gates n 1

 Steve Rosen, 58 years old, PB 3 @ 35. Started full-time course skiing on my 50th b-day. Have been skiing INT since then, and want shout a "howdy" to Craig, our announcer(I still have your screwdriver, bud). Started skiing because a neurologist suggested I start a physical activty which would increase the strength of my lower back muscles, though I don't think he had slalom in mind. 10 years later, I've traded the back problems for a surgically repaired shoulder, a cervicle spine fusion, a shattered tib/fib( with plates, screws etc.), strains, tweaks and bruises up the proverbial "yang". I would not change a minute of it.  I live on Lake Shasta (in Calif.), and ski at Villai Lagos with kpickett and a great group of no-ego skiers. Like to ski a min. of 3 days a week, 3-4 sets/day, and skiid 84 sets in July of this year (was laid off at the time). Obvious to all should be that I exhibit all the classic signs of a slalom addict, and have even been accused of being a "ski ho". Married 31 years to my better-half, Patty. She started skiing 3 yrs ago, and is a full-blown addict as well. She now mandates that we spend EVERY weekend at the pond; man i hate it when she bosses me around like that. We have three kids. Only one ski's, but she ski's into -32. Boat is an '07 MC 197, which we bought after selling the best boat I ever owned, our Response.

OK, I got the "degree" thing. Now will someone PLEASE explain women to me....

Rawly  Hope your surgical discomfort is already gone, and you're on your way to the re-hab dance. As for the length of time before you can ski again, remember that most doctors make these recommendations based solely on the average physical condition of those in your age group. As a slalom skier, you are NOT the average. We are all far stronger, bodily, than any group a doctor is likely to have experience with. Therefore, you should blend his advice with your own intuition as to when to start skiing again. When you do begin you might do as I did, and do about a month of " hangin' behind the boat " skiing. There, you can work on arm pull-ins, squats and back-muscle exercises to gradually increase your strength and endurance. Of course, this advice comes complete with a disclaimer; these are the views of an addict, and should be considered as such. Get well soon..........and SKI !!!!

Just wanted to weigh in on the re-make Talons. My humble opinion is that they are as close to the originals as a Yugo is to a Ferrari. These gloves HURT my hands, even though my hands are tough as nails (from skiing about 15 sets/wk. on avg.) My not-so-scientific report on them is: After 20 sets, thumb stitching went bye-bye. At 35-40 sets, Right index finger stitching gone. At 50 sets, gloves now so stretched they cannot be tightened sufficiently to remove palm bunching. But there's good news; by 80 sets you'll have callous ridges so thick that if they tear, you'll simultaneosly peel ALL the skin from your uni-callous to the first joint in ALL your fingers. The extra material used inside the fingers was apparantly designed to allow additional stitching, to prevent the gloves from self-destructing like the originals did. Not only does this not work, but it makes the gloves VERY uncomfortable for the first 20 or so sets. After that, I'm not clear whether the gloves break in, or my hands just quit feeling in those areas. Perhaps if you buy and use some, you can clue me in on that point. As a side-bar; I let my buddy (another die-hard Talon fan) use my new gloves; he skiid 2 passes, motioned for me to drop him at the dock, briskly removed the gloves, and told me that I had seriously damaged my reputation by recommending these to him. I guess he's not as in to self-flagellation as I am, but then again, I've been married for about 30 yrs..............

Bxroads.....it could be that this ski, though not that old, is history. If the fractures continue to grow as you've stated, it almost certainly indicates the ski was exposed to sunlight and heat for extended periods of time, thus "cooking" the materials the ski is made from. GET RID OF IT !!! It is not worth risking injury over.

There may not be any useful conclusions to be drawn regarding type of binding vs. rate of injury, but I'll bet some factual assesments could be made regarding type of bindings vs. severity of injury in comparable falls. It seems likely that as one binding system protects against "X" fall types, it would provide less protection in "Y"Â fall types, when compared to a different type of binding system.Â

 Okay....here's my two cents worth.... Injury....shattered tib/fib (2 plates,17 screws). Binding....2010 Enzo's. Bones snapped virtually level with top of boot. Fall happened in a turn, and because of the uniqueness of the fall, the only thing i can say unequivically is that the damage would have been greatly reduced (due to the satisfying of physics) if I'd had my old D3's on the ski.

Sorry again.....my previous post was meant for Skibug

Rawly......sorry for being "late to the party". In '05, I was having some pain down my arm, and problems sleeping. I continued to ski 4 days a week, until the end of the season....I was 53 at the time. When I finally got to see a neuro, he diagnosed that a c4-5 fusion was necessary, and pointed out that I had lost nearly all of my left tricep, and most of the muscles around my scapula. Had the surgery, and after 4 months of HEAVY pt, got back about 50-60% of my strength. Started skiing about 6 months later( mostly just hanging behind the boat). It took that season, and most of the '07 season to regain the lost musculature. The neuro thought I was a lunatic for continuing to ski, but I think that position is due, in large, to the physical condition of the average guy my age, with little/no cosideration to the physical conditioning of water skiers. My advice......You don't want to be 80 yrs old, thinking back and wondering if you could have continued.... Good luck