Two-Time Olympic Mogul Skier, Anja Bolbjerg Joins Our Team!

Anja knows that having fun on the slopes is directly related to your fitness level and who better to train with than this two-time Olympian, while in the privacy of your own home. Her fantastic body sculpting and get-ready-to-ski Fitness DVD is available right here in our store. With this unique learning tool you will most likely become the best skier in your posse. Get fit, then school the "boys" in the bumps and all over the mountain.

Below, Anja tells you exactly why training with her Ski Fitness DVD will make you a better skier quickly:

Ski-specific Training Will Make You a Better Skier....

When you train specifically for skiing you will attack the slopes - on or off piste – with lots of advantages: 

·        You will be stronger

·        You will have a better balance for skiing.

·        You will stand way stronger from the beginning of the season, than if you just ski yourself in shape. 

·        You will be better at saving those situations where you get out of balance

·        You will reduce the risk of injury 

Skiing is different from other sports in many ways. One way is that the physical effort is mostly about keeping your balance and resisting to external forces.  These forces get bigger the harder you ski.

If Old Injuries are Haunting you....

If you have to deal with sore knees or an aching back every time you are out there – then ski-specific training is definitely what you need in order to change that.  With an efficient ski training program you will 

·     Improve the stability around the spine and the knee and hip joints to help you avoid getting into those painful end-of-range positions and

·     Improve the strength in your legs, hips and core to effectively help you against overexertion and fatigue injuries on your precious ski days.

The sooner the better – but even if you didn’t get started in fall, remember that some training for skiing is better than none.  The most important is that you train consistently once you start.  Follow a program that works the muscles around your hips, knees and spine and that incorporates elements of balance.  You can improve your balance a lot in just one month with the right exercises. 

The easy way to get fit for skiing is by following the program in her Ski Fitness DVD>

Anja Bolbjerg: Freeride and Mogul Skiing at Val Thoren GO>

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WOMEN'S SKIER-CROSS NEWS

Update 12/2008: Tine, from right here in the ladies lounge, will wear the U.S. Team Suit this season - stay tuned!

Update 03/14/08:  Tine places 7th at Sun Valley in International Skier-Cross Event! See the bottom of this page for all the details.

Update 02/04/08:  Tine places 17th in World Cup Skier Cross and 2nd among U.S. women.

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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SKI TALK CONTINUED......

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

• 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).

• Women have wider calves and narrower heels.

• 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:

• Men have more muscle mass which generates heat.

• Women have a higher ratio of surface to volume, so we lose heat faster.

• 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  

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How gear can help – basic differences between men and women’s equipment

 Women specific boots:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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:

• Are lighter and easier to flex.  

• The mounting point of the binding is farther forward than on men’s skis. 

• The waist of the ski is farther forward. 

• The sidecut of the ski is designed to work with the forward binding position. 

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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.