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June, 2025

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Hip protectors, does anyone use them?

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Pac2
Posts: 800 - Karma: 3,042
Had a bit of slump on the slope the other day and ate shit on a 2 on and tacoed the rail with mostly my hip and it was the worst pain I’ve felt in a long while. Left the mountain feeling defeated. Which made me think about hip protectors. Definitely want to get some padded compression shorts to lessen the blow because let’s be real, hitting ur hips on rails fucking sucks. Anyone have any recommendation or experience using these?
6 years ago
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bendy___
Posts: 154 - Karma: 893
I'm using these right now https://demonsnow.com/store/DS1309%20Hip%20Belt%20X%20D3O
Could be just me but all the shorts ended up fitting weird, the hip padding was always too low. Ended up going with the belt which has adjustable pads and they cover my entire hip area, just a tad bulky.

I think they are a good idea to wear, especially if your learning new stuff and plan on falling alot.
6 years ago
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
I use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads
6 years ago
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Dilldoes
Posts: 761 - Karma: 5,852
Craw_DaddyI use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads

Guess next time I am out rippin on my ole Kawi 450 I wont wear my helmet or pads either cause I'm a "confident" rider......
6 years ago
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
skithemidwestttGuess next time I am out rippin on my ole Kawi 450 I wont wear my helmet or pads either cause I'm a "confident" rider......


No, you should probably wear a helmet because it's obvious you've already taken a few blows to the head if you think those two things are equivalent.
6 years ago
6 30
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Dilldoes
Posts: 761 - Karma: 5,852
Craw_DaddyNo, you should probably wear a helmet because it's obvious you've already taken a few blows to the head if you think those two things are equivalent.


They are the same..... Yes the risk is much higher on the bike due to the speed etc but in the end no matter the sport they are there to protect you. Everyone falls dude.
6 years ago
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armchair_skier
Posts: 2713 - Karma: 34,742
I never felt like pads helped with skiing (falls still hurt just as much even if I'm wearing pads). Yes falls suck but such is skiing, it's just part of what we do. Also pads make me more sweaty and that's icky.
6 years ago
2 0
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
skithemidwestttThey are the same..... Yes the risk is much higher on the bike due to the speed etc but in the end no matter the sport they are there to protect you. Everyone falls dude.


Last time I checked I don't hit rails going 50mph with a 250lb bike between my legs but I'll tell ya what, I will absolutely start wearing hip pads when I do.
6 years ago
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Nuno812
Posts: 432 - Karma: 1,794
couldn’t disagree with you more^. I am almost 30, skiing since I was 10 or so, only got into park later (18ish) got very comfortable but now as a working stiff it helps to have pads so I can not hobble into work on Monday and hate my life. I have some of the demons and they help me still participate and session rails or even just doing flat ground type stuff where landing with your hips on ice is a possibility. Slid out on a rail trying a new combo this year and had very little pain versus if I didn’t have the pads. I don’t think anyone should wear them if they don’t want to, but for my beat up sorry out of shape self they certainly help me continue. I also wear a back protector, after I broke my back many years ago (outside the park). Didn’t wear one while I was getting into park but I regularly see kids fuck up a 2 on or swap and take the steel to their back, I’m all set on that and am all for minimizing pain if possible. I have my old shred buddies none of them wear gear but they also moved out west to ski bum and are in much better shape than I who went the weekend warrior route... word up to you young ones out there take care of your body and you can ski at the level you want, don’t and you’ll feel age creep up on ya.
6 years ago
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Cyanicenine
Posts: 966 - Karma: 2,292
After taking several slams early last season that left my whole thigh black I got these xion protective capris and haven't looked back: https://xionpg.com/body-protection/bermuda-freeride-d3o-women/ I used to use the burton total impact shorts but I still managed to bruise the hell out of myself with them since the coverage was not very comprehensive. The knee pads already saved me from a failed pop onto a rail where I landed knee first. Pretty certain I would've broken my knee caps without the armor, and the hip protection seems to be in all the right places for sliding out. I'm over 30 and I give no shits if it's cool or not, I just want to wake up every day and have my body feel good and ready to go skiing.
6 years ago
6 0
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FrenchSilkPai
Posts: 623 - Karma: 447
These have been fantastic for me. They are just adidas football padded compression shorts

6 years ago
3 0
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Ghost_BLandzV2
Posts: 1037 - Karma: 8,434
Craw_DaddyI use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads


I agree with the pain being a motivator to commit more to tricks rather than making it limit your abilities, but that doesnt mean don’t use pads and shit. Using pads + thinking about pain in this way is the way to go.
6 years ago
1 0
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.otto.
Posts: 3495 - Karma: 12,919
Craw_DaddyI use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads


I use hip pads. Every ones going to fall no matter how confident- If you can mitigate deep muscle bruising why not do it.
6 years ago
5 0
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clorox
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 4,867
Used to have some poc hip pads. After eating shit and hitting the ground right between where the pads are, I stopped using them. Had a POC VPD 2.0 Vest a while ago that was great. Caught on an up rail landing flat on my back, no pain. Was a little bulky, so I stopped using it a few years ago. Fractured my L2 literally weeks after retiring it.

Gonna give a slytech back protector a try.
6 years ago
3 0
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
Craw_DaddyI use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads


I agree with my man craw

I use to bash my head of all types of shit when I wore my ski helmet. Even in the lodge I found myself smacking it off the doors and handrails, like the retard I am.

Whenever I only wear my neff beanie I find myself lacing triple corks off kickers
I can't even remember the last time I hit my head
6 years ago
8 0
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JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,194
I wear these if I'm having a park day, otherwise I don't. I like them tho, and would recommend you get some impact shorts to minimize bruising/injury. Why ski with discomfort??

**This post was edited on Nov 26th 2019 at 11:57:38pm
6 years ago
2 0
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
icedI agree with my man craw

I use to bash my head of all types of shit when I wore my ski helmet. Even in the lodge I found myself smacking it off the doors and handrails, like the retard I am.

Whenever I only wear my neff beanie I find myself lacing triple corks off kickers
I can't even remember the last time I hit my head


You guys have shown me the light. I just ordered some kevlar body armor off amazon with my moms credit card.
6 years ago
2 5
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jupiterhenry
Posts: 140 - Karma: 598
All protection is inherently lame, but some of us are straight rocking anything and everything to try to keep our old ass bodies from hurting more than they usually do.

+1 on the demon hip pads, they’re WAY better than the hip protection I’ve seen/tried on any of the shorts, it’s less sweaty on warm days, and I can already tell the tailbone d30 pad will one day save me from some excruciating shit.
6 years ago
4 0
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bnewbs6
Posts: 1919 - Karma: 1,463
For the most part I don't wear the hip pads when I am just casually shredding. But when I am riding pipe I throw them on. I always tend to land on my hips and that ice is far from friendly. It changed from having fully black and blue hips to almost no bruising at all. They are just as useful in the park. How many times have you slightly over rotated and had to take it to 450(+) on your hips? Well I do that often and it really helps keep the bruising at bay. I use the Shred/Slytech compression short version. They also make some that are a little longer that has knee pad built in that can definitely save your 'caps if you nuke them into a rail. They feel super awkward when you put them on but are made of that material that once your body heat does its job they get super pliable and you don't even notice they're there.
6 years ago
2 0
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,126
Craw_DaddyI use the pain as an incentive not to fall or at least stay composed when I do fall. You can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads

bwwahhhh im 50 sumthin and I use pain as a daily reminder of a good hard life lived
of SKIING REAL MOUNTAINS, REAL SNOW, REAL CLIFFS, REAL SHIT BRO
im confident if you continue to ski hard for decades
the common sense
"protect yourself at all times"
will override that cocky skittle tard park skiing I don't need any safety gear bullshit you got going on now
6 years ago
1 2
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
SFBv420.0bwwahhhh im 50 sumthin and I use pain as a daily reminder of a good hard life lived
of SKIING REAL MOUNTAINS, REAL SNOW, REAL CLIFFS, REAL SHIT BRO
im confident if you continue to ski hard for decades
the common sense
"protect yourself at all times"
will override that cocky skittle tard park skiing I don't need any safety gear bullshit you got going on now


no need to get angry my dude
6 years ago
1 0
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,171
Craw_DaddyYou can totally use hip pads but having confidence in your ability is pretty essential to skiing park. Confident people don't use hip pads


yay and neigh,

There are tons of confident pros that use body protection. Wally, Henrik, Hornbeck, PWhite, list goes on. It's got nothing to do with confidence, it's all about saving your ass when that slam you don't expect happens.

I used to use pads quite a bit, usually a back protector because of too many close calls. I had hip pads but they honestly didn't do anything. I don't ride with pads now anymore because it feels too restricting. Plus when I fall these days it's always pretty chill, bad slams are pretty rare.

To each their own, I'm not a fan of using it for casual park laps but if you're prone to falling, hitting street, or chucking dubs on hardpack, it's probably a good idea to grab some.
6 years ago
6 0
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Thegenericskier
Posts: 2956 - Karma: 34,865
i just started using a poc biking padded short under my outerwear i don't notice it and it helps a lot
6 years ago
2 0
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SuspiciousFish
Posts: 2794 - Karma: 16,914
john18061806yay and neigh,

There are tons of confident pros that use body protection. Wally, Henrik, Hornbeck, PWhite, list goes on. It's got nothing to do with confidence, it's all about saving your ass when that slam you don't expect happens.

I used to use pads quite a bit, usually a back protector because of too many close calls. I had hip pads but they honestly didn't do anything. I don't ride with pads now anymore because it feels too restricting. Plus when I fall these days it's always pretty chill, bad slams are pretty rare.

To each their own, I'm not a fan of using it for casual park laps but if you're prone to falling, hitting street, or chucking dubs on hardpack, it's probably a good idea to grab some.


I remember a while back a rep for one of the hip pad companies was at a halfpipe comp and seeing if any pros wanted any. I cant remember who it was but the guy said he dismissed him, went up to do a practice run and cased the deck with his hip, skied back down and found the rep and told him he wanted some hip pads.

I dont ski a lot of park but have done my fair share of sketchy shark fin invested lines and use a back protector. Its nice to have a little security if you roll back on a huck etc your not going to bruise your spine or worse.
6 years ago
1 0
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38241 - Karma: 131,354
used to wear them skiing pipe mostly. They help out a lot. Its not like wearing a flak jacket obviously but ive had a few hip-to-stump crashes in the last few years that made me wish i still had it.
6 years ago
1 0
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Nuno812
Posts: 432 - Karma: 1,794
For anyone interested I recommend the demon d30 pads versus the slytech. Had the slytech and they fell apart within a season as well as having much less coverage. The demons are much more padded and have much better coverage, highly recommend them to anyone interested in hip pads.
6 years ago
1 0
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xxACIDTRIPxx
Posts: 5980 - Karma: 8,185
Craw_DaddyNo, you should probably wear a helmet because it's obvious you've already taken a few blows to the head if you think those two things are equivalent.


Lmaooooooooooo
6 years ago
0 0
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hippystinx
Posts: 937 - Karma: 171
hip pads, and knee pads make me feel a lot more secure in my skiing. When I was skiing park 80+ days a year I usually 9/10 would fall straight to my boney ass hips. Having padding has saved me more than one time.
6 years ago
0 0
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lickmyballs
Posts: 489 - Karma: 1,158
most down voted skier of the year @Granby_killdozer ??????
6 years ago
0 0
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2533 - Karma: -14,926
Loganski69most down voted skier of the year @Granby_killdozer ??????


ive seen worse
6 years ago
1 0
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12721 - Karma: 120,332
Craw_DaddyYou guys have shown me the light. I just ordered some kevlar body armor off amazon with my moms credit card.

homie why stop there, go one step further
6 years ago
4 0
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