ski problems

Question
In the beginning of the year we went to Avoriaz in France for a ski holiday and will be going again in January 2010. We had training for the basics on a revolving carpet slope in South Africa. The instructor told us that the correct length for your carvers should be as high as your nose as we made use of the equipment hire option. I am 1,87 meters tall and weigh 90 Kg's. In short, I am thin for my length! I am a fit person and used to do long distance running. I have long, thin legs. I find that my knees get tired very quickly because of the unnatural position of not being able to straighten your legs in the ski boots.

Would sports knee braces help support my knees or do you have any other advice to be more comfortable?

I found the carvers to be very heavy and think that I will be more maneuverable with shorter carvers. The instructor insisted that I use the long carvers. Do you think it will more comfortable if I ask for shorter carvers and what length do you suggest?

Our group skied on blue slopes in general so we are not expert skiers. Next year will be my second time. I mainly struggle with the turning because of the fatigue in my legs I find in difficult to maneuver the carver as I find it very heavy.

I would appreciate it if you can anelise my problem with regards to my length, weight, length of carvers and my thin legs.

I can not imagine that I am not built for skiing. I saw kids of 4 years old, skiing like pro's. Please help!  

Answer
hi Clem & thanks for the question.

The instructor was correct - skis need to be chin-nose height in length to ensure a
smooth ride and easy managability.

If you go for shorter skis they will be more difficult to control as they will begin to shudder and shake under foot as soon as you go fast enough to turn on blue slopes. We call this a "death wobble" ...you will understand why when you have experienced it. A ski too short doesnt have the surface area for you to balance on. Shorter the ski - the more balance you have to have.

I would highly recommend building up your strength in the quads, hamstrings and calves
to help with the muscle fatigue you are experiencing. You can do this with weights, kicking
in a pool, cycling, rollerblading etc... Your running will be valuable for overall fitness.
You didnt mention if you have running injuries - knees, hamstrings etc - these will also niggle
when you ski.

Although - the fatigue could also be from poor posture on skis - when we ski we dont actually use alot of upper leg muscle to balance, moreso to turn. We aim to stand in a neutral position on the ski - knees over toes, hips over heels, shoulders over toes. Standing on the balls of your foot [just behind your toes]. If your legs are tiring, you are probably falling back into your heels too much fatiguing your quad muscles. Bring your hips forward to fix that.

As you begin to ski faster, the forces on your body increase relying on a bit more strength to turn the ski. But work on stance & balance and it will reduce the effort needed and reduce your soreness allowing you to spend more time out skiing.

One last point - if you are tired dont do one more run - this is when most injuries occur due to fatigue. Make sure you eat properly as the cold weather is draining of energy too, and hydrate well - dry muscles dont work very good either, as you would know.

Hope this helps, if you need anymore info, just ask

lisa