Fear of Falling

[billski]

I was thinking back on the falls I've taken over the years, including the one on Saturday; They are so routine that I don't even talk about them anymore. It's just a part of skiing.

Which got me thinking. I suspect the greatest single-most impediment to ski skill advancement is fear of falling, regardless of the manifestation. It's when I fall that I know I've pushed myself, and tried something new, or gone a bit too far, tripped on a snake, or simply did something stupid. It may bruise my ego for a couple hours, but I just get back up and have at it again. What this has done is make me comfortable skiing in pretty much any terrain or conditions.

When I look at most beginners, they do everything in their power to stop from falling. The arm gyrations, the stiffness, the slowness. They spend far too much time focusing on stopping and don't focus on developing their skills.

When I first learned to ski, I had a wise instructor. He told me to "learn how to fall first and everything else will come." Not for free or without effort, but it will allow you to concentrate and advance faster. Also falling "properly", going with the flow rather than fighting it, has left me far less injured than I might otherwise be. That old axiom, "you're not improving if you're not falling" has a lot of wisdom to it.

I'd love to hear your perspective on this.

 

[andyzee]

I had taken this woman "under my wing" last season and thought her how to ski. One of the first things I did, is have her fall numerous times on purpose. My reasoning was to show her that falling was as bad as it seemed and to help her get rid of her fear of falling. Had her doing expert terrain by mid season.

 

[deadheadskier]

I fractured my C7 vertrebrea training for SuperG in high school in a gruesome crash at about 50mph. It was on January 4th and I missed the rest of the season recovering. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't still affect me even now almost 15 years later.

I never worry about falling while flying through the woods or skiing a technical BC line or knarly mogul run......but I do still worry about the dangers of going super fast on hardpack terrain. The other part of skiing that I've curbed is going big off of jumps and doing tricks. I'll still drop a 15 footer in the woods if the conditions are right, but I will no longer go barreling into a 30 good gap booter in a terrain park.

I have found very little terrain over the years that I am afraid of skiing. I don't necessarily ski with a fear of getting injured, but I do know what getting injured badly while skiing is like, so I'm conscious of it. I push myself, but only to the level I feel comfortable with my fitness for the terrain at hand and that I've spent enough days out to have 'it'

 

[severine]

I know that I had a problem with this. Brian would always criticize me for being afraid of falling. For me, it was a few things. I had it set in my mind that I wasn't doing well if I was falling. That falling was humiliating. Falling = loser. That sort of stuff. It's taken some time to realize that I'm not pushing myself enough if I never fall. So I guess Brian can say "I told you so."

 

[Paul]

One of the few times I've fallen was last year. The last time I fell. I fractured my Tibia and Fibula and ruptured my acl.

I'd prefer not to fall again, but I wouldn't say that I'm afraid to.

 

[freebie]

I'm definitely still scared of falling, it doesn't bother me when I fall unexpectedly, but i hate when I know it's coming and I can't stop it, those ones usually hurt a little, the unexpected variety I seem to come out unscathed

 

[Marc]

I've got a lot of practice falling. Practice makes perfect.

 

[billski]

One of the few times I've fallen was last year. The last time I fell. I fractured my Tibia and Fibula and ruptured my acl.

I'd prefer not to fall again, but I wouldn't say that I'm afraid to.

That's interesting, you don't fall much, but when you did, you got big-time injured. Is there a correlation here? What's your take on that?

 

[billski]

I've got a lot of practice falling. Practice makes perfect.

I love the blow-up Tsumo-wrestler outfits that showup in Warren Miller's movies. The ultimate in protection. Only problem is once you start rolling, there's no stopping ya!

 

[Paul]

That's interesting, you don't fall much, but when you did, you got big-time injured. Is there a correlation here? What's your take on that?

Something I've mulled-over quite a bit. There were a number of factors involved, and the way I went down, I couldn't say if injury could have been prevented or not. I think not. It was a pretty freak thing.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

It took about 50 days in the bumps to get over it, but then I came to the realization that if you're not falling, you're not pushing it hard enough! The goal is just to stay in control to avoid a serious injury.

 

[millerm277]

I've noticed that many advanced skiers are scared of falling, not because of the fall itself, but because a lot of people don't know how to stop themselves once they're sliding on the ground.

 

[thinnmann]

Here is a theory...

I think a lot of people get injured when they fall because they try to resist the fall too intensely. Sometimes it is better to relax and let the fall happen rather than try to wrench away from the fall, causing all kinds of stress on joints and connective tissue that a person is not trained or designed to perform.

I know a guy that tore his ACL because he forced himself back upright instead of letting himself hit his old butt onto the snow.

I think it is important to keep your head in all falls, and if you are moving downhill to make sure you get feet first and arrest yourself ASAP. It probably pays to practice self-arresting skills.

I would bring up the helmet-thing, but that might take this thread way off topic....

...And now that I think about it, I probably read this falling-correctly theory before somewhere like in Ski mag... I don't think I made it up

 

[Hawkshot99]

I am not afraid of falling, I am scared of a yard sale though. When I fall violently enough to lose my gear, i have no control over my body. When this happens, I just try to be loose, and let the mountain take control. When you fight it, you are tense and more likely to get injured.

 

[JD]

Skiing to ski tomorrow. It takes an injury to make you reel it back in enough to have fun, and keep having it day after day. Wisdom.

 

[Marc]

I am not afraid of falling, I am scared of a yard sale though. When I fall violently enough to lose my gear, i have no control over my body. When this happens, I just try to be loose, and let the mountain take control. When you fight it, you are tense and more likely to get injured.

I can't imagine a man who has conquered enough of his fear to ride a moped would be afraid of much else...

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

For me I wonder is it fear or concern? If it was fear I don't think I'd charge down tuff lines, ski fast through trees, or try to stay in the fall line on steep bump runs. I am concerned for my safety, as I don't enjoy pain or want to break something and be out for the season, but I still take risks that maybe I shouldn't.

When it comes to "biggish" air I do feel fear as I look down at and go for the kicker. I have to make myself do it.

 

[loafer89]

I took a hard fall on saturday at Sunday River on sheet ice and brused my buttock, but we kept on skiing with the help of some advil.

 

[Hawkshot99]

I can't imagine a man who has conquered enough of his fear to ride a moped would be afraid of much else...

Your right, I am fearless:dunce:

Maybe that is why
i wear my full face helmet with chrome shield when I ride it, to hide my identity.:razz:

 

[Grassi21]

I know that I had a problem with this. Brian would always criticize me for being afraid of falling. For me, it was a few things. I had it set in my mind that I wasn't doing well if I was falling. That falling was humiliating. Falling = loser. That sort of stuff. It's taken some time to realize that I'm not pushing myself enough if I never fall. So I guess Brian can say "I told you so."

I have skied with Brian a bunch of times over the past season or so. You should listen to his advice. That guy is always falling. ;-)