Hardsnow Skis For Achy Knees

[Living Proof]

I believe a good look at the technique and tactic aspect of your skiing may resolve your issues.
Currently, you are a bit heavy at the bottom of the turn and a bit abrupt at the transition. A softer transition and moving the speed control to the top of the turn will probably relieve much of the impact forces to your knees.

Bruce, thanks for the thoughts, and, I agree. I was working on my release technique last week to find a less stressful method. What worked was simply rolling off of my weighted downhill ski to flatten the ski, it helped reduce knee strain, don't know if that meets your definition of "softer". I fought the top of the turn quite a bit, in part, due to skiing 98 width skis which I never use at home. I made a major error not bringing a narrower ski. When I am not clean in the top, then it does load the forces in the bottom and my knees pay the price. This is especially true in harder snow, far easier to ski clean when soft snow exists. And, speaking of heavy, I am 10 lbs heavier than last season...that sure does not help.

The technique answer is to spend some time in Taos in March...do you know anyone who will be there? Keeping up with the flying Grump's is a whole other issue.

 

[Jilly]

I've been watching this thread as I'm new to the OA scene. I've got to say that technique is important. I also have an OA off loader brace. But it doesn't fit under my smart looking pants.

Might look for the tights, but at -20C this morning, not sure if they would be warm enough!

 

[Tom K.]

A softer transition and moving the speed control to the top of the turn will probably relieve much of the impact forces to your knees.

This advice is MONEY. I spend a lot of time focussing on this. Even if your knees are perfect, it's a great thing to work on.

Sadly, it will not quite reverse severe arthritis.

 

[Monique]

As others have suggested equipment changes. I believe a good look at the technique and tactic aspect of your skiing may resolve your issues.
Currently, you are a bit heavy at the bottom of the turn and a bit abrupt at the transition. A softer transition and moving the speed control to the top of the turn will probably relieve much of the impact forces to your knees.

Huh. With more frequent skiing, I've been having knee pain. I've attributed it to multiple 20k days of terrain in a row. But - this looks like yet another reason to continue working on eliminating the "ride the downhill ski" traverse section of my turn. It makes sense. Doing a one-leg leg press every turn is exhausting to the muscles; why not to the joints as well?

@Living Proof - you said you've been working on it - have you had an instructor work with you?

 

[Monique]

ALSO I was complaining about knee pain on a big powder day a few weeks ago. I attributed it to my fat boards (125mm). My instructor said it's more likely the fact that I was in the backseat (oops!). I love powder, but I do get a little apprehensive about that feeling of slowdown, so I got defensive.

 

[cantunamunch]

Feeling of slowdown? Is that on the first transition from groom to pow? Or...well I don't know what else it might be.

 

[Monique]

Feeling of slowdown? Is that on the first transition from groom to pow? Or...well I don't know what else it might be.

How about "psychological"? That's where most of my problems reside.

 

[cantunamunch]

How about "psychological"? That's where most of my problems reside.

*grin* sure, though I was more expecting an answer of the form "in .... part of the turn".

Today's thought: if we actually had free will, would psychological problems exist?

 

[SBrown]

Today's thought: if we actually had free will, would psychological problems exist?

Define "will."

 

[cantunamunch]

Define "will."

Initial assumptions and definitions are left to the thesis candidate, as per normal practice.

 

[Monique]

*grin* sure, though I was more expecting an answer of the form "in .... part of the turn".

Today's thought: if we actually had free will, would psychological problems exist?

Oh, well .. you know how powder provides more resistance? Everybody says that, so I assume I don't have to explain it. That's what I'm talking about. That feeling of resistance can lead to me worrying about the snow being inconsistent and a dense patch "grabbing" me and throwing me forward. Also, as much as I want to ski more directly down the fall line, in practice I make pretty wide and slightly abrupt turns on anything with pitch, which again adds to resistance.

I would think the question would be the opposite: The only way that psychological problems could be eliminated would be to remove free will.

 

[mdf]

Without free will, they wouldn't be problems, they would just be the way things are.
With free will, you could choose to do what you want (vs. what that murkey programming makes you do) and even better, you could choose to want what you want.

 

[Monique]

Without free will, they wouldn't be problems, they would just be the way things are.
With free will, you could choose to do what you want (vs. what that murkey programming makes you do) and even better, you could choose to want what you want.

Without programming, would we have any preferences at all? Are you eliminating unconscious bias based on experience, too?

 

[Lorenzzo]

I would think the question would be the opposite: The only way that psychological problems could be eliminated would be to remove free will.

Poof… It's gone...,or never existed. Maybe it's resistance to this reality that's the problem? But then I'm not the thesis candidate.

And can the conscious eliminate the subconscious or vice versa?

 

[mdf]

And without free will, do your knees ache?

 

[cantunamunch]

Oh, well .. you know how powder provides more resistance? Everybody says that, so I assume I don't have to explain it.

Well, putting my cards on the table, I suspect that I feel a completely different type of powder resistance than you do - I seldom ski fatter than 100mm and mostly then on conventionally cambered skis - so that, once I start, the resistance I feel is consistent in a 'doesn't vary much at all, not unless I throw the ski sideways' sort of way. I thought I'd get an -ahem- feel for what resistance someone on a 124 mm surfy slarvy ski feels. I apologise if that puts you on the spot. Is it depth dependent? I suspect it is line dependent because of what you say below. I also suspect it is speed dependent (as in has the ski reached planing speed yet?)

That's what I'm talking about. That feeling of resistance can lead to me worrying about the snow being inconsistent and a dense patch "grabbing" me and throwing me forward.

Sure, I understand this. It's very similar to being afraid of speed wobble (at speed ofc) and backseating because of that. Similar but different as a truck like ski can actually make my similarity example confident.

Also, as much as I want to ski more directly down the fall line, in practice I make pretty wide and slightly abrupt turns on anything with pitch, which again adds to resistance.

Ah, yes, this I understand. There is resistance to pivoting the skis so you begin to doubt a successful outcome and so you get defensive.

 

[Brad J]

Oh, well .. you know how powder provides more resistance? Everybody says that, so I assume I don't have to explain it. That's what I'm talking about. That feeling of resistance can lead to me worrying about the snow being inconsistent and a dense patch "grabbing" me and throwing me forward. Also, as much as I want to ski more directly down the fall line, in practice I make pretty wide and slightly abrupt turns on anything with pitch, which again adds to resistance.

I would think the question would be the opposite: The only way that psychological problems could be eliminated would be to remove free will.

Question when you fall in powder , do you fall forward ( superman style ) or back. I alway's fall forward, skiing deep powder does require a lot of adjustments to keep in proper balance.

 

[Monique]

Question when you fall in powder , do you fall forward ( superman style ) or back. I alway's fall forward, skiing deep powder does require a lot of adjustments to keep in proper balance.

LOLOL me, fall??? You must be joking! ... er ... umm ... *koff*

Okay, okay, fine. Forward. I have a well-established bad habit of staring at the tips of my skis like they have the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

But as I think about it, I haven't actually fallen on any powder days in recent memories. The falls I'm remembering are from early season in several feet of unconsolidated snow.

 

[meput]

LP,

Two skis to try: Head SuperShape Speed and Stockli Laser CX. Both are softer flex than the Fischers, less demanding and easier on older knees. I should know, I am Medicare eligible and on one artificial knee. The Stockli is more damp than the SuperShape.

I know your background, so focus on flexing to release, suck those knees up to your chest during the transition, aim those skis during transition and no rotating. Your knees will do fine, even on 20K+ days on hard snow. Relax and have fun, the knees will have fun as well.

Cheers

 

[Living Proof]

LP,

Two skis to try: Head SuperShape Speed and Stockli Laser CX. Both are softer flex than the Fischers, less demanding and easier on older knees. I should know, I am Medicare eligible and on one artificial knee. The Stockli is more damp than the SuperShape.

I know your background, so focus on flexing to release, suck those knees up to your chest during the transition, aim those skis during transition and no rotating. Your knees will do fine, even on 20K+ days on hard snow. Relax and have fun, the knees will have fun as well.

Cheers

Hi Jim,
Glad to see you posting on Pugski. Thanks for the thoughts, as I am larger than you, my thinking is the Fisher's are relatively equal to the Supershape/Laser CX with respect to stiffness. For sure, of the 3 skies in my quiver, they are the most knee friendly. Slicing through snow just seems less tiring that chattering on top of hardpack. It has been a frustrating season with the weather and my right knee combining to keep my days on skis at 12, which is about half as much as last season. If one considers total vertical skiing, then I'm down far more. I should know more in the next 10 days or so, following my Doc visit and rest period following my Aspen trip. I'd love to get back to 20k per day, last season that was easy.

Glad the 'loaf is giving you all the skiing you need. Hope the upcoming warm front leaves your conditions in good shape.