 Poster: A snowHead
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Wen skiing twice whilst in the forces over 20yrs ago and loved it. But, for a number of very boring reasons, didn't go again until 6yrs ago aith my family. We all love it. The kids are great and are blasting down the mountains on all sorts of slopes (off pist is next for them I think). However, there is a black cloud looming in the not too distant future. I've already had two knee ligament reconstructions to my left knee and have developed osteoarthritis in that knee and the other is pretty poor also. I've recently had an arthroscopy and clean out of the joint and have been told that I will need a Total Knee Replacement within the next 5yrs (bug!!). I and my family still want to enjoy the thrills of the mountains and particularly throwing oursrlves down them at speed (controled of course). SO which is easier on the knees, skiing or boarding?
I've also been looking at the ski-mojo and understand that a knock-on effect of it is to reduce the stress through the knees, though (quite rightly) the company would not endorse this claim. Any thoughts?
I'm new to this site and have found it incredibly useful already.
Cheers. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Blimey, with your knees in that shape, it proves that you've been well n truly bitten by the ski bug !
After many years on ski's, I now dabble on the darkside (boarding) and find that my knees are in better shape after a day on the board than a day on skis.
However.
When you are learning, your knees will take a pounding from falls and just while waiting about. kneeling in the snow makes mine ache.
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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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Billrol, I believe the stats say that you are more likely to have a major knee injury skiing than boarding, so for that reason i would suggest boarding, but boarding is a lot harder when learning on the body generally for a 'mature' gentleman 
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Billrol, welcome to snowHeads.
Whatever you choose, I would get your falls and learning in before the TKR is done. Orthopaedic opinion seems divided on skiing post TKR. Skiing at a decent level does put huge loads through the knee. I have no idea about boarding.
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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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Billrol, bad luck on the knee - as I am typing this my husband is staggering round having just had his knee give way and feeling sore. Knees are such a pain. I am someone who does a little bit of boarding (and a lot of skiing) and I'm old. 61. I do find boarding incredibly hard work compared to skiing, but not on the knees. When I was initially learning I wore knee pads because you spend a lot of time kneeling in the snow, but I never seemed to fall on my knees (fell on everything else, though - and a forward fall was generally full frontal having caught an edge; I once pushed several ribs out of place for a month!) and if both your feet are firmly strapped to the board your knees are not too vulnerable. I did one nasty twist to my knee getting off a chairlift with only one foot strapped in (which is the correct way to do it) and I now always try to get my backfoot clicked in (Flow bindings make this possible) on the chair. The torque on my knee when a fat board dug into the snow was very nasty. I have done ligaments in the past - though not needed surgery so far, and am quite scared of hurting knees badly.
So I wouldn't be put off learning to board, providing you are fairly fit and not overweight, and not worried about the impact of falling on other parts of your body. You can get various bits of protection for backsides, wrists, etc, which are well worth having. If you master it (which I haven't yet) you could well find it easier on your knees than strenuous skiing.
However, given that you are obviously a competent skier, you could also think about skiing in ways which put less strain on your knees - make sure your technique is 100%, keep off the rough stuff, don't do moguls. As one gets older, spending a bit of time sitting on the top of a mountain with a beer is a pleasant alternative to beating yourself up! My knees are not brilliant and if I do a long strenuous day (which is fairly rare...) I have to take it very easy for the next couple of days and plaster on some ibuprofen gel. It's still great, though. And obviously you need to give up trying to keep up with the kids!
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Thanks for all the replys and comments. Pam w I'm impressed, I'm only 42 (though I like to think of myself as mature my wife often say's I'm very immature!  ) and finding it tough on the knees! If I'm still able to ski/board to any level in my 60's I'll consider that a major achievement.
I only live half an hour away from the Tamworth Snowdome so I'm thinking about doing their learn to board in a day course. I can decide if I like it from that, and then take extra lessons to get my standard up before going of Bad Hoffgastein next year (I'll nick my kids old roller boot knee pads for now!)
Any thoughts on the ski mojo?
Thanks again.
Bill
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Billrol, I'm not far behind pam w and as it's now said I 'swing three ways' I'll throw my 2¢ into the ring. Boarding as a beginner can be very hard work but it will make you use your knees to their full linear movement range. That in its own right may be mildly therapeutic (it keeps my arthritis from becoming a limitation). Knee supports with a impact ring or pad makes things much more comfortable. To be honest I don't think that there's any real difference to the exertion levels once up and sliding at a recreational level but on a board with your stance set correctly to your bio-mechanical needs, boarding will put fewer lateral and torsional forces into your knee joints . . . you may want to give 'telemarking' a miss though.
As for the 'MoJo', abysmal marketing but is gaining a following from skiers who might be thought to have a healthy scepticism.
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Billrol, I both ski and board and tend to think that boarding is easier on the knee's, even though I'm a technically better skier than boarder.
I can imagine a time as I get older that I'll end up doing more boarding than skiing.
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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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Billrol, I did a "learn snowboard in a day" course at Milton Keynes. I could scarcely move for five days afterwards, but it was well worth doing, and gave me some basics to build on. I then had some lessons in France (though actually, knowing a little more now, I don't think the French instructors were much good) and have had some very good advice on this board (from Masque, particularly) and my son, who is a good boarder and just kept hammering at me to get my front knee bent and forwards....
My son is a superb skier and good boarder, and he skis for a rest - or when the offpiste is rubbish, and the on-piste very hardpacked. But then his idea of boarding is to leap around off piste, through the trees, over the rocks etc. Me, I can only ride on pistes, and easy ones at that.
I don't think age is a barrier unless you're really stiff or unfit - and that's a problem at any age. I confess to finding it hard to get up onto my backedge on the flat; lack of abdominals, maybe, but getting up onto the toe edge on a snowboard is infinitely easier than getting up after a fall on skis. For good skiers, not wanting to look like a beginner again is more of a barrier - and frankly, I think that's much more of a problem for young people. Once you reach my age you don't give a toss what anyone else thinks and learning something completely new is great. I do pace myself. I pick the right day, and the right place, with no lift queues so I can ride on my own, and choose some morale lifting music for my MP3 player. And stop before I'm too exhausted. That's why I'm not much good - never really given it enough time. Maybe tomorrow afternoon - snow will be a bit slushy, which is perfect.
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I would have thought as a beginner you have to put more effort into everything. As an advanced practitioner everything is done more minimally with technique, rather than brute force, and you also fall over much less. So I would vote for staying with what you do now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Boarding is def easier on the knees, learn now before it's too lateBillrol!
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