I don't know what it's like to wipe out there and I hope I don't find out! That said, come find me in the spring and I'll show you a gnarly picture on my phone of Casper's ass with a big-ass splinter through it. Generally, yeah - lots of small splinters. Actually, the surface doesn't take too much abuse - it's afzalia, a super hard wood, very weather-resistant. It's the skeleton that takes the abuse.
Good gear range for newbs. I'd say start with an 88" gear - 49-15. As you advance, you're going to want more options, but I think that's a good all-around gear for Cat 4/5 - and beyond. I used only a 90" gear (50-15) until I got up to Cat 2, and then I needed more options. Now, I'm on 92" for most enduro races, 90" for some long madisons, and 93" and up for short warm-up races and sprint-oriented races.