Article Text
Statistics from Altmetric.com
To achieve success, skiers attempt to optimise various biomechanical parameters (eg, trajectory, velocity, interaction between the skis and snow, energy) that influence performance,1 but this increases risk of injury.2 It is therefore not surprising that injuries are common among alpine skiers.3
To reduce the injury rate, the International Ski Federation (FIS) regulates ski length and width, sidecut radius, and the distance between the foot and ground. In the case of slalom skis, only the minimal waist width is regulated (≥63 mm), while in other disciplines the maximal waist width is regulated by FIS (typically ≤65 mm). On hard snow, wider skis are associated with an elevated risk for injury,4 so we suggest that it may be wise to revise this FIS regulation.
Measures concerning the geometry of skis implemented recently have contributed significantly to the 26% reduction in absolute injury rate (injuries/100 athletes/season) (risk ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.87).3 We acknowledge that new regulations concerning helmets, the development …
Request Permissions
If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.