ll probably fall down a time or two. It’s okay. It’s part of the learning process. However, tumbling down a steep mountain slope on hard-packed snow is a heavy price to pay for a first-timer. And the last thing you want is to spend your vacation laid up in a foreign hospital, dreading the final bill.

Snowboarding travel insurance will help cover those hefty medical bills, along with the damage and loss of your snowboarding equipment. Most standard travel insurance plans don’t cover the risks associated with hazardous sports, which is why you’ll need a special travel insurance for snowboarding plan to keep you safe and secure. Whatever the case, it will provide peace of mind as you enjoy a fun vacation out on the slopes. Even if you are indulging in off-piste (off the prepared track) snowboarding, be aware of the daily weather forecasts in case of an avalanche. Travel insurance can protect you, but it is just as important for you to be cautious in your travels as well.

Snowboarding Basics

Snowboarding could be described as a cooler and more daring counterpart of skiing or skateboarding, or perhaps as the winter-sports equivalent of surfing. It is one of the most popular winter sports on a global scale, even becoming an Olympic sport in 1998. Snowboarders possess their own set of efficient skills as well as a unique, laid-back style. Their creative boarding tricks add a touch of flair to the sport.

It’s true that unlike skiing, the sport of snowboarding is “hard to learn but easy to master.” The hardest part is mastering the basics; there are several tumbles that a new snowboarder has to endure before getting the hang of things. But at the end of the day, it is all about the skill and technique of the participant. The personal challenge to improve oneself is what keeps many new snowboarders coming back for more.

There are a myriad of styles associated with snowboarding; the most popular ones include freestyle, freeride, and Alpine (also called freecarving). These styles depend on the type of terrain, equipment, and skill (and personal preference) of the participant. Whichever style you choose, wearing the correct protective gear and following the safety guidelines are essential. While vacationing, it is wise to invest in a travel insurance for snowboarding plan. Even if accidents do occur, knowing that you’ll receive assistance with your medical bills should provide some relief.

The potential risks and hazards associated with snowboarding are plenty. But risks are well worth the thrill and the more concrete benefits both. From building core and muscle strength to improving flexibility and balance, snowboarding is a physically rewarding activity in more ways than one.

Risks of Snowboarding

Like any hazardous sport, there are plenty of risks associated with snowboarding. Most injuries sustained during snowboarding are usually in the upper body. Wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries are quite common. Because your feet are locked into the board, when you fall, your outstretched arms take most of the force of the impact. Many falls result in shoulder or elbow dislocation.

To avoid such injuries, it is important to ensure that you are properly equipped. Other than investing in the correct gear and equipment (like boots, wrist guards, tailbone pads, and knee pads), it is also important to have travel insurance coverage for snowboarding.

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.