 Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the Snowman, any subsequent thoughts? Am thinking of getting one for my OH for Christmas. He's not overweight, but he has heart disease and has had two arthroscopies and he does get very tired/legs aching.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, no brainer. Buy.
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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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Frosty the Snowman, OK, we did. We've had a few chances to try it out, and the initial reaction is that it's a huge faff to put on (probably because my OH is so very un-supple) but definitely reduces fatigue. The OH does say it slows down his movements and he still feels a bit clumsy skiing in it, but I think that will pass.
However, we had a bit of a bad morning today. First, he misjudged the approach to a track which needs a bit of speed and skied straight into a big powdery hole, in poor visibility. Then got worn out digging himself out (as did I, as he staggered back not noticing he'd only picked up one of his skis so I had to dive in after the other one). Then, trying to ensure that the slight hampering effect of the Mojo didn't cause him to pee all over the place in the restaurant loo he tried sort of bracing himself against a shelf behind the loo, then slipped, smacked the shelf into the bridge of his nose, and shouted loud rude English words, to the shock of the nice little French lady waiting outside. A bit later a fixed chairlift whacked him in the back of the leg (the liftie usually holds it back, but was digging out some lumpy snow in the approach track). Initially he couldn't bend his leg to rest his boot on the bar, but a lot of shiggling and jiggling freed things up. At the top it transpired that the carbon rod was broken. Without the rod the whole side arm was falling down, so we decided to take it and its leg strap off. That entailed disrobing at the side of the piste and me thrusting my hands down (and up, simultaneously) his trouser leg to free it all off. Fortunately it was a quiet morning... a concerned looking Frenchman did stop and ask "ca va?" but my French wasn't up to explaining why I was on my knees in the snow searching desperately for my husband's mojo so I just said "Oui, merci". The other one was very lopsided but just about stayed on till we got home.
I've sent an email to Ski Mojo about a replacement rod (and a spare) and have had a swift reply. I think I will in future carry a backpack so I can stuff it all in if required. Carrying the bits home in addition to my poles, on 3 separate chairlifts, was a bit of a pain.
Still, it could have been worse. The splintered carbon rod is very sharp and could have punctured his calf (he once gave himself a significant puncture wound in the calf with a ski pole at Swadlincote dry ski slope and had to have a tetanus injection).
We hope it will become easier in time...
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Axsman, that's a good question, and we did wonder. I suspect it did protect his leg from the sort of bash that leaves a blue bruise above the boot - I expect we've all had a few of those in my time.
The concept is worth toying with - my OH is not overweight but has a range of other problems (see above) and I think for him it's going to prove well worthwhile. He's the opposite of a gadget-man, and is still struggling with remembering to de-power the mojo before chairlifts, and power up again afterwards, but he's getting there.
The firm are going to post us out some new rods to France, free of charge.  In the meantime, he'll have to use his legs.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| The firm are going to post us out some new rods to France, free of charge. |
Now that's service!
pam_w, hope you both have a better day tomorrow!
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TallTone, thanks. Will be mojo-less, though!
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pam w, Thanks for the info. Hope the mojo-less skiing goes well!
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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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pam w, a good effort to break the rod. I an considering chopping half an inch of both of mine.
The fitting gets much easier with thoughtful practice. I can now fit in the morning in 2 minutes and fix the rods on in about 30-40 seconds.
Switching it on0and off also becomes and nature. Doing anything, apart from skiing, with it switched on is as funny as it is impossible.
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Frosty the Snowman, do you leave the rods attached to your boots? The first time the OH got on a chairlift and forgot to switch off, his legs kept pinging up - very amusing. In fact the whole thing has afforded huge amusement to the whole family and on occasions (as today) innocent spectators too.
Why are you thinking of chopping off more of the rods? Are the pivot points too high in relation to your knees?
Do you use a "mojo belt"?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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No i take the rods off each night. They are easy to fix if one is wearing trousers that will lift up and when one discovers the best angle for the boot to allow the rod to clip on the nut.
They have provided endless mirth so far.
Yes, I think my pivot points may be too high and it can cause pain when bending past 90.
I dont use the belt but may start to as it does sag when the rods are not fitted, eg when i have my boots off.
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the OH discovered in the shower today that he DOES have a small puncture wound in the calf - evidently when the chair slammed into the rod, and broke it, the broken end was sticking into his calf (which explained why he rode the first third of the chairlift with his leg sticking straight out - bending it would have driven the rod in further. It's only a little wound, but he wanted it mentioned.
Megamum, actually, it was quite amusing in my shoes. Not so amusing in his, perhaps. He's recovered his sense of humour now, though.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, I imagine the ski mojo makers would be interested to know that the rod is capable of fracturing in a manner that could easily cause a nasty injury - as we all know there is the odd major artery that runs in the legs. Especially as a clout from a chair lift is not an uncommon thing to happen.
I knew the mojo had rods in it, but I wasn't away that they were carbon fibre ones - I had assumed that they would be metal. Carbon fibre, given its propensity to crack and shatter under stress, is perhaps not the best material to use on a gadget that could easily be subject to impacts and breaking stresses under routine day to day use. Maybe the mojo people ought to look into that.
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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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| Quote: |
as we all know there is the odd major artery that runs in the legs
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and if anyone could contort himself in such a way that a rod at the back of the calf could puncture one of them, it would be my old man! He has a chronic sore big toe because he dropped a lead bar on it, a chopped up thumb nail where he tried to catch a falling saw, and a scar and bit of wire in the other thumb where he leapt through a glass door of a laundrette in 1973. And numerous other mostly minor injuries!
when the new rods arrive I'll go back to the mojo people to thank them, and tell them about the puncture wound!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, just read the thread with much ammusement mojo sounds like a good idea but OH may concider a flashing light on his head to warn others of his approach....
good effort
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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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well the rods have arrived - sent promptly, and free of charge, by ski mojo. Good service. We went out without it this morning because we intended to do a whole lot of hopping around kind of exercises and not ski for long.
We'll try again soon - though tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and slightly snowy and might not be sufficiently alluring.
ivorgud1, welcome to snowheads. I'll think about the flashing light idea, though mostly he's only a danger to himself.
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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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Well one of my rods snapped on the last morning around 11.30. I have e-mailed the company sayiing that I thought the fault was partly mine and suspected I had cut the rod too long and it put too much strain on the rods when my knee angle went past 90 degrees. They said they had had a couple of failures and they suspected a bad batch and would send 2 out free. Excellent customers service. The rod broke as I sat down on the Moraine chair in VT, which is NOT a calf-breaker.
One afternoons skiing without nearly finished me off. If you suffer from knee pain and muscle fatigue then it is simply stunning. I skied better than I have ever done, 1st to last lift with a one hour lunch break, no drink stops and hammering from top to bottom on many pistes.
Yes it is a bit of a faff but my god it is worth it. On the evening it broke I slept poorly due to the pain shooting through the knee joints.
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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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Frosty the Snowman, good that it only broke on your last morning. When Tony's broke, it was definitely the impact from the chair - clunk. His rod was definitely not too long (  ) - in fact if anything, it might have been cut a little too short. We now have a spare - as you will have. Worth having it with you, on a trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Axsman, Well by the sounds of it you could have used a broken rod to skewer them together 
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| A bit later a fixed chairlift whacked him in the back of the leg (the liftie usually holds it back, but was digging out some lumpy snow in the approach track). |
For future reference, it is worth learning to stop for the chair with the ski boot /in front of/ the pick up line that's marked in the snow.
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comprex, I usually try to stand further forward than he does - so that way, he gets the whack. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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2 new rods arrived this morning FOC.. Great service.
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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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pam w, back when we all wore really, really, really tall boots, pretty much everyone learned to stand 4-6 inches in front of the pickup line because the chair would actually pinch exposed calf and drive it into the cuff of the boot. You could tell who was a slow learner by the blue bruising in the chalet.
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FAQ
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