Are you still skiing?

[jercrane]

The other Corona thread is kind of all over the place so I wanted to start a new one with a little more focused question. Sorry if this got covered in the other thread somewhere and I missed it.

 

We are about a week away from ice out up here in NH. Normally this is when I am getting fired up to ski. With our new world I’m now starting to question whether skiing needs to go on hold now too.

 

While I appreciate all the social distancing at 38 off Instagram posts I’m starting to question it a bit. Friend is an Dr in Utah and completely lost his mind on me the other day when I mentioned going for a hike and a ski at a local ski area that is closed. His issue is the potential impact on medical facilities if I had gotten hurt. His take is that social distancing isn’t enough. His very strongly worded guidance was “stay home unless you need food, medicine, or medical help” period. No high risk activities of any kind. In fact he said we should be limiting driving cars right now for the same reason.

 

My struggle with this is that getting outside and getting some exercise that is actually enjoyable is such a mental boost right now. I was so excited to be able to get out on the boat for an hour with the family to just exhale. My kids are such a mental mess from all the screens and indoor time.

 

Now I don’t know.

 

What are you all doing out there right now? Especially those down south that are skiing already? You planning to keep skiing? You shutting it down?

 

Do I even take the boat out of storage? Or do I need to just avoid the temptation and leave it until we get to the other side of this mess.

 

I can see both sides of this that’s why I’m struggling.

[ral]

I am stopped skiing for several reasons. What the Utah doctor mentions is one of them and, in my case, with a 11 and a 13 year old competitve skiers in my household, I believe putting them at risk of an injury under the current circumstances would be bad parenting from my part.

 

[BraceMaker]

He's not specifically wrong in that it depends on your local community what amount of help there would be available. Locally the trauma service is fully staffed and somewhat bored. Ironically our local hospital has only a few covid cases so they have a lot of surgeons who are very bored doing only non-elective cases so you might be able to get right in.

 

If I were to get injured skiing I would not go to the ER if at all possible. Most of our local ortho surgeons have people on call and if its something that could all be handled not through an ER visit I'd be calling their urgent care and trying to steer myself around.

[Wish]

I wrote this on the Damn Corona Virus thread a while back.

 

To coincide more with the thread title, I was thinking this evening when skiing and wanting to shorten the line and test my limits....should I ?? Should any of us be risking injury knowing tournaments have been pushed back and the medical community has their hands full. Do they need us coming in with recreational injuries? Yes injury can occur at any time in an opening pass or at your hardest pass. But pushing limits increases the risk. That’s just fact. So, I did not shorten. And probably will not try to push the limits but rather hone technique, stamina and mental acuity for some time. Blessed to be able to still ski and perhaps more often now. But putting others at risk by taking resources away from the medical community to deal with my recreational injury does not seem very responsable. Food for thought. ...end..

 

To add to that, I think this all depends on what you feel your limits are. I can run 32 98% of the time and it’s a warm up pass. I also know (for the most part) when something is not going right long before something bad happens even at shorter lines and I have a history of tossing the handle in practice if that’s happening. Simply no reason to battle what could be a life long injury at my age just to get that 1/2 buoy in practice. You have to weigh how you look at skiing mentally if your going to continue. If you are a “have to go for it” kinda guy/gal, then ya, off the water and less risk to yourself and the medical community may be best.

[thager]

Boat goes in today. I am planning on free skiing here for a number of weeks at slower speeds and longer line. Working on the basics.

[markn]

Thought about this long and hard before responding. Being married to a physician, I respect her objectivity, insight, knowledge.....and her driving skills. Yes, I am a 1 buoy more guy and won't let go of the handle until the boat pulls it away. We have not altered our approach to skiing at all. Just read that for every one dealth from the virus, over 100 people have lost their job. There could be three or more people reliant on that income, so the effect is significant. Only history will tell if we over-reacted in the response.

Thinking about getting hurt while skiing?....THAT is what can cause an injury. I have no statistics to substantiate the claim, but how many passes are run a year vs. injuries resulting in a trip to the hospital. I suspect the number is miniscule.

Go ski!

[Orlando76]

Staying at home and going crazy is what they want the faithful Sheeple to do. I’m not saying go hug everybody at Walmart but I’d rather die on the boat than go crazy watching one sided news on the couch.

[TEL]

Yep, not going to stop skiing

[BrennanKMN]

Putting the boat in for a free ski today. The ice just went out last week and the course is still stuck in the muck on the bottom, so not breaking any records. We'll see where it goes from there.

[skibrain]

It’s early season in MN, so “still skiing?” Is more accurately “still planning to ski?” Yes.

 

Walking in the neighborhood, hiking in the woods, spading the garden, driving a car, riding bicycle, riding motorcycles, waterskiing... all have some potential for injury that would burden the health system.

 

I’m not stupid. This is not the summer I’m going to take up barefoot jumping. But being ALIVE to me is being active. I think there are plenty of ways to do that while respecting others, avoiding crowds and being safe.

 

 

[9400]

Yes, trying to learn what sensei is teaching. Rewiring my reactions takes reps. Working on the fundamentals.

[Bookm_dano]

Still skiing. Maintaining social distance is pretty easy in the middle of the lake. I'm a basic 15 off hack and probably at more risk of injury riding my bicycle in the park than free skiing out on our local lake. Exercise, including some outdoor activity seems essential to me.

[BraceMaker]

@Wish you might be different than me, but I've rarely hurt myself at the limit.

 

I've snapped a femur free skiing, worst hockey injury was a 5 year old running into me from behind at a stick and puck. Guess I'm saying you might get complacent if you're repeating runs below the limit and get bored you lose the focus.

[jercrane]

@markn actually this is a case where history will NOT be able to tell if we over reacted. History will only show if we under reacted. If it’s done right it will 100% look and feel like an over reaction. That’s the unfortunate paradox.

[6balls]

You have seen my posts on the other thread. Watch the video from the pulmonologist/ICU doc in New York.

 

Wash your hands, don't touch your face, wear a mask not to keep you from getting infected, but to train you NOT to touch your face. Go skiing(ok, he didn't say that, I did).

 

Doesn't mean go take stupid risks of fracture...but go enjoy yourself outdoors it will be great for your mental health and get you through this crap. Go for bike rides, go for walks, hit tennis balls, rake your yard, go skiing. My back was coming off surgery last season...I ran openers at 28 off all season long. It's hard not to shorten and take some risks...just be smart.

 

Our lake just melted...need a crew but want my stuff in the water soon. Gonna free ski a lot...great social distancing in the middle of our lake.

[Fam-man]

Spring is coming and going in Alberta Canada, still waiting for the ice to melt.

 

I agree with managing risks and staying within limits. I told the kids we were not going to set up the trampoline yet because the potential for injury is too high and kids don’t tend to self regulate. Trampolines are a significant cause of injury. They are still outside regularly and playing on stuff that could hurt them, the potential is lower.

 

Once the ice is gone I will start skiing, when the groups ready I will put the course in. Not going to push for personal best but will still ski for exercise and enjoyment. Mental health is important.

 

There’s risk to everything, be smart and manage the potential. That means something different to everyone.

[vtmecheng]

We are skiing but being careful. I am consider essential and have to go into the office some. So, I don't ride in the boat, don't drive, and stay a distance from everyone else. I go straight from the dock, to platform, to course, to dock. Everything I can to be careful for my ski friends.

[Horton]

Think it is different in different parts of the country. read this.

https://www.insidesources.com/unexpected-consequence-of-covid-19-crisis-empty-emergency-rooms/

[keithh2oskier]

In CA and haven't skied yet. Our lake got water a few weeks ago. But since then the weather has been the limiter. It's been windy, rainy and then when we had some nice weather this last week my kid got head lice. This is all on top of the covid19.

 

It's like the waterski gods are pissed at me for not exercising all winter...

[bikesrus]

My husband and I are skiing. Traffic on the lake is minimal. We are socially distanced, washing hands, using gloves at the gas pump, and taking COVID seriously. But it feels great to be outside and able to do something you love.

[Horton]

ooo yes skiing a ridiculous amount. Actually in a slump from skiing too many days in a row.

[DW]

Perhaps calling your local emergency room to check bed availability prior to hitting the water could be an option to compensate for risk/bed availability concerns.

[david_quail]

Like always, it's a balance of risk/reward. In Alberta, we've been instructed to not even travel to our cabins to isolate there.

 

I'm inclined to travel to our cabin and continue to ski - but will wait to see how things unfold in emergency departments. Unfortunately, just as it's peaking in Alberta (mid May), is when we'll have the chance to ski.

 

[Skirvind]

Just finished a ski bender 19 out of 20 days. End up turning 4@38 34mph for the first time yesterday. Now I can take a few days off and recuperate at bit.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

The worst thing we can do in this situation is to stop living. Seriously, what is the ratio of ER trips/ski set for everyone on this board? For the majority I suspect its zero. I've had 1 trip in 40 years.

 

We are more likely to have an ER trip for falling down the stairs. I had to make a ER trip last week when my wife stepped on a copperhead. Life happens.

 

Wash your hands, etc and go ski.

[brettmainer]

I plan on skiing when the weather improves. I’m not too worried about hospital level injury, especially at 32 and 35, which is where I plan on staying for the first month or so anyways.

 

I think the bigger issue is one of, “If he is doing it, why can’t we do it?” And then, a sport or exercise that a small number of people can do while socially distancing becomes crowded. That is what happened at SoCal beaches. It is “safe” for one person to show up at dawn to surf a few sets by themselves or take a lonely run on the beach, but what about when 10,000+ bored, off work and out of school people all show up at the same time to do the same thing? Now the hard fought and extraordinarily expensive curve flattening gains of the past few weeks are endangered.

 

Back to the ski dock. If I show up and ski with just those I have been self isolating with anyways, there is no risk of spreading the virus. If one or two other members are also there, we can easily self distance, decontaminate, etc. But what about that first 85 degree Saturday when all the members show up at the same time? On a private lake we can control this with time slots and the like, but I see the problem for public lakes, which is why the State of CA has just shut everything down for now. Once on the water, people are isolated, but what about the restroom by the launch ramp?

 

Difficult times and difficult choices.

[thager]

In MN water is now 42F. Not too worried about others for a number of weeks. First 6 weeks of spring and last 6 weeks are my favorite times to ski!

[jimski]

Skied all winter

We live on a public lake with our own dock.

So I don’t have contact with any one. And a course that stays in all year.The boat went in the water full time March 1

Our club isn’t opening until all this has calmed down. My wife is working from home and both boys are home so I have a good supply of drivers.

I’m skiing every day it’s not windy

[skispray]

I am not skiing. The club I belong to is insured through USAWS and my understanding is that with no sanction we have no insurance. I think I would likely ski if I had access to my own boat, but only if I was doing it exclusively with people in the same household as myself. If you are meeting others to ski and don’t stay more than 6 feet away from them at all times, then I don’t see the difference between that and many other social activities that most people here are likely avoiding.

 

We need to not let our love of this sport cloud our judgment and do anything selfish, that puts others in harms way. I’m not saying everyone should stop skiing, but what I see on social media is lots of people riding in the boat with a driver, meeting others to ski, etc. It’s not clear if that activity is being done in a way that is responsible. That’s not to say it can’t be done in a reasonable way, but if you’re going to post videos of yourself skiing I think you should also include in those videos information about all of the measures you’re taking to be responsible. People do take their cues from others, and we need to be leading by example.

[UWSkier]

Since my ski crew are all people who do not live with me, I am not skiing. If you're skiing with people in the boat who don't live in your immediate household, then you're missing the point.

 

It sucks royally, but the sacrifice seems minimal when I think of what folks battling this on the front lines are dealing with. Every once in I while I start to think I'll join my friends who are still skiing together and just deal with any consequences, but reality sets in pretty quickly when I think about the aforementioned. Then it just feels selfish so I hop on my bike for a solo ride instead.

[ski6jones]

Still skiing but observing social distancing. Private site with my own boat. Front seat occupants can only be from the same household. Our crew has been my wife and me, and a buddy and his GF. Wife and I drive for him, he climbs in the back suits up and skis. GF watches from the dock. Then we change places. They drive, I ski and wife watches from the dock. Ticks all the boxes I think.

[BCM]

@UWSkier - I agree and am in a similar spot. All of my ski partners are 60+ and don't live with me. Trying to figure out how to properly social distance and then disinfect the boat between drivers isn't worth it. My biggest fear is in a few weeks finding out I was infected and contagious and my 65+yo ski buddy picked it up from me. Odds would be much more in my favor than my older ski partners. I see a moral liability issue that I am not willing to take on.

 

@ski6jones - how are you sanitizing the boat between drivers?

[ski6jones]

@BCM we are wiping the driver controls with Clorox wipes at change over but honestly I don't think it's necessary. Observing the other guidelines; don't touch your face and wash your hands frequently covers that case. There is no evidence the virus can be contract through the skin.

[BraceMaker]

@Horton very ,much the case, as I mentioned before right at this very moment if you landed in the ED it is literally the chief of trauma that will probably be fixing you if you fractured something major. Why? Because so many of the people below him have been sent home, reassigned, or pushed to a different schedule. 2 months ago? Maybe a resident would have boarded you for surgery and maybe you're on the fellow or the chief's schedule.

 

As is the hospital has deferred a lot of staff in the hopes they'll have reserves if the disease spreads and they're bringing in a few dozen from other areas day by day to try to keep a volume and gain experience.

 

As mentioned if done properly it will seem like it was an over-reaction.

 

 

[escmanaze]

My personal un-solicited opinion is that we crossed the point of over-reaction a week or two ago. Oh well, whatever.

 

With that opinion, though, then the answer is, of course I'm still skiing. I skied yesterday.

 

Particularly considering that my most typical ski group is my wife and 3 kids, it's kinda tough for me to see a real big difference between sitting home and watching a movie with them or heading out to the course with them.

 

Unfortunately, I can already see the writing on the wall in my local area. My prediction is that my lake will be "closed" by the government in 1-2 weeks. That is when I'll be forced to test out a very primitive launching location that I have been curious about for years, but haven't ever been motivated enough to really go try. Fingers crossed.

 

[jercrane]

I think my program is going to be family free skiing only for the first couple of weeks. Glad I taught my wife how to drive last year. The almost 15 YO is coming along nicely too.

 

Leave the course sitting in the muck for awhile longer. Keep it chill and just work on fundamentals. Honestly I probably could use a month of no course to start the season anyway. Maybe I can finally get out of that stupid compressed body position through the wake!

 

 

[epnault]

Skied yesterday for first quick free ski NW Wisconsin. Ice went out Friday. Air temp 50 and water likely 41ish. Me and my ski partner didn’t shake hands or hang out long. I am not giving up on skiing.

[NameUnavailable]

You have a bigger risk going to get food than skiing....Driving there, number of people contacted,and fights over toilet paper...lol....I am skiing.

[ESPNSkier]

I'm still skiing and my wife has started back in the course for the first time in years. We live on a public lake with 4 courses but the boat ramp is still open so it can be difficult to find calm water due to boat/jet ski traffic. Most of the local course skiers on our lake have gone to "family only" in the boat which means that we can't ski with some of our good ski buds in the boat. However, now a typical morning is 4 different boats at one course with 2 people per boat taking turns. Still get to see the gang but we social distance by staying in our own boats.

[jcamp]

For me I worry about if one of my kids get hurt will I:

 

1) expose them to the virus because they may/will come into contact with any number of emergency responders, physicians, nurses, etc., who themselves are probably being exposed at high rates, and

 

2) not be able to visit/stay with them in the ER or hospital due to our hospital severely limiting entry. I would feel absolutely terrible if one of my kids had to go through some medical ordeal all by themselves.

 

I love skiing, but sometimes it has to take a back seat.

[gsm_peter]

Sweden is still rather open.

 

Just started to ski.

Only one person in the boat.

Use gloves all the time in the boat.

So far only 2 persons at the club at the time.

Only one in the dressing room.

Only ski trick, take it very carefully.

Drive separate cars to the club.

 

[Wolfeie]

I can verify the article Horton referenced. My son-in-law is an ER Doctor at a Southland hospital, and they are reducing his hours and pay since they are not seeing as many patients since Covid-19. My wife started a small foundation with her friends to help feed the hospital workers (ER staff, ICU staff) during this trying times.

 

We're still skiing at Ski West in Arvin, as are many of the private lakes in the area. We actually had 6 boats in rotation Saturday (we were blown off by a wind storm Sunday.)

Owners are keeping the six foot distance for the most part. I only have a driver in my boat when I ski, and I wipe down the steering wheel, throttle. seat and any possible contact points.

[epnault]

@gsm_peter

 

Where are you at in Sweden? I spend a lot time in the Nordics over the winter months. I just got back from Hemavan on March 15!

[cletuspapa]

I'm skiing - got wet the first time yesterday. My buddy brings his 216, I take my 214, anchor one boat, I pull him behind mine, switch up, anchor my boat, ski behind his - the closest we get is if I sit on the stern to catch a ride back to my boat.... in other news - finally got to ski my Katana!

 

[gsm_peter]

@epnault . Stockholm.

Welcome when you are around. I will try to help you to ski here. There are type 10 clubs within 2.5h drive from Stockholm.

Send me a pm if you are intrested.

 

A bit intrested. Why do you ski in Hemavan?

It is a quite small, remote, unknown resort...

 

[BrennanKMN]

Well, I was going to go skiing yesterday but had some trailer troubles. The rubber in my torsion axles wore out over the winter and I found my passenger side tires sitting on the inside of the fender. Looking at a 6 week lead time and $1400 with all the companies shutdown. So I guess I'm not skiing anymore. I spent my skiing time yesterday pulling my axles instead.

 

Pretty lame way to 'start' the season...

 

[Booze]

Just started on the 26th....and won't stop.

But, my employer has sent me home with "mandatory vacation". Once that runs out, don't know what will happen. My priorities may change once the reserve funds are depleted.

Then again, gas is cheap now...

 

On a side note, I so badly want to (1st get in good ski condition) then get my hands on a C75, Lapoint, and a 9970cc and/or XTRcc

 

[jimbrake]

Yes. Only two sets so far because our weather goes from spring! to WINTER to spring! to WINTER every few days. Things relatively normal at our lake except for the sanitizer wipes in the boat, not handling each others' equipment, personal distance, etc. I'm skiing sort of normal in terms of effort, but only 28s so far getting the muscles back into it. That said, my first set of the year I literally took one of the hardest slalom falls of my 60 years of slalom. Slow motion, accelerating out the front. Like a jump crash going "oh damn this is gonna hurt". Time to think about it, then BAM - one huge bounce off my right shoulder and neck, rotations in the air, then a final splash landing. Luckily just shook it off and kept skiing. Hope by June maybe we are back into full, normal, busy, lots of friends on the dock and in the boat, skiing.

[teammalibu]

No waiting at the Ridge need a out of work or work from the dock baller or two to come over and ski for a month or so! I have plenty of TP.

[Deanoski]

first set today