Ski Safety Starts With Looking in the Mirror
Credit:ultramarinfoto
Let’s face it. The older we get, the more fragile our bodies become. Yet, if you are like me, the older I get – I’m 79 at the time this this piece is published – the more I cherish my days on the snow. Gone are my days as someone who would ski non-stop from the top of almost any mountain to the bottom at GS speeds in any conditions.
Now, my goal is ski more and avoid injury. If that’s yours as well, where does the process start. It starts with each of us at home, long before we head toward the mountain to ski.
If you are not in decent physical condition, don’t go skiing. If you do, you’re an injury waiting to happen.
Skiing is a strenuous sport, and fatigue is a major causal factor of injuries. When your legs are tired, you can’t control your skis as well as you did when you first put them on in the morning.
Next, you need to realize that you will never be in as good a shape this year as you were last year, unless of course you were totally out of shape. Mother Nature has ensured that via the aging process. Understand we all age differently and at different rates. I often tell people I work harder each year to get in less good shape as I was last year.
Also note that as we age, our bodies’ ability to deal with temperature extremes decreases. Two years ago, at age 77, I found myself shivering in conditions that would never have bothered me before. It led to a change in what I wear on colder days.
I also believe in the Boy Scout motto, be prepared. Bring your own medical kit with stuff like Voltaren, OTC anti-inflammatories, sandwich/snack bags for ice packs, and other first aid stuff. Trust me, because when you need it, the drug stores are either closed or far away.
For those of us who ski outside the U.S., remember Medicare doesn’t cover you. I have Tricare for Life and still buy a supplemental health insurance policy that also provides for air-ambulance transportation back to the U.S.
Take care of your skis. If you are driving to/from a ski area and if they are on a rack outside the car, put them in a bag or inside a rooftop carrier. This keeps the dirt and grit out of your bindings which could affect their performance. You might also consider having them checked and adjusted every year.
And my last rant is that booze, recreational drugs, and skiing are a toxic mix. Altitudes above 5,000 feet where 50% of the earth’s atmosphere and oxygen content is below you adds to the effect alcohol and drugs have on the body.
Hangovers affect your ability to function mentally so unless you have access to 100% oxygen to breathe for 10 – 15 minutes or more before you go skiing, then think twice about skiing with a bad hangover. SWI – skiing while intoxicated/stoned – is simply dumb because you are a danger to yourself and everyone else on the mountain.
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Thanks wonderful article – I am 83 – skied and raced in college – and you are on the nose with this article – took a fall last spring and could not get up – except for some help I have had a heart attack this summer – and I am working hard to get back in shape to ski this winter – (over 80 – season ticket for $30)
T
Jean! So great that you ski… you are a great role model…. I am 70 and still skin up the mountains.. but as I age I can see that I need to be extra careful.
Any relation to Steve Linscott from Maine?
I have my bindings checked every fall. I think this is cheap insurance to make sure that they will release properly during the ski season. I just got proof of that yesterday when I fell and one ski released as it should have, possibly preventing a serious injury. At the end of each season, I also turn my bindings back to zero to relieve tension on the springs.
In addition, if you haven’t bought new skis or new bindings in about 10 years, you may find that ski shops will no longer adjust your bindings for liability reasons. Shop personnel can explain the reasons for that if you find yourself in that situation.