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dean_spirito

Freestyle Ski Coach
Skier
Joined
Nov 10, 2015
Posts
628
Location
Breckenridge, CO
So while reading through this section of the forum, it occurred to me that it would be fun to keep tabs on our season's respectively, not through days skied or resorts visited, but through injuries sustained while enjoying the sport we all love. I'll start...

I came into the season with a laundry list of preexisting injuries, but I'll start about 5 months ago. Late September, about 6 weeks before Copper's projected opening day, I crashed HARD on a trampoline while training some inverted tricks to take to snow. While in a tuck, my knees made direct contact with the frame of the trampoline. By my estimation, G forces easily exceeded 10 and my speed was in excess of 40mph. Long story short, I tore my meniscus in both knees, severely strained my MCL in my left and my ACL in my right. Couldn't walk (at all) for 4 days. However, didn't stop me from enjoying opening day at Loveland towards the end of October.

So I heal up (kinda), and just the other day while training for a big mountain comp at the beginning of March, I'm hit with the brilliant idea to Ollie over a snowfence towards the base of a lift. The Ollie was solid, but I unexpectedly tapped the fence with my tails and got bucked forward in a particularly aggressive manner. Both tips dig into some heavy snow and I go over the bars. My right hand got out in front of me and I ended up spraining my wrist, hyper extending my elbow, and separating my shoulder (2nd degree, no biggie). To add insult to injury, my tomahawking body decides to come to a rest upside down, in a tree well, on top of a damn rock! The only rock within a 100m radius. Ended up scoring a solid bone contusion on my right femur, which was undoubtedly the most excruciating of my injuries.

So I decide to continue skiing for another hour before the pain becomes so unbearable that I have no option but to hit up my local clinic for some much needed pills. I have a punch card at the clinic so the visit was fairly routine; I self diagnose the trauma, ask for pills, Doc confers, sends me on my way with some of the good stuff.

One week later I'm back to 85%, which has become my new baseline. Skied the last few days like a champ. Just have to be careful that I don't tweak my right shoulder for a solid 6 months.

Your turn. Post here as you crash throughout the season. Major likes for people that include photos.
 

coskigirl

Skiing the powder
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,591
Location
Evergreen, CO
I'm finally recovering from a compression in my L5 disc which I already knew is hyper mobile. It's been over a month since it went acute and at times it's been excruciating. I probably didn't help it when I crashed while skiing on Jones Pass. Thankfully my amazing physical therapist, Maureen, has me getting back to normal and I finally got to run on the Alter G treadmill on Friday.
 

Dave Petersen

Graphic Designer/Social Media Manager
Admin
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Nov 16, 2015
Posts
9,876
@Dave Petersen, I sincerely hope that you don't!! That being said, a lack of participation will result in me believing that you ski too slow!

Ski fast, take chances.

My Ski Tracks app shows I usually hit upper 40s mph...although being in my 50s I don't really spend time in the air.
 
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Jilly

Lead Cougar
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,413
Location
Belleville, Ontario,/ Mont Tremblant, Quebec
I resemble that!! September 15th - meniscus repair, left knee. Cortisone and Euflexx in the right knee through out August..... Day 15 today....OA brace for right knee when needed...no bumps, but we haven't the snow this year in the east....Maybe towards the end of the month...we'll see...
 

eok

Slopefossil
Skier
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Posts
856
Location
PNW
I blew out my right knee (ACL gone) & right hip unexpectedly skiing (OK, falling) off a modest cornice in a whiteout... in my 20s. I'm old now. Knee is good & stable. But the hip is another story. It sometimes could get really painful, especially after a big shred fest on the hill. Last season it got so bad I had to take a break from skiing for 3 weeks. I just wrote it off as being old. But, early this season I started getting twinges in the hip & lower back again after a just few days on the hill. That made me see the 'doc ASAP. Turns out it wasn't so much my hip as the right side of my sacroiliac joint: it's "a little loose". Also have a labral issue on that side too. Anyway, to the point: the doc told me to try a sacroiliac belt (aka: SI belt). Wow! Big improvement. Not a miracle, but big improvement. I wear the belt under my compression pants. The combo stabilizes my SI joint. Yes, I do exercises for the hip too - as prescribed by PT.

Before using the belt, I had to alternate ski days so I had one or two days off skis to "recover". With the belt & compression pants I can do back-to-back ski days again.

There's a lot of different kinds of SI belts. I chose the simpler Serola SI belt. Easy to put on & stays put. Best 50 bucks I every spent on myself.
 

Drahtguy Kevin

Après aficionado
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
1,817
Location
Northern Colorado
My right shoulder is miserable about 24/7 now. Don't think I really did anything to it skiing, but snow time isn't helping healing. Also tweaked my left knee a few weeks ago. Lots of stiffness. Bourbon helps. Had a dandy crash at Loveland in December and hurt my left thumb. Not too much pain now (see bourbon above). And my liver hurts...
 

John Webb

mdskier
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
5,779
Location
Nevada City CA
Here's one from the other (ie, no-longer-bouncing) side of the spectrum: I'm in a brace for my left thumb, but I don't know what I did to it. I've settled for Old n Busted™.

Maybe you are taking Hunter S Thompsons advise:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
Admin
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Posts
42,624
Location
Reno, eNVy
I think @Muleski basically said there isn't a WC skier that hasn't been cut open.
 

Warp Daddy

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
142
Location
NNY along the St Lawrence River
Uh. Hip replacement surgery in mid Oct .......got NO season:crutches: at all
 

Gerry Rhoades

mtcyclist rippin' again
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
563
Location
Billings, MT
Well, there was that incident at Big Sky in December.:crash:
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,329
Location
The Bull City
I have recurring back compression injuries.. Started back in 1981 with a 3/4 pole flip landed flat on spring thaw and refrozen, rock hard surface. I could barely walk the next day.. Had reservations for USSA Nationals but ended up just hanging out and skiing a few fun runs taking it very easy that week. Forty years later, I still re injure or aggravate it about ever six months. Last year, jumping at the indoor tramp park for 30 minutes did it... no one trick, but cumulative impacts/compressions. Took a took three months to heal back up solid again. Stepping off a curb wrong will also set it off.

Ribs are also pretty weak at 50. Landed a moderate air off a small jump a couple years ago and it felt like someone SHOT ME in the chest. I didn't fall or really feel it was that hard of a landing. But my chest went POP anyway. I was light of breath skiing up to the lift afterwards.. Skied another hour gingerly, drove home, then couldn't sleep on that side for 6 weeks, Fell on that same side day one the next season and it hurt the same.. 6 weeks sleeping on the other side again..

By the way, I was doing low impact activities and stretching out fairly often before those more recent old age injuries. I've decided I'm not going to worry so much about the workouts and training to prevent injuries if they seem to happen anyway now..
 

David Chaus

Beyond Help
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
5,529
Location
Stanwood, WA
Fortunately, nothing significant this year. Had a black eye from reaching for a pillow on the floor in the middle of the night and whacking the night stand with my stupid head. I was staying at Red Mt so does that count?

Now then, a few lingering diabetic retinopathy issues flaring up again, and the never ending quest to get my insulin pump settings adjusted for skiing days, but otherwise no medical issues or injuries. This year. So far.

I have heard a few jokes that were very painful.....
 

Gerry Rhoades

mtcyclist rippin' again
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
563
Location
Billings, MT
Maybe you are taking Hunter S Thompsons advise:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

I thought there was alcohol and a cigar in that line too.
 

eok

Slopefossil
Skier
Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Posts
856
Location
PNW
I've fixed that, for the over 50 crowd!

Yeah, reminds me of the code words my wife uses when we're on the slopes to try and keep me in line: "remember, GEEEEZER SKIING!!".

The other day, I took some laps on the hill while she took a time-out at an outdoor table at base lodge. When I finished & met her back at the table, she asked me (way too loudly): "well, were you geezer skiing?". The folks at the next table busted a gut over it.

Anyway, when she asks me that, I always lie. ;)
 

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