A3-18) Fat people and Skiing
Description
This article is from the Big Folks Sports and Activities FAQ, by sharon@ecs.ox.ac.uk (Sharon Curtis) with numerous contributions by others.
A3-18) Fat people and Skiing
The feel of the wind in your face as you fly downhill on a pair of skis
is fantastic. The first few days on skis, though, you're more likely to
spend a lot of your time on the ground trying to get up again than
experiencing the flying feeling. This is the same for everyone, not
just fat people and everyone should be prepared for it when they start
out. It's advisable to learn on a real snow ski slope as the snow is softer
to land on than the dry slope version.
Advantages:
The most important thing when learning is to gain a sense of balance and
fat people tend to have more established centres of gravity which enable
them to do this more easily. Also, people with long gangly limbs are
more likely to get them tangled up than those with fat limbs.
Disadvantages:
If you are not very good at getting into an upright position from
sitting/lying on the floor then you may have problems getting up
unaided after you have fallen.
Falling seems to be a fact of life when first learning to ski or when
trying to advance to another level. It can be especially troublesome
because the techniques that ski instructors teach to get up after a fall
simply don't work for fat folks, unless you are unusually flexible
or are on an extremely steep hill. The simple answer is to remove one
ski, stand up, and put the ski back on. It is easiest to put your ski back
on if you make the loose ski the uphill ski as you stand across the fall
line. Don't let ski instructors bully you because this takes a bit longer
than what they teach.
What clothing do I wear?
The main thing is to be comfortable all day, no matter what the weather.
Wear lots of thin, soft layers underneath and a waterproof layer on top.
DON'T wear jeans - they WILL get wet no matter what and will chafe.
Jogging pants or leggings underneath a pair of waterproof trousers will
be more comfortable. Wear clothes which are comfortable to bend in and
won't constrict you.
Wear a knee-high pair of socks with no rolls or seams where they will be
inside your boots. Don't wear trousers tucked into boots as this creates
friction along seams.
You also need waterproof gloves, hat or ear protection, sunglasses or
goggles, balaclava, scarf, and extra thermals if necessary.
What equipment do I need?
The length and type of ski depends on your ability, style, and height,
but not your weight. It's easier to start learning on short skis.
It's also important that the bindings should be adjusted to match your
weight and ability. If your bindings are set too low for your weight
then you may pop out of them unnecessarily. It is usually quite easy
to tell if your bindings are releasing too early as they will release
when you try to make a normal manoeuvre, rather than when you've twisted
a leg into the wrong position.
Hire shops tend to process customers as quickly as possible. If you
feel that your bindings may be set incorrectly you can ask your
instructor if they can help (many carry the necessary screwdriver to
make the adjustments) or take them back to the shop and ask to have them
adjusted for you properly. This should involve you standing in your
boots in the bindings and them testing the pressure in some way. (A
sideways kick to release the toe grip and asking you to step forward out
of the rear binding whilst they stand on the rear of the ski is one set
of crude tests.)
Boots:
Boots have to be as comfortable as possible and often are not.
Fat people sometimes have the problem of boots not fastening around
the calf and being too narrow in the foot. If your feet are larger
than a 10 women's (US size), you will have to wear a man's boot. Men's
boots always have smaller calf fit. Do try different brands,
as they vary quite considerably. Typically, Saloman's are often narrow
in fit, Nordica's are often wider, and Lange's tend to be small in
calf size, but have good instep height. For boots that don't fasten around the
calf, extension loops to fit certain types of boots can be purchased at
most ski shops.
If a boot is too narrow this is tricky. Some more expensive boots have
more adjustments including pads which can be adjusted to push in to fit
around your foot to prevent it sliding around. If you are hiring it may
be worth investigating the cost of hiring a more expensive pair of boots
to get this extra adjustment.
Rear entry boots are the most common boots that beginning/intermediate
skiers use. This is slowly changing as rear entry boots fall out of favor
and technology continues to improve comfort in front-entry boots.
Rear entry boots can be made to fit larger calves by replacing the
existing cable with a longer one. A custom boot fitter is the best source
for this. If you don't live in an area with ski boot fitters, most major
ski areas in North America have one on staff. Or, ask at the ski patrol
office who they use. Boot fitters are accustomed to working with ski
tourists who are on a tight schedule.
Front and mid-entry boots are the choice for high-intermediates/experts.
They offer more control, though often at a loss of comfort and/or warmth.
At a glance, these boots do not look customizable for large calves.
However, a good boot fitter can do it.
Boot fitting is included free if you purchase your boots from the fitter
(at full retail). The benefit is that fitters usually offer a lifetime
fit warranty -- including calf fit. If you buy your boots elsewhere, fitting
and customization is done for a fee, but it is always worth it. If you
rent your gear you will most likely get rear-entries, some rental shops
(particularly those at the resorts themselves) have the longer cables.
If you enjoy skiing a lot and want to advance, I would recommend having ski
orthotics made by the fitter. They can be moved to your next boots and
reused. Note: these are entirely different than orthotics made by
podiatrists.
Another option is to have custom boots made. This is especially useful if
you have very wide or long feet. It is not as prohibitively expensive as it
sounds. DaleBoot USA (pronounced Dah-leh) in Salt Lake City will assemble
custom boots for your feet and lower legs in sizes up to 16 mens'. For about
20% more they can make foam injected boots, which are moulded specifically for
your own feet. The foam-injected customs cost about the same as a mid-upper
priced boot. All DaleBoots have a lifetime (of the boot) full-money back
guarantee. They are infrequently rated by the ski magazines because they
are custom, but are excellent boots.
Sticks:
For sticks, there are no special issues relating to weight.
Skis:
In recent years a new style of skis has come out that offers some real
benefits to heavy skiers. This is the style family of "fat" skis (yes,
this is the commonly-used name). Within this group are: super-fat (look as
wide as water skis), mid-fat, and wasp-waist or hour-glass skis. The major
benefit these skis offer is flotation for heavier skiers in powder snow or
cut-up crud. Some skiers are even opting to replace their all-mountain skis
with mid-fat or wasp-waist skis. (The super-fats are really best used as a
fun accessory ski.) These skis tend to be much shorter (up to 40 cm shorter than
what you'd normally ski on) and put less stress on your knees and hips.
They are great confidence builders.
Most major manufacturers now make them. They are variously known as
"Chubbs" (Volant), "Fat Boys" (Atomic), "Wide Glides" (Evolution),
"Big Kahunas" (K2), etc. They are definitely worth a try (be sure to demo or
rent to try them out before you buy).
Check out the rec.skiing FAQ, which can be found at
ftp: chinook.atd.ucar.edu /pub/ski/skiFAQ
www: http://skiing.geo.ucalgary.ca/skiing/faq.html
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