A pal of mine wants to come on a skiing holiday this winter but has never skied before.
He has no anterior compartment muscles of the lower leg due to a previous injury and is completely unable to dorsiflex his right ankle at all. He has completely normal movements in the rest of his leg and ankle, and the rest of his body is completely uninjured and fully functioning.
Does anybody know if he is likely to be able to ski?
Thanks all
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
He won't be any worse than the average Brit holiday skier.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I imagine if he can plantarflex he can ski. The boot will cause the ankle to return to dorsiflexed position when he relaxes his calf
Perhaps there is hope then. I assumed the heavy boots would need some dorsiflexion just to hold the toe up themselves, but I guess he can wear Doc Martens etc so perhaps he'll be okay. I guess our best bet is to hit a dry slope and see what happens!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@esspaz, I have a club left foot, which in my case means a locked ankle (my left leg is also an inch shorter below the knee). With my left foot flat on the floor, any attempt to move my knee forward results in my heel lifting. I have my boot professionally fitted with a lifted heel under the footbed, and then foam injected. I favour my right leg when skiing, especially on steep hardpack as my left ski tends to chatter due to lack of pressure on righthand turns.
I've been skiing for more than 30 years like this (including heli-skiing and ski touring), though admittidly I have a preference for soft snow and off-piste, as the imbalance is largely negated. As has been mentioned above, I have an odd style and can be recogised at a distance.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
can be recogised at a distance.
I don't think an "odd" style is a prerequisite for this ...
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Does he have movement in that direction in his ankle (ie. If it's pushed up)? Or is it locked?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
You need to get in touch with Disability Snowsports UK and get a lesson organised.
Yes he will be able to ski but these guys are experts in solving problems like this so will give him the best advice and techniques.
Again boots may be an issue but there are options e.g. Nordica HF rear entry boots if he's wide or Full Tilt if he's narrow but as always .... Go see a boot fitter!!!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@esspaz, can he not dorsiflex as in his ankle is rigid or flexion completely absent, or can he just not do it voluntarily because the muscles aren't there to cause it? Would perhaps make quite a big difference in what could be compensated for/how.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks for all of the replies!
Movement in the ankle - yes he does; it's not locked (in fact, it's quite floppy). It just lacks dorsiflexion. It's a classic "foot drop".
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I have no dorsiflexion and was unable to ski due to severe pain from any hired ski boots.
Saw Colin at Solutions4feet and he sent me to Dale to get a custom pair made.
Happily skiing ever since with no issues.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@esspaz, then I'd say he'll be able to ski. If it was fused/locked then he'd have trouble getting s boot on and the forward lean of the boot would be an issue. The rigidity of the boot might actually help.
As long as he explains it to his instructor I'd expect them to be able to work around it.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@esspaz, if it is drop foot it shouldn't be a problem for him to ski, his movement pattern may not be as good as it could be and will be a little asymmetric but no reason he cant ski.... in terms of boot, getting in to the boot will probably be the biggest challenge but challenges are there to be overcome and there are a number of boot options which can successfully be used
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@CEM, would rear entry boots solve this problem? My wife has her ankle fused I don't think she could get in a regular boot. Prior to the surgery she's had lots of private tuition but she always had problems performing the motion she knew / understood she had to do. We haven't been skiing since and don't think that buying boots before she can see that she can enjoy skiing is something she'd go along with, so I was thinking of maybe trying to find rear entry hire boots for her
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Like CEM I think I have good news. If it presents as ‘drop foot’ then the following experience is relevant. I have a colleague whose peroneal nerve was disrupted accidentally during an operation to repair a shattered pelvis, leading to permanent lack of control of his foot (yes he had the accident whist skiing). This remains a serious disability. A year in, he thought he could never ski again, so I took him for a four day trip with some specialist coaches available. It was agony (I mean that) getting his foot into his boot. Best only done once a day, with plenty of painkillers taken in advance. But once in, the foot was locked in the correct position, and to both of our surprise, skiing commenced immediately as normal. No pain throughout full days’ skiing - and with him exhibiting exactly the same dreadful errors and mistakes as before. Mainly far too fast and with power-based backseat turns. Oh well. We then had the coaches work on technique rather than getting him back to skiing at all. It really wasn’t a question of carrying the disability into skiing, far from it. It was surprisingly OK.
Sugar daddy - yes, but probably very difficult to find them. The boots you might consider are Full Tilt, which are both excellent boots and allow entry with a fixed ankle. See
But I would advise hiring or buying these in the UK prior to going rather than relying on finding either rear entry or Full Tilt when you are in resort.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
So a little update on my friend who has two fused ankles:
His wife has long been concerned that his antique Salomon SX60s might fail, but he absolutely 100% needs a rear entry boot.
They are basically re-engineered rear entries with high grade, properly formed liners. https://www.nordica.com/hf/
So bending to wifely concerns he’s now acquired a pair, not any more comfortable than the SX60s but a snugger fit and very happy.
Even better, I had suggested he might like rando ... and while they were pondering how to get his feet into rando boots, he asked what the advantages were ...” well, they’re lighter... and you get a wider range of ankle motion ... “ on the grounds that he has no ankle movement anyway, that’s hardly important.
So he’s now very happily skiing down AND up having added a pair of F10s to his normal skis.
Not the lightest rig, and getting some odd looks, but he roadbikes probs 300-400 kms a week and is as fit as a flea, so doesn’t seem to be holding him back.
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