The Art of Falling

[Yo Momma]

RESTDAY - Stefan Dollinger

Was checking out this very different video posted by @LiquidFeet and @Sibhusky sparked the idea for this thread.

When falling on skis and conscious ( ) what are the best ways to navigate eventual restoration of composure? As in parkour, are there reliable techniques we can learn from videos like this to help us to avoid injuries? I remember learning Judo rolls from my Mom when I was a kid as an adjunct to my Kung Fu studies. Those rolls are intuitive at this point and have saved my poser ass more times than I can count on concrete, snow, dirt and water....

It seems that many Aikido, Gymnastic and even modern Dance moves have been integrated into Parkour and even taken to "Next Level" status. Last crash I had, I was flipping to switch in sketchy eastern spring condition. KABAAAM I hit hard, jolted, saw stars... no moment to recompose during the crash. Other times I find myself sliding, maneuvering my skis into the air and eventually rolling right into the next turn.... like, "Oh, yeah! I meant to do that" ...... Yeah Right!!!

I'm sure this topic has been discussed in the past but I've never seen it in the context of integrating modern "Falling" techniques which have progressed to an incredible level thanks to Parkour.

 

[scott43]

I wish I could still roll...

 

[Henry]

When I fall it ain't art. More like splat.

The only motion I can think of to reduce disaster is to try to get your feet downhill so you can use the edges to arrest your speed. Now about the time I was on an icy back bowl at Vail, fell, and finally came to a stop just 2 feet above Rocky Gulch.... Or the time I was skiing under the tramline at Jackson and took the weirdest fall--not a bad fall, just weird, I didn't know until I stopped sliding whether I was head up or head down, face up or face down. Or the time skiing in deep powder outside Vernon, B.C., well, that plastic think on my head was more like a nose cone than a helmet. I did some face plants so deep it was dark.

 

[Johnny V.]

Sometimes you can feel it coming and slide or roll it out. Other times you just hit the ground (or worse) groggily checking to see it anything is broken and wondering WTF happened?

 

[David]

Growing up playing sports I learned how to take a hit and how to fall. Usually it's rolling and just going with the momentum instead of trying to stop untill you're in a position to roll back up onto your feet or slide to a stop. Other times, like others said, you just go splat and wonder WTF just happened after the cobwebs clear.

 

[Fuller]

The only way to get good at falling is to practice it! I'm too old for that.

 

[Bill Miles]

Sometimes, trying to save yourself from a fall results in a worse outcome than simply letting yourself fall to begin with.

 

[fatbob]

Definitely easier to take a hip check/flop than to try to recover from a backseat knee threatening position. As for the rest tuck the wrists and chin in, decide early whether skis are staying on for braking or can be kicked off.

 

[jt10000]

Growing up playing sports I learned how to take a hit and how to fall. Usually it's rolling and just going with the momentum

 

[Tony S]

eventual restoration of composure

Still waiting.

 

[François Pugh]

Things change.
I can recall back in the straight ski days on fairly steep runs, just pointing the skis straight down and getting back up on them.
This technique doesn't work on short radius skis; they just hook up and get removed from your feet.
Also doesn't work too well on too soft spring snow when it's not very steep even on straight skis; instead the tips dig in and catapult you 40 feet into the air.
Remember to protect your head at all times, fall on your forearms, not your hands. If you can do a proper break-fall from Judo or whatever, great. If you're going over, roll with it; go with the flow. If you're sliding along and your skis are still attach keep you feet and skis in the air. Think about self arrest.

 

[Andy Mink]

try to get your feet downhill so you can use the edges to arrest your speed

That's worked a couple of times for me. One time, though, it didn't help at all. I got my feet downhill and started trying to arrest. The edges caught and I launched. From there it was all over in a 300' or so rag doll crash. Scariest thing I've experienced in a very long time. Honestly, it was a no fall zone and I did. I don't think any method would have made it come out better.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Falling is a young person's game. Heck, the one time I purposefully fell, so was entirely ready for it, resulted in major abdominal surgery. And that was 16 years ago, when I was young ...er. Never assume you truly know hat's waiting for you after contact. There have been times when it was a slow enough fall that I could actually drop a shoulder and roll, but my current reflexes wouldn't even come close to reacting in time.

On the other hand, the fear of falling can, and often does, make things worse.

 

[Tony S]

That's worked a couple of times for me. One time, though, it didn't help at all. I got my feet downhill and started trying to arrest. The edges caught and I launched. From there it was all over in a 300' or so rag doll crash. Scariest thing I've experienced in a very long time. Honestly, it was a no fall zone and I did. I don't think any method would have made it come out better.

Been there! You (and I) need a consult with Slim Slidell.

 

[wooglin]

There’s falling, and there’s falling with boards attached to your feet. I can do the former.

 

[dbostedo]

Been there! You (and I) need a consult with Slim Slidell.

I think when @Snowfan fell down Hunziker chute at Taos, he said he realized he wasn't going to be able to self-arrest, so balled up a bit rather than risk rag-dolling. (Slim can only do so much.) He came out relatively OK thankfully and skied later that week. Do I have that right @Snowfan?

 

[Rod9301]

Until the slope is in the upper 40s (degrees), it's relatively easy to turn or flip to put your skis below you

Once it reaches 50, it pretty impossible to stop if you're tumbling. Which is why heli skiing operations do not take clients in 50 degree terrain, unless they really know their capabilities. IE they never fall.

 

[Tricia]

That's worked a couple of times for me. One time, though, it didn't help at all. I got my feet downhill and started trying to arrest. The edges caught and I launched. From there it was all over in a 300' or so rag doll crash. Scariest thing I've experienced in a very long time. Honestly, it was a no fall zone and I did. I don't think any method would have made it come out better.

Yup. I watched it unfold right before my eyes. A couple things came to mind...

• I told him not to fall
• Dang I really don't want to have to call @AKMINK and tell her I broke Andy.

 

[Tricia]

The only way to get good at falling is to practice it! I'm too old for that.

When I was teaching skiing, we didn't necessarily teach people how to fall, but we did teach them how to get back up after a fall. Sometimes teaching to fall is the only way to teach how to get back up

 

[Andy Mink]

I told him not to fall

Sage advice.