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WELCOME TO OUR
LADIES LOUNGE.
This is your
place to read about common sense
solutions for all things about
women and skiing. You will find
no deep rational discourse here,
just fun and sensible talk about
the sport we love. To facilitate
the chatter, we have started a
forum also called ladies lounge.
To share your
thoughts simply
click here.
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SKI
TALK
Tine,
from right here in the ladies lounge, places 17th in
World Cup Skier Cross and 2nd among U.S. women.
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Christine Cordeau was one of the top two U.S. skiers
in the World Cup Ski Cross event held at Deer
Valley, UT this week (02/04/08). It was Tine's first
World Cup event and she placed 17th just behind
Langley McNeal, who also skis for the U.S. This was
a remarkable accomplishment for Tine and we will all
stay tuned for more great finishes as she gets her
groove on in this dangerous, high speed sport that
will debut in the 2010 Olympics at Whistler, Canada.
Christine is a graduate of both
SITS and
SVMM.
SEE TINE SKI

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More women than men try skiing every year, yet men
outnumber women on
the slopes two-to-one. Why?
We can certainly enjoy skiing at least as
much as our male counterparts, just remember that we
are different, and have a few challenges to
overcome. Jeannie Thoren, one of the pioneers of
women specific ski gear sums it up as “women are not
just little men”. Now is a great time to be a woman
skier because of Jeannie and others like her, who
have challenged equipment manufacturers to make gear
specifically for our anatomy.
Facts about the
Femme
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Women have a
different center of gravity, with more weight
distributed in the bottom half of the body(a bit
more junk in the trunk).
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Women have
wider calves and narrower heels.
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Even athletic,
powerful women are not as strong as men of
comparable size.
This all makes it more difficult to get on the front
of your skis, and if you are not on the front of
your skis, you will not have fun!
It’s not your imagination ladies; you really do get
cold more easily than guys. Here’s why:
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Men have more
muscle mass which generates heat.
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Women have a
higher ratio of surface to volume, so we lose
heat faster.
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Women have a
higher vasoconstriction threshold temperature,
which means that as external temperature falls,
blood flow to the skin is restricted in order to
divert blood to internal organs. This is a
mechanism Mother Nature gave us to protect
unborn babies.
In coming weeks we will delve into different
women-specific ski equipment and also explore
solutions that will help us overcome “Facts about
the Femme” differences that hold us back from being
every bit as good as those man-skiers
How
gear can help – basic differences between men and
women’s equipment
Women
specific boots:
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Are lower volume, have narrower
heel pockets, more adjustable cuffs, and softer
forward flex. Adding heel lifts and rear
spoilers (plastic reinforcements in the back of
the cuffs) can help you get and stay forward.
Custom insoles are also a necessary investment.
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Are designed to sit at the proper
place on the calves to allow for maximum comfort
and flex, and to fit the foot without pinching
and cutting off circulation.
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Have plush liners that are
standard in modern good quality women’s boots
and along with the proper fit add up to warm and
cozy.
Women specific
skis:
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Are lighter and
easier to flex.
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The mounting
point of the binding is farther forward than on
men’s skis.
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The waist of
the ski is farther forward.
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The sidecut of
the ski is designed to work with the forward
binding position.
Find the right stuff
Do
your gear homework – read reviews, and go out and
visit specialty ski shops. A good ski shop can
provide a wealth of information, just make sure to
express your expectations and be honest about your
abilities. Seek out women who work in the shop and
ask their opinions.
The
cardinal rules of purchasing are:
1)
Demo skis before you buy, being sure to try the
different skis in exactly the same snow conditions
so your comparisons are valid. There is a helpful
guide to ski testing in the September 2006 issue of
Ski Magazine. Your can get this back issue by
calling Time4Media Customer Service at: 1 (800)
464-2819.
2)
Buy
boots from a shop with a professional boot fitter
who is willing to make infinite adjustments until
you are happy. You should both agree that you will
need to ski in your boots, then return to the shop
for final adjustments at no additional charge to
you. When you first ski in your boots, you may
experience “hot spots”. These are the areas where
you foot hurts inside the boot. Alleviate these
spots immediately by returning to your boot fitter
for an adjustment. This is very important because
your foot may quickly respond to pain by growing
bone spurs, etc. Never ski in pain, but don’t buy
boots just because they are so-very-comfortable
right out of the box. You need to spend time
customizing the inside of your boots to the exact
shape of your foot. Make the boot fit snug
everywhere around your foot, except in the toe box.
The front of your boot needs to have some room to
flex your toes a bit. For the rest of your boot, be
sure to achieve a snug fit without pressure points.
3)
If
you are an all-mountain skier or a once-in-while
recreational skier, always buy boots that have a
free-floating upper cuff. This mean the upper cuff
is not attached to the lower cuff at the rear spine
of the boot. This type of boot allows you to more
effectively and more easily flex your ankle forward,
a necessity if you want to be a better skier.
4)
Late each summer the major ski publications come out
with gear guides for the upcoming season. Use them
to help you decide what equipment best suites your
needs.