Evolving Equipment Blamed For Alpine Ski Injuries

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SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) -- Lindsey Kildow catches her left edge in training, does the splits at 50 mph and is catapulted into the air before landing into an uncertain Olympic future.

Johann Grugger of Austria also did the high-speed splits and slammed forward into the icy surface during a downhill race in December, dislocating his right hip. And Mario Scheiber didn't even fall but still shredded his knee ligaments when he made a routine turn during preseason training, ending his season before it began.

Faster equipment, man-made snow and powerful bodies make for a relentless evolution of Alpine racing, and skiers may simply be unable to handle it.

"The equipment ... raises the quality of skiing, but it probably does put people at more risk," U.S. Ski Team surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman told The Associated Press.

Ski design has changed radically in recent years. In the 1970s, leg bones were the ones most often broken; today it's knees and ankles.

Boots are higher and more flexible, putting pressure on the knees. Skis have sharper edges and more pronounced hourglass shapes, allowing tighter turns. Bindings that release with the shock of impact in most violent crashes hold skis on the feet and increase the risk of injury with slower falls.

Weather, specifically less snowfall in Europe in recent years, may be a factor, too.

"This means there is only a small covering of snow on the course," said Salomon skis race director Philippe Auer. "The terrain is more sharply defined and that makes it more dangerous. The snow cannons make this better, but if you make (snow) then it's very aggressive."

Aggressive as in hard and grippy -- like the difference between grass and artificial turf.

Man-made snow is unforgiving for carving dges. One false move and a racer's ski swoops away, carrying only one leg with it. If a skier catches an edge in the grippy snow, it can jolt the knee hard enough to cause injury without a fall.

Aggressive snow also can aggravate a fall. A skier skidding prone on the snow can be badly hurt if a sharp edge hits the grippy surface, launching him into the air.

That's what happened to Kildow during her Olympic downhill training run Monday -- though, amazingly, she escaped serious injury.

And the fitter a skier, the bigger the danger.

That's because ligaments cannot be strengthened, even as skiers become more and more muscled.

International Ski Federation manufacturers are working to reduce injuries. FIS has set a maximum distance between the sole of the foot and the ski to limit torque on the knee during turns, and has limited how much of an hourglass shape skis can have.

Course setters also use more turns and rolls to slow skiers down.

"If you have a course that's flat like this floor and designed like a well-prepared highway, they go and they don't think about it, and all of a sudden there's a turn and they crash into the net," said World Cup race director Guenter Hujara. "But if you make this with little bumps and rolls, the racer has to think about it and he's aware of his situation. We see that slows them down."

Not everyone likes that.

Though U.S. downhill specialist Daron Rahlves is no stranger to crashes, he thrives on steep, fast, icy downhills.

"The equipment is so advanced and can generate so much power, the skis and the boots. That's what we want, high performance material," he said. "We are certainly skiing and doing things you could not before."

Carving skis were responsible for Rahlves' crash in Adelboden, Switzerland, last season. The U.S. veteran was poised for his first giant slalom victory when he was suddenly ejected from the course in a bruising cartwheeling flight. The crash sidelined Rahlves for several races and ended his 2005 World Cup downhill title chances.

But Rahlves, who will retire at the end of the season after 11 years on the circuit, doesn't like the safety-conscious direction.

"The progression is the wrong way. It's getting too easy," Rahlves lamented. "It's too much about safety concerns. It's downhill ski racing. There should be an element of danger and risk."

Even Hujara, the man responsible for the safety of racers, cannot disagree.

"You cannot rule everything," he said. "If you allow ski racing then you need good material and then the racer has to know -- and he knows -- the moment he puts on his helmet he's taking a risk."

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