Contributing factors: survey

Not really relavant, as I wasn't "banged up" enough to miss any skiing, but the factors could easily have resulted in same.  As it is, I couldn't use my thumb for a couple of months. I'm not quite sure what's wrong with it; I didn't want to wait out the 15- hour line up for x-rays at emerge (I left after three when I asked how much longer, figuring what the heck can they do that I can't, taking into account my knowledge and past experience of modern medicine).

My crime is using the wrong tool, or using a tool for a purpose that was not intended in its design.  I basically attempted to make a hard GS turn a pair of SL skis in a pile of crud snow.  Binding released, at less than expected force.  It is possible the ski folded up more than I was planning on. I had expected, and was ready for, the mid-section of the ski to give me a hard shove,  but the hard shove never came; a mild shove came, with about the expected backward component, but not the sideways component, during which the binding released the toe sideways.  I hadn't tipped the ski more, which might have made a sideways release less likely due  to the line of action of the anticipated force being more perpendicular to the ski base because that would have dialed in too much turn.

I've since decided to try very hard not to use SL skis as GS or SG  skis in crud conditions.

This is probably completely useless, but I'm just done with my 45th season of skiing, with just one single instance of being "banged up enough," by your definition (miss 4+ weeks, surgery, cast or brace). And that one instance was in 1972. I'd make it a combination of nos. 2 and 14.

I've had lots of bruises, tweaks of various joints (knees, thumb, shoulder, maybe others), a scalp laceration* and some scrapes. None required medical attention beyond a bandage, or missing more than a single week.

_______

*Which, yes, could've  been prevented by a helmet; or, for that matter, just a hat ... or by not wearing safety straps.

No real falls in the last 2 seasons, but 3 years ago I had 2 very hard crashes that left me shaken & sore.  I blame both on flat light conditions.  All other hard spills in recent memory have been in race courses, I'll attribute those to poor line choice. 

As I get older, I do try to stay more within my limits .

JF

I've made it 35 years with no significant injuries.  Only minor injuries, of which:

1. helicoptoring ski attached by strap wacked me in the face (1979).  My only trip to the ski patrol first aid shack, as the ski broke my new goggles, my new glasses, and gashed my eyebrow.  A bandaid later I was back skiing (somewhat blindly, but I was only 19 at the time).  So I'd go with bad karma on that one

2.  Same winter, attempted to pop up my back binding with my thumb.  Hyperextended my thumb - it popped instead of my binding.  Still gives me trouble.  Obviously bad technique there.

Other than that, pretty good, a 30 year streak doing 10-15 days a year.  I must be a major wuss, I guess.

+1 to the "we're getting older, more frail, and might not in great shape anymore" theory along with deeper sidecuts being more demanding and less forgiving.  I remember hearing that the governing bodies changed the rules to make GS sidecut radiuses larger to reduce injuries.  As for me, it has always been my experience that injuries are a lot more likely when someone is skiing after they should have stopped due to fatigue.  If my thighs are burning and my legs feel like noodles I know it is time to take a break or call it a day.

5, 11 and 6 in that I couldn't react before I ran out of trail.  Not sure whether going slower would have helped that, but going slower MIGHT have meant the obstacle wasn't totally hidden.

What happened to the poll feature so Davluri doesn't have to manually add this all up?

Quote:

Originally Posted by davluri 

 I was at an end of season party the other day and noticed how many of my ski buddies were banged up.  I made a list. Fourteen ski buddies banged up enough to  miss 4 weeks or more, need surgery (immediately or this summer), be in a cast or brace. (note: the banged-up-group is expert level skiers)

 

So what happened?

 

Which of the following conditions have contributed to your mishap?

 

1 Bad technique

2 Heavy, choppy, crusty snow conditions

3 Flat, poor light

4 skier-skier-rider collision

5 Hidden obstacle (horizontal tree, dry dock rocks)

6 High speed

7 Bad line choice

8 Skiing beyond ability

9 Moment of distraction

10 Intoxication or altered state

11 Insufficient coverage/snow-base early season

12 Knocked down by your buddy

13 Bad kharma

14 Bad f'in luck

15 (Other)

 

And what is your strategy to stay healthy for 50+ years of skiing? 

 

My nemesis this year: a combination of poor coverage and crappy line choice=dry scree cliff band

My strategy: go easy when conditions suck, patience in-other-words

 

 

 

2,5,6 and 7

2x broken fibulas, I skied away though.

Skiers left edge of where the slide is, straight line in super nice corn up top to still frozen sastrugi and wind lips.

I just remembered a couple of years back I had a cast put on a broken wrist (radius), a combination of 1 and 6.  I stuck my pole (Scott aluminum pistol grip) down into the ice while skiing at a speed that was too fast for such an action.  The impact broke my wrist. 

I didn't miss any skiing, but I did drop by the emergency room for a cast that evening (and got one the next day).

Have accomplished the whole list with combinations there of.  Hurt self last year (not the missed weeks kind) in a new and different way.  Great pow days with friends one called out, looked back over my shoulder as approaching an unseen cat track.  Folded up like an accordion on top my old Kerma pole with the big  clear grips.  One cracked rib later, bought a new pair of Scotts.  Don't give up on old friends though, Kermas make great tomato stakes. 

To avoid more injuries, got into the habit of doing the first couple of runs of the day concentrating on really finishing my turns (Powder days are the exception of course).  Slows skiing speed and feels really cool.  Do it in bumps, blues, blacks, loose.  Seem to have a better day when I do.

15. Other -> not in good enough shape

my back fell apart half-way thru february.

i got too lazy and fat this past summer and still tried to ski hard all day every day... until i broke. 

that cost me 5 weeks of skiing (and 170+ inches of pow).  i've been very fortunate up until this point, not having missed any pow days in any of the 8 prior seasons. 

hopefully i learned my lesson and will excercise MUCH more this summer so i'm ready for next year... 

3 years ago went off a ledge not watching where I was going fractured my left scapula.That ended my ski season for that year. This year fractured ribbs, left thumb and left glenoid that is the joint of the scapula. Binding pre released. The trouble is I am 59 and still ski like I am in my 20's.

I need to grow up so wife says. After this year I think she is right.

davluri,

Maybe wanna-be experts.

RW

 5) hidden tree = broken leg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron White 

davluri,

 

Maybe wanna-be experts.

 

RW

i would say he's definitely talking about people who are absolute experts without question...

they're probably every day skiers who rip the shit out of the mountain based on what i know about dav.

Worst "injury" of the season -- just yesterday:  three scrapes and two bruises, all from the same fall.

Cause:  chain slipped off while downshifting going up a steep slope with a ravine on the side; couldn't dis-engage from right pedal fast enough to avoid tumbling a few feet down the ravine.

Wait, are we talking skiing?

I've never gotten injured while skiing since I started rougly 15 years ago. I guess I don't ski as aggressive or as much as some of the people on this board.  I've done the most days ever this season and so far the ski day count is 27. I'm also no expert by any means. More like a expert-wannabe.

I've only had one major injury in 44 years of skiing.  In 1972 I had my first experience skiing on breakable crust; my skis and the mountain decided which direction I was going, and I didn't seem to have much choice in the matter.  I hit a tree and broke my right tibia, then spent a couple of months in a cast.  Back then I didn't understand how helpless a skier can be in breakable crust, and I thought I was just inept, so I lied to all my friends and blamed my cast on crappy Besser bindings. 

I guess I could call it 1, 7, 8, 9 -- I went big (for me) off a cornice and froze up in mid air when I saw how far down it was.  Result was a big bruise to the back of my calf at boot top location.

Didn't miss any skiing but it hurt for 2 weeks and the swelling is finally going away 2+ months later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdf 

I guess I could call it 1, 7, 8, 9 -- I went big (for me) off a cornice and froze up in mid air when I saw how far down it was.  Result was a big bruise to the back of my calf at boot top location.

 

Didn't miss any skiing but it hurt for 2 weeks and the swelling is finally going away 2+ months later.

Well if your going to count "hurt for two weeks",  Years ago, I was booting along on my SGs and noticed a half-pipe out of the corner of my eye and decided to hit it.  As I had not been in a half pipe before, I kinda messed up a little.  As I climbed the wall at around 40 to 50 mph, I had visions of me ending up on the other side of of it in the woods, so I pushed a little too hard off the wall at the top.  I ended up landing in the very hard icy middle of the pipe from a very great height.  My heels hurt for two weeks; there's not much give in cork footbeds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost 

 

Well if your going to count "hurt for two weeks",  Years ago, I was booting along on my SGs and noticed a half-pipe out of the corner of my eye and decided to hit it.  As I had not been in a half pipe before, I kinda messed up a little.  As I climbed the wall at around 40 to 50 mph, I had visions of me ending up on the other side of of it in the woods, so I pushed a little too hard off the wall at the top.  I ended up landing in the very hard icy middle of the pipe from a very great height.  My heels hurt for two weeks; there's not much give in cork footbeds.

So, would that be 6 with a little 7 and maybe a splash of 1?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdf 

 

So, would that be 6 with a little 7 and maybe a splash of 1?

 

Yup, you pretty much nailed it.

I see a pattern developing.  Maybe if I skied like a golf cart I could avoid injuries, but what would be the point?

3, 4, 5, 6 & 14.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sibhusky 

 

What happened to the poll feature so Davluri doesn't have to manually add this all up?

I'm under the distinct impression poll is yet another feature that's "left behind" by the "new" forum software! 
 

Not sure which number this belongs, but DIN SETTINGS TOO HIGH. Not on purpose though. I had a pair of bindings accidently set to 9 (because you know, 9 look a lot like 6 upside down and the tic marks are like right next to each other... whoops) when it should've been 7. Needless to say, one of my falls in heavy Cascade glop the skis didn't release and twisted my knee as a result. My season didn't end there but it sure was a scare.

Lesson: Make sure that 6 isn't an upside-down 9.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetranode 

Not sure which number this belongs, but DIN SETTINGS TOO HIGH. Not on purpose though. I had a pair of bindings accidently set to 9 (because you know, 9 look a lot like 6 upside down and the tic marks are like right next to each other... whoops) when it should've been 7. Needless to say, one of my falls in heavy Cascade glop the skis didn't release and twisted my knee as a result. My season didn't end there but it sure was a scare.

 

Lesson: Make sure that 6 isn't an upside-down 9.

That would be a number 7, you chose the wrong line.

My accident was caused by the first 3 listed. Grey day skiing downhill offtrail parallel to groomed trail. Didn't notice/see correctly that a "slight" bump bringing you back onto the groomed trail was steeper than it looked. As I made the right hand turn to get onto the groomed trail realized the bump was steeper, moved my hands forward but the right ski stuck (Stockli's are too stiff and won't bend sometimes) throwing me onto my elbow, causing a lot of shoulder damage as the energy was transferred there. Just got out of surgery yesterday and the doc said damage was not as bad as MRI suggested. Accident was back in December.