PREVENTING NORDIC AND TELEMARK SKIING INJURIES
Specific advice for nordic and telemark skiers
The commonest injuries are hip contusions and ankle injuries (nordic skiers) and knee sprains (telemark skiers)
The injury rates for nordic and telemark skiing are generally much lower than those for alpine skiing. As I mention elsewhere on this site, one of the problems with calculating an injury rate for these sports is that they frequently take place in the backcountry and hence the true extent of injuries (and the background population numbers) remain unknown. Nevertheless, even when you look at on piste injuries - the numbers are pretty low. A lot of the advice that applies to alpine skiing also applies to XC skiing. The majority of injuries on nordic skis are minor and consist of bruising from falls due to the inherent instability of narrow skis. More information can be found be visiting Dr Mike Tuggy's excellent site - click here.
- Remember that all forms of XC skiing are more physically strenuous than other forms of skiing. Take it easy if you're a novice. In particular, groin strains can be a real pain after a day on XC skis!
- Generally speaking, the use of leather boots is associated with more ankle injuries (most of which are sprains). Plastic boots tend to give the ankle more support but (like alpine plastic boots) may transfer the force to the knee and therefore lead to more knee injuries. It is argued though that XC skis are easier to control when wearing plastic boots so you're less likely to lose control and fall over in the first place! Fortunately, the free heel nature of this form of skiing means that injury severity is usually much lower than on alpine skis and you can get in a right twisting mess without actually injuring anything!
- There is good evidence to support the use of release bindings on downhill telemark skis. Some of the cable systems will still in fact release when placed under great strain but this is by no means guaranteed. If you do fit release bindings, make sure that they will release! In a large study of telemark injuries, the release binding did not release in 80% of accidents. A recommended way to test your bindings is as follows...
Lateral release
Set the ski on its edge with the binding set on a very low setting. Now try to twist your boot out of the binding with the maximum force you can generate - your binding should release. Progressively increase the settings until you are only just able to generate a release - this is where your binding should be set initially. Obviously, everyone varies in their technique - you may need to make minor adjustments up or down to suit your own needs if you are experiencing a lot of unwanted pre-releases or your bindings are not releasing when you feel they should.
Toe release
Pull back on your boot in a similar manner with the maximum force you can generate. Again, adjust the binding setting up or down as described above.
Skiing in the back country (off piste)
Remember that backcountry skiing is a totally different ball game from skiing at a patrolled ski area. Be aware of hazards such as changeable snow and weather conditions, the risk of avalanches, navigational difficulties, the possibility of being be-nighted etc etc and ensure you are prepared. Someone should know where you are going and what time you should be back!
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