 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Team
I broke my leg 4 years ago, having been a pretty good skier up to that point. Was doing lots of steep and deep, moguls, couloirs etc. Then lost concentration on a red run, skied into a 12" high snow wall and smashed my tibia.... so far so standard.
I've not been on skis since thanks to rehab and then bloody COVID. But finally I am off to Switzerland in a few weeks (whoop!). So any advice on getting back into it? Ease back in? Go for it? Anything more detailed? Thought I might try an hour or so of baraquage before getting going properly... yawn!
Fitness isn't an issue as I've been doing a lot of cycling so its mainly technique and confidence.
Cheers
Chris.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Given your past form I don't think 'Go for it' would be the right approach.
Lots of bad crashes this year as people get back on the slopes after the break and throw caution to the wind.
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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?
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Spend an hour or two with a personal instructor on a blue slope? Probably worth checking that your setup and technique still work? You might find that you need to play with one (or both) of your boots for example?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@doctorhammond, can you do at least a couple of hours on either a dry ski ski slopes or swnow dome before going?
I ended up with a few years breaks after rupturing my ACL and they becoming pregnant just as I got the all clear to start back at hockey training after the reconstruction. When I did finally get on the slopes I had this little voice in the back of my head saying "can I still do this?" Then my body toom over and still knew what to do.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Spend an hour or two with a personal instructor
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This would be ideal - not necessarily on a blue slope, on whatever slope the instructor feels is appropriate. If you don't want to "waste" any holiday time (not that it would be a waste) a session with Rob Rhys of inside out skiing would be well worthwhile. https://www.insideoutskiing.com/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't underestimate the effect of the subconscious whispering away in the background telling you that the last time you were here it ended badly.
Many years ago I had a bad crash leaving me unable to ski for the rest of the holiday. I recovered perfectly well and was looking forward to my next holiday. First run we headed to the top of a very gentle wide blue where I froze. I couldn't move. I wanted to but I couldn't. It took my wife at her very persuasive best twenty minutes to talk me into making my first very tentative side slip. By the end of my holiday I was back to skiing as well (or as badly) as before.
Take your time, concentrate on technique and try and get an hour or two in a snow dome.
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Ease into it to allow confidence to build. Gradually up the ante. Take a Private lesson or two.
I missed 4 years as a result of a deteriorating back, followed by surgery - so I have some idea what you might be facing. I saw the first holiday back, as a test run for holidays after that.
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I had two and a half years out after breaking my hip into six bits and then getting a replacement. It wasn’t a ski accident as such, but I was in ski boots. Whilst I’ve been able to ski a bit indoors, I headed out to the mountains two weeks ago. I was a bit nervous for the first couple of days, but after that confidence confidence came back without any external input apart from support from Mrs SL. Back to where I was before the accident now. Had my first fall on some chalky off piste today. It was unfortunate, but good because no problem with the leg and bindings opened on both skis, without any harm to the repaired leg.
My advice would be start gently and build up at your own pace. We are all different, but your body knows how to ski. Good luck.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I think within the first couple of hours you'll realise you remember how to do and the confidence will come surging back. Do you have option to join a group lesson, e.g. equivalent of esf class 4? They will generally take it easy on day 1 then spend the rest of week in moguls and off piste as everyone's confidence comes up
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Take your time, relax and let your previous ability come back.
Don't push too hard, it's all still there!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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With respect to the mental demons, I find I have to periodically have a lesson to stop myself tensing up and getting too cautious. I had one instructor tell me I needed to fall!
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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.
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You haven't said how old you are, @doctorhammond, but we seldom get stronger, bouncier, fitter, more balanced and better coordinated as get older (though we can slow down the deterioration with well-judged activity!). Take your inevitable decline into account....
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Thanks everyone for the advice. Seems sensible and pretty much how I imagined it...
Easy does it.
Thanks also to Pam W for reminding me of my inevitable decline!! (I'm 51) 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
reminding me of my inevitable decline!!
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 I believe it's sensible to bear these things in mind - but I took up snowboarding in my 50s, so mine is by no means a counsel of despair.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@doctorhammond, I also broke tib and fib skiing four years ago. Quite a nasty one. Ended up with a Taylor Spatial Frame for six months.
I'm just back from the Birthday Bash, first time on skis since. I was more than a little apprehensive, at times heve literally lost sleep at the thought of skiing again.
The first morning I went up the Burz lift, clipped in and to be honest I was almost cracking missen.
I gingerly set off wishing that it was a somewhat less steep slope, put my first turn in and immediately felt better. By the bottom slightly better again.
It took until about day four to be pretty much back to normal although to be honest, I don't think that I'll ever push my limits in the way that I used to which can actually only be a good thing!
To summarise, I'm sure that you'll be fine. Enjoy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just back from similar (tib plateau # and 3 years off). Skied in Canada (see travel to Canada thread).
In the past, pretty happy to ski most things and to largely a good standard with some (but not much) thought to how steep, how narrow etc. This time, there were occasions where I was like ‘WTAF are you doing here?’ to myself at the top of some steep drop ins.
I’d say take it easy, find your ski legs and definately don’t ski Kicking Horse after an hour on the greens in Panorama!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hammer your fitness pre departure with more ski specific training than cycling (which is great for base fitness but not very ski-specific.)
Thins like lateral jumps, box jumps, skater jumps, lateral shuttles w/floor touches, lunge jumps...the high impact nature will also give you good confidence that your tibia is robustly healed & ready for the trip. Mix with core, glute & hip work to ensure all the right muscles are being activated.
Worth finding the right drills for your level so you can practice an on-snow warm up each day, things like a few turns fore-balanced, a few aft-balanced, then centre balanced; then some one leg skiing, lifting the inside ski, and if you're up to it, some inside ski-only turns. Then some rotational turns (just a few, you don't need an hour of braquage) & a few playful helicopter spins, then finally put it together for some nice carves, vary the radius, and / or work a bit more on what you will be doing that day (eg jump turns if you're heading onto some steeps, knee retractions /absorption & more fast rotation if you're doing bumps, etc...) I do this pretty much every day in the first run or two, nobody else notices, and it tunes me in nicely to the right balance and movements to ski well
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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?
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@doctorhammond,
Build confidence. Fear increased injury risk.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Jonathan Bell wrote: |
@doctorhammond,
Build confidence. Fear increased injury risk. |
+1, do it on your terms.
Ski by yourself the first morning. So you're not being pushed by your mates before you're ready.
Once you have the confidence back, join your mates and push it.
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