Preparation for skiing and snowboarding.

BACKGROUND

Winter sports participation is growing in popularity following the success of recent Australian Winter Olympic Teams. On the recreational front, snowboarding is equal in popularity to skiing. Injury types are varied and specific to the sports.

OBJECTIVE

This article compares the common injuries sustained while skiing and snowboarding and details key factors that are assessed with our national mogul and snowboard teams.

DISCUSSION

Before being able to provide advice regarding fitness and training as a preventive approach to reducing injuries, it is important to understand energy systems of winter sports. Suitable training regimens are considered and other preventive considerations, such as skill level, ski conditions and equipment are discussed with particular attention to specific energy system tests that can identify weakness.