 Poster: A snowHead
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World Cup downhiller Werner Franz, who won the Val d'Isere downhill last December and came 5th in Wengen, has been helicoptered to a hospital in Santiago, Chile, following a training accident at Portillo.
From Austrian sources it appears that the accident occurred on Thursday 25 August, causing serious (open) lower leg fractures.
Franz was a big Austrian prospect for next winter's races, including the Winter Olympics, but the start of his season now looks seriously disrupted.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| From Austrian sources it appears that the accident occurred on Thursday 25 August, causing serious (open) lower leg fractures |
ooh, that's gotta hurt 
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 27-08-05 17:23; edited 1 time in total
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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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_thumb.jpg) The Austrian Ski Fed reported it as an open fracture of the right tibia-fibula - Hannah's friend in this photo with Franz rang her and told her as it happened, the two girls that gave Werner Franz his bouquet after winning the Criterium... both were upset, he'd taken the time to chat to them later, nice guy...
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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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I wonder what the cause of these fractures was. If they were induced by leverage from the ski then questions will be asked about the binding settings, partly depending on how fast Werner Franz was skiing at the time.
Downhillers ski on DIN settings way in excess of recreational norms to avoid pre-releases but leg bones can normally cope with the very high split-second forces before the binding releases. It's a question of whether the type of fall involved required response from the bindings.
It might have been an impact straight into the boot or lower leg, and therefore much more directly into the leg bones - thus irrelevant to the bindings.
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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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We have to take account that these skiers are not like us normal folks. This will be but a scratch to to complete fruitcakes such as downhill racers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I adjusted the special race bindings of a pair of slalom skis I'd been given that had been used by a WC racer at Les Arcs to my boot size, clipped the boot in... then couldn't release it no matter how hard I tried. I'd set it to the lowest possible DIN setting on the binding - something like 16 if I remember right. Eventually got my boot back by putting on some heavy duty shoes and jumping on the binding. There was no way it would release with simple pressure from a ski pole.
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PG, Yeah - look at the effort they make to get their skis off in the finish area!
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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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PG, I once borrowed someone's downhill skis (223!) and the bindings were stuck on 14 - cautious was not the word!!
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Ah, easiski, we've shared a unique experience there. David Lindsay, the son of the founder of Meribel as I recall, once lent me his downhill skis for a run down the Coire Cas on Cairngorm.
This is not the kind of run where you want to open up to high speeds, on skis with a turn radius of about 200m ! (I exaggerate). On a good day, the Coire Cas is about 20m wide.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Ouch, poor chap, hope he makes a full recovery.
easiski, David Goldsmith, not quite in the 223cm league but I've borrowed a friends 210cm DH skis for the inferno twice.
They're called "Grande Courbes" and apparently Rossi made them for junior girls DH racing - hence rather easier to handle than full on 223s. They're delightfully smooth, stonking (as you'd imagine) in a straight line but a but of a handful in bumps. Hardest part of skiing them was going back to old-skool technique.
Also (most importantly??) they're a nice shade of purple which matches (bits of) my catsuit. Hmm, clashes nicely with the other bits too.
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FAQ.jpg)
Great skis, currently sitting in my ski rack, minus bindings, as yet unused. (If there are any 200kg skiers out there, I have a pair of bindings going spare... 
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