5 Alternative Gift Ideas for the Skier this Christmas

If you’re a skier already then you’ll probably own most of the gear and kit needed for a great ski holiday. However, every year as Christmas approaches we ask ourselves “what do you buy the Skier in your family for Christmas?” Here are a few ‘off-piste’ ideas for you to consider …. Cuff links Who wouldn’t want to be reminded that you’re going skiing soon, or indeed the fun times enjoyed during your last snowsports holiday. These cuff links are a great stocking filler – Continue reading →

5 ways Duct Tape can save your ski adventure!

Following on from our recent blog ‘How Duct Tape Saved My Adventure‘ in which our adventure cameraman Keith Partridge, explains how he helped patch up a crashed aeroplane with a trusty roll of duct tape, we came up with some other ways in which duct tape can save the day during your time on the mountain. 1. Saving your modesty   “Oh dear!” Not sure that even duct tape will make this look any better, however it would seal the hole and allow the skier to Continue reading →

Why we injure ourselves skiing and how to avoid the dangers

Despite this skiing and snowboarding are enjoyed by many worldwide we know that there are inherent risks.  There have been a number of studies that have looked at the incidence and severity of ski and snowboarding injuries. Overall injury rate for skiers has been reported as 3 injuries per 1000 skier days[1][2]. According to the National Ski Areas Association in the USA[3], during 2002-2012 about 41.5 people have died skiing/snowboarding per year on average.  Serious injuries (paralysis, serious head, and other serious injuries) occur at the rate of Continue reading →

5 ways to become a stronger skier

Getting fit for skiing is one of the most common pieces of advice that we physiotherapists give to anyone that we know is going skiing.  To avoid injury and elevate your enjoyment preparation is more than just fitness training…. Do some training If you do one thing this winter to prepare for your ski trip, do some training!  It doesn’t really matter what you do but make sure that you start it early and include a variety of strength, endurance and balance exercises.  Being fir Continue reading →

Our Top five tips for an effective warm up at the start of a day’s skiing

You’ve arrived, read the snow reports and settled into your accommodation, perhaps already been to the equipment hire shop and now you’re ready to hit the Snow! However are you muscles ready? Winter sports use your muscles very differently compared to sports during the rest of the year. So send a message to your body and activate the muscles you’re going to be using, straining and feeling throughout your holiday. Try to reduce those sore legs in between days and prevent some of the most common injuries caused on Continue reading →

Important life lessons from a 24hour cross country ski marathon

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to compete in a 24 hour cross-country ski marathon in Switzerland (Ski-24).  Let’s get some of the numbers sorted first – there were 61 teams consisting of mostly ten members, there were two solo guys and five teams of three of which we were one, that meant roughly eight hours each.  It was a four kilometre course with about 160m of up and down every loop.  Between us we managed 83 laps which added up to 332km and Continue reading →

SkiFit is in the Easyjet Traveller Magazine!

You know you’ve made it when you open an inflight magazine and see your product! Mum will be pleased! While we do know its actually too late to get fit for skiing once you are sat on the plane flying out to start your skiing holiday, however it’s still great to get this recognition! Hopefully those skiers who happen to flick to page 48 of Traveller Magazine while munching on an easyjet sandwich daydreaming about the mountains, the snow, the food etc that they will Continue reading →

Help! I’m going skiing for the first time in 4 weeks!

Ski lessons will make or break your first ski experience – choose a excellent instructor such as the team at BASS St Gervis – Megeve HELP!! I am 52 and have never skied in my life! I am not really fit:( and have 4 weeks to at least make some effort. I also have a problem with one knee so shall have to work around that:( Where would you suggest I start? We recently received this question from a SkiFit user who faces the very Continue reading →

The perfect gift for the skiing fanatic this Christmas!

SkiFit, the perfect gift for the skier who has nearly everything… Its that time of year again when we are rushing around in an Xmas party induced fog trying to find gifts for all the family. But what do you buy for that loved one who lives to ski but already has the gloves, the goggles, the socks, the hand warmers, the thermal underwear, the GoPro helmet mount etc? The answer is a simple and cheap gift that will improve their skiing holiday in ways Continue reading →

Learning with the Geeks – snow pits on an avalanche level 2 course

Learning to dig and interpret snow pits with the experts on the Avalanche Geeks level 2 course reveals the benefits and limitations of this technique. Following the great avalanche level 1 course we attended in 2014 with the Avalanche Geeks (AKA Bruce Goodlad and Mike Austin) we followed up this year with a level 2 course. This course over 3 days revisited the same topics of snow, terrain and the human element, but went deeper into more geekery including some very graphic and thought provoking Continue reading →