Skiing again after a broken leg

[SierraLuLu]

The ski season is upon us again! And my last season ended last spring when I fell the wrong way and fractured my tibia/fibula.

3 months of learning how to walk again. 6 months of physical therapy. 3 surgeries, hardware and some hardware removal.

Got back on the hill for a test day in early December, and it went better than expected. I was out of shape but my form was ok. Only a green was open, so I did that. My ankle screws grated on my boot, but I have since had surgery to get them removed, and should be able to ski again properly in January.

Seeking advice and words of comfort and wisdom for when I get back on the hill again. I was skiing double black trees in powder the day I fell - I don’t think that’ll be me this year. I need a plan for working up slowly and building my confidence, especially when skiing with friends who are not very slow.

 

[diymom]

Last season I had a late and slow start after ACL reconstruction. Just take it slow to start and listen to your body. I just told my friends I was starting on the greens for drills, feel free to join me for a lift ride any time. We set meet up times to be social in the lodge. This worked well for me, I was free to take my time, no stress, no trying to keep up. If you happen to ski someplace with parallel runs, maybe you could ride the lift together and meet up at the bottom. It’s not like you have conversations on the run, so you don’t really need to be skiing the same runs.

Also, skiing the greens to start out was good because I had some unanticipated trouble shooting to do. I just couldn’t find my inside edge on the wonky leg. I checked my edges, I swapped the skis around. Still no change. Then I realized that my alignment must have changed. I was glad to be working all of that out on the greens.

 

[AJM]

A shorter, softer and narrower ski worked wonders for me post injury. They helped me get my confidence back and there was a lot less strain on my broken bits.
I also read the other day on a FB post to make sure both your mental and physical game are strong ..... easier said than done I know but my PTs goal was to get me in the best physical shape she could which then took away some of the mental stress.
Good luck and you've got this !!!

 

[Sheena]

@Pandita may have some tips. She had a pretty scary crash, and has been wearing softer boots, shorter skis, and take it easy on greens. I am tagging her on case she is comfortable sharing her experience.

 

[Pandita]

HI!!
So sorry about your injury. I had a very scary slide and crash and broke my Tibia and Fibula in 2022. I have had two surgeries to fix it and have. a titanium rod, or nail as theyn call it, the length of my tibia,. It is nailed in near the knee and by the ankle.
Mentally it has been harder than physically. I went with a softer boot, the nordica rear entry, and love it. I have gone to a shorter ski as well and it has helped my confidence. I am 5'3 around 180, and I ski on a length of 152. I bought a new pair of skis this year as part of a confidence rebuild and have the Elan Wildcat Ti 82, and 152 length. I have enjoyed them for the three days I have been out.

I am happy to share more if you want to reach out. I was skiing a nice groomed black out at Sun valley the day I had my slide/crash. I do have a lot of anxiety still as I am getting back to my pre-injury skill level.

 

[skibum4ever]

A shorter, softer and narrower ski worked wonders for me post injury. They helped me get my confidence back and there was a lot less strain on my broken bits.
I also read the other day on a FB post to make sure both your mental and physical game are strong ..... easier said than done I know but my PTs goal was to get me in the best physical shape she could which then took away some of the mental stress.
Good luck and you've got this !!!

Absolutely agree re a shorter, softer and narrower ski. Aka perhaps a "more forgiving ski". That was the path I took and it seemed to work.