Extreme Snow Sports
By Peter Hogg – APA Sports Physiotherapist

Peter Hogg is one of three Sports Physiotherapists selected by the Australian Olympic Committee to provide treatment at Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in February 2002 for the Australian team. He is a private practioner in Noosa and Thredbo (email ; hoggyphysio@hotmail.com).

There are many disciplines of skiing and boarding that are both extreme by nature and by risk. Some of the sports I will discuss race under FIS (Federation of International Skiing) regulations and others are corporate in origin. Each of the sports is in different stages of development both nationally and internationally. There is no surprise that for each sport there are differences in prize money and sponsorships available for the athletes and corporations. There is growth in demand for television coverage of snowboarding, aerials, mogul skiing and extreme games.

Each of the sports have inherent injury risks peculiar to the sport. All of these sports have unique motor skills which should be considered in mid-late stage rehabilitation. These athletes usually have high atpitude for developing dynamic balance, power, core control, acrobatics and technique.

Aerials

There are FIS World Cup and Olympic Aerial events. Aerialists use run in speeds of approximately 50kms/hr. To launch a choice of three jumps ranging in steepness between 55 on the single jump to 69? on the triple/quad jump. Behind the jump is a well chopped mound to soften the blow for those falling short of a steep landing and out run. Jumps are scored with consideration of take-off, execution, level of difficulty and landing. Winners of men’s world cup events require near perfect execution of triple/quad jumps and women require perfect doubles/triples.

Common injuries include those with impact related cause such as wrist, rib and calcaneal fractures and AC joint strains. Strain injuries are also common including MCL, menisci and ACL tears. Whiplash and concusion are frequent and occur when the skier is late and lands in a back slap position. There are environmental variables such as wind, snow density and visibility that alter the incidence of these injuries.

The training load on these aerialists is full time. Early season training involves large volumes of jumps. Other aspects of training involve periodised gym, core, trampoline sessions and ski technique work. Summers also involve jumping using water ramps. These athletes are prepared to take impact after big air spins.

Current world cup champion Jacqui Cooper who is powerful with her triples will compete against another talented Australian Alisa Camplin (currently 4th in the world). Both have good prospects in the Salt Lake City Olympic Games and benefit from full support of the Australian Institute of Winter Sports during their preparation.

Moguls

Mogul skiing is sanctioned by the FIS at World Cup and Olympic levels. Australia has an elite group of 4 – 6 mogul skiers including Adrian Costa (top 10) and Maria Despas (2nd 2001 World Championship and currently recovering from resent knee injury). Mogul skiers race over a 230m long course full of machine made bumps and jumps. The run is 8m wide with a gradient of 25 - 30?. The average men’s race time is 24secs at speed of 8.7m/sec. There are 2 jump zones set 65 and 130m from start. The jumps are 1.4m in length and are set at 8 - 12?. Skiers are judged according to jump score (25%), ski technique (50%) and speed (25%). The jumps must be different in the 2 zones and consist of double/triple/quadruple combinations of spreader, twister and iron cross manouvres.

It is estimated that mogul skiers train and compete by negotiating 80 – 100,000 bumps/year. Those at elite level are and must be incredibly strong, nimble and fast.

PHOTOS

The photos demonstrate the range of body positions assumed and the inherent need for optimal flexibility and body core control. Sixty percent of mogul related injuries affect the knee. The incident of knee injuries is 3 times more common than a footballer sustains. The ski acts as a level to produce ligament tearing. Twenty percent of injuries affect the upper extremity and 85% of these affect the ulnar collateral ligament. Ten percent of injuries affect the shoulder in the form of rotator cuff damage or dislocation.

Training requires a full time load with considerable amount of on snow training for up to for up to 180 days. Their gym work requires considerable focus on eccentric quads and gluteal strength.

Snowboarding

Fifty percent of those involved in snowsports are currently snowboarding. Snowboarding has revitalized the ski market/ Snowboarding is involved with FIS movement with the inclusion of more traditional events such as slalom and giant slalom. These are Olympic events at Salt Lake on February 9th and Zeke Steggall will represent Australia. The ‘extreme’ component of snowboarding consists of boarder X events, X-Games and other promo events. They involve boarder X, half pipe or big air format. Half pipe events are determined by 4 judges who score rotation, amplitude, transition and overall impression. Fall results in a 3 point deductions and single hand touches are a 1 point deduction. Prize money for Australian events is on $1200 – 2500 (win) and is a tiny incentive compared to winning in the USA at World Cup ($5 – 10,000) or invitational events (Innsbruck Air, Sapporo Big Air and X Games) raising $100,000 (win).

Research has show that 70% of boarding accidents occur to those that have had less than 4 lessons. Snowboarders participate in a 3:1 male to female ratio. Ankle injuries are four times more common than skiing and 91% affect the front foot. Knee injuries are half as common. Eighty percent of wrist injuries are fractures. There is growing concern about the number of head or spinal injuries occurring. Nine percent of injuries require absence from work for 2 or more weeks and 4% require hospitalization.

Acute medical staff at Whistler, for example, report one head injury per week on average. The growing incidence appears related to the fact that boarders progress in skill quickly and often over estimate their limits. Boarders are entering the fun parks and are sustaining injury if not competent enough to handle the jumps. Resorts are now testing competency before allowing entry into the fun parks. They are issued with a sticker for access. Neck and whiplash related injuries in snowboarding have been linked with the use of some helmets that protrude low at the occiput. The protrusion acts as a hinge point to the joints and causes additional ligament and capsular strain. Results of helmet testing will soon be available.

Extreme Backcountry

There are promotional ski and boarding events that are held in steep backcountry off-piste terrain. Many advanced skiers enjoy skiing and exploring ski lines of the non groomed cliff bound backbowls. The skiing/boarding involves negotiating natural obstacles including rocks, logs, trees, cliffs and crevasses. With varied ability on slopes differing in pitch, snow consistency and visibility injuries occur. More serious injuries include those of impact nature (rocks, trees). Ligament strains are also common in powder and crud conditions. The risk of serious head and spinal injury in extreme skiing events should not be underestimated. Preparation involves all round ski fitness, agility, aggressiveness and strength.

On Tour Sports Physiotherapy Responsibilities

Involve ;

1. Immediate assessment and treatment of all acute injuries.
2. Ongoing management of pre-existing conditions.
3. Supervise pre-training/competition warm up and warm downs
4. Supervision of daily core stability program (+/- gym)
5. Therapeutic massage
6. Other duties including on snow team management/video