Skiing vs. Snowboarding on newly rebuilt knee

[Shepherd Wong]

So I had acl and meniscus surgery this past april and now am cleared and ready to go for the winter. I ski and snowboard, and am about equal ability at each. I was pretty certain I would start off this season mostly snowboarding and get back to skiing later as I gained more confidence in my knee. I mentioned this to my doc and he suggested the opposite. Anyone have any experience or advice?
Thanks!
Sheppy.

[hemas]

Well I used to snowboard and now mainly tele and occationally ski. Had I a board, I'd be on it this season. Much less change of twisting kind of accidents on the knee. So in other words, I agree with you and disagree with your doc.

I'll most likely tele most of this season to get the hamstring (graft) and quad back to shape. And I'll prolly ski less aggressively than I dis before... At least in the beginning .

[Sinecure]

Does your doc do both? Either? I can see how you'd get this advice from any number of people who have either 1) never snowboarded, or 2) only snowboarded 1-2 times and/or only watched people try to learn to snowboard.

I had my first knee problems starting more than 20 years ago. Partially torn acl. I used to ski hard, and loved bumps, steeps, whatever. Coincidentally, I learned to snowboard the season following my first knee injury and subsequent scoping of that knee to clean up meniscus (no acl repair).

Since then, I've continued to ski, but mostly I snowboard. I also tore up my other knee (skiing) in a similar fashion. Skiing hurts my knees a lot more than snowboarding. My theory is that because skiing involves a lot more twisting and torqueing the knee, it hurts more, inflames my knees more and is generally "more bad". In snowboarding, your knees are generally flexing in the same plane of motion as eachother.

I find I can snowboard for 4-5 days straight, without having to take a day off. If I'm snowboard racing, or race training, then my knees get sore and a bit swollen after those 4-5 days and I really want a day off. If its soft, or just really nicely groomed, 4-5 days isn't much of a problem on the board. If I ski, I usually need to take a break after 1-2 days. YMMV.

Get a good knee brace for this season. Ask if they have an option for a patella pad on the brace. Its nice to have if you are kneeling on hard snow waiting for your slow-ass skier friends.

[Shepherd Wong]

He does both. It kind of makes sense to me though, coming back from surgery. I've done both skiing and boarding for a long time, and I think I could pretty much guarantee a day of going 60% and not doing any tweaking of my knee on skis. A day of boarding at 60% would almost certainly result in some jarring of my knee, and probably a wipe out of some sort with a deep knee bend.

[Sinecure]

I think I need to take some ski lessons and learn how to ski without hurting my knees. Seriously. I think the last time I had a real lesson on skis was over 20 years ago. I do lots of SB race training, but no ski lessons. Hmmm. I still maintain my position that boarding will hurt less. I guess you'll have to try it and see.

[mogulash]

I'm skiing on my rebuilt knee this year, but there is no doubt snowboarding is easier on your knee.

[Shepherd Wong]

I agree that if I was charging and taking hard wipeouts skiing would be no doubt rougher on a knee. I'm just questioning whether taking it easy and getting my winter legs back would be. I had planned on mainly snowboarding when the season started, but then when the doc said to ski it made me think he might have a point.
Anyway everyone is different with their comfort/confidence levels, I guess I'm just kind of realizing I'll probably feel better going skiing my first couple of days.

[hemas]

Shephard... I do think your doc has some point... Alpine is good since you'll need more muscles for it and thus you'll get a better workout. But my common sense says that falling with skis is going to be worse for the knee than blundering with a snowboard.

[jayfrizzo]

I think it's all the kneeling snowboarders do off the hill that your doc is concerned with.

J-

[Buzzworthy]

Interesting. I am going out on my board first. And my old board, the one I am used to as opposed to the new one I got last year and rode 3 times. I want to feel confident and get some more strength before going to the stiffer new plank.

I don't really plan to ski till after Xmas. But I really am a better boarder than skier now.

My doc does both and is more mainly a skier. He felt my decision to get on the board that I am used to first is a good one. Less stress on knees for sure.

I will be wearing my Donjoy regardless of what I do for this whole season.

And regarding kneeling, I plan to sit a lot more. However, with my Aegix A1 pants, I can kneel on padding. I am on the bottom edge of the padding, but some is better than none.

I have full ROM and can even hyperextend a bit now. Doc is not worried about kneeling. Hard twisting is what he wants me to stay away from.

But this year, I am only out for pure enjoyment. Not pushing anything. If my posse heads somehwhere I don't want to go to, I simply won't. I suspect the iPOD will be used more. But I know some of the riders I will be out with will sometimes wait. If not, I can find my way around. I can't let pressure from others make me ride something I could regret. So I won't.

I really am looking forward to a powder seeking season.

[4matic]

Another +1 for snowboard. The only advantage i can think for ski is traversing; you don't have to skate.

[NorCascader]

i ABSOLUTELY disagree that a snowboard is better for knees.

1) you are sideways barreling down a hill--your joints don't go that way.

2)have you ever been heelside and "slid out" on ice. hello instant hyperextension.

3)hard pack vibrations and the constant force on your back leg.

skiing is a much more natural stance when attacking a down hill. You are asking for it when you hurl your body down a hill sideways...

[Sinecure]

Have you ever snowboarded?

i ABSOLUTELY disagree that a snowboard is better for knees.

1) you are sideways barreling down a hill--your joints don't go that way.

Huh? But your knees bend forward for skiing?

2)have you ever been heelside and "slid out" on ice. hello instant hyperextension.

Wow, thank goodness that's never happened to me. Are you kidding? You land on your ass if that happens. I've been snowboarding for 20+ years and never even came close to hyperextension from that.

3)hard pack vibrations and the constant force on your back leg.

On hard pack, no way. Maybe in cut-up crud if you don't have the right board or your bindings are mounted too far forward. If you have constant, disproportionate force (sic) on your rear leg, you aren't snowboarding properly.

skiing is a much more natural stance when attacking a down hill. You are asking for it when you hurl your body down a hill sideways...

I can almost buy the first part of this, but the second part is complete bullshit. And the only thing that makes the skiing stance more comfortable for many is that you are facing where you are going and so you don't need to turn your head as much to see what's coming. Big woop.

I'm reminded of another user's alias on here.
SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU FUCKING MORON

[NorCascader]

I snowboarded for years, gosh maybe not 20 years like you ass hat.

Skiing is waay easier on the joints.

nature didn't intend you to go down slope sideways...period

What part of that don't you under stand?

Have you ever launched on a board and come down all on one leg in your stupid ass sideways stance. yeah chump change not good for the knee.

Now....that said and done...

you sir are a dick!

[Buzzworthy]

Thanks for the cunt up.

Those of us fortunate to come out of surgery and get back to doing what we love is pretty cool.

I have skied since age 5, now 33. Boarded since age 17. I feel more comfy on the board. Joints DO feel better to me on the board than skis.

The point of sliding out and hyperextending: Easy fix there, were the brace. It is designed really for JUST this reason. Doc explained to me that it really won't help a twisting fall. Think about how tight you would need to get the brace to hold the BONES around all the muscle and fatty tissue. So my Donjoy is set purposefully to stop at 10 degress flexion so as not to hyperextend.

My take:
Blow up skiing and who knows what limbs tangle where.
Blow up boarding and you land on your front, your back or you tomahawk.
I'll be riding at like 60% of normal as to not blow up.

Opinions are great, but no need to throw names cause they may differ from another mag.



Oh, and I was boarding the first part of the day before I blew my knee. BUT it was March hardpack so I went to switch to my skis. A few runs in a POP.

My trust in in my snowboard and those skills at this point.

[Tourette Dude]

Take it easy and build your quads and muscles around your knees gradually.
if you choose the snowboard-Pick the powder days that way if you do catch an edge you've got something nice and soft to slam into. Also set the bindings more neutral. My knees were trashed before I even started boarding and the only time I've been hurt was on a transition from a non-groomed area to a groomed run in flat light. Hit the groomer basically parallel to the run and flat on the base and collapsed my legs behind me. The injury occured because my binding angles were ducked out and my kness flexed back AND outward(outward because of the ducked binding angle. -I hope this makes sense?? If the bindings are more neutral your joint will tolerate things better until you build up leg strength.

[Buzzworthy]

Good call on lessening my binding angles.
Run +15 and +7 front and back currently.

Taking em down to say +8 and neutral. First day or two I will be carrying a screwdriver so I can mess with em as needed.

[Sinecure]

Hmmm. I'm not sure I'd agree on lessening the angles necessarily changing things. I could see how if you have a big gap between the angles, that could cause issues. But I run 51-55 rear and 56-60 front with no problems. I could see a duck stance causing problems.

Oh, and sorry for cunting up the thread, but I just couldn't resist. Plus sarcasm never works on the intartubes.

[Buzzworthy]

Sin, you are fine, not you.

I don't do the duck, never have. Learned on hardboots and plates and have kept that stance to a degree ever since.

Hell, I will just start normal and tweak as needed.

Now we need snow.

[NorCascader]

can a person cunt a thread by expressing an opinion that you don't share.

Very dissapointing Buzzworthy

[Shepherd Wong]

Thanks everyone. Knee feels great, probably better than the other neglected one. Can't wait for the start of the season. I think I'll start off the first day skiing, just because I personally feel more confident doing that. Probably will be boarding within a couple of days like nothing happened and this discussion will all be worthless. I don't know about turning down the angles, I'm currently at 21 and -9 so pretty duck. Anything else just feels weird to me and probably puts me at more risk.
Enjoy the winter!

[timvwcom]

...I think I'll start off the first day skiing, just because I personally feel more confident doing that. Probably will be boarding within a couple of days like nothing happened...

I was gonna suggest you try both and see for yourself. Looks like that's almost the plan. I came back to snow sports after nearly 20 years off the hill. Started up again on a snow board thinking it would be better for the knee, then after most of a season tried out skis for old times sake. It was money and I never went back to the board, but YMMV.

[Buzzworthy]

can a person cunt a thread by expressing an opinion that you don't share.

Very dissapointing Buzzworthy

I will show you dissapointing, not opinion:

I snowboarded for years, gosh maybe not 20 years like you ass hat.

Have you ever launched on a board and come down all on one leg in your stupid ass sideways stance. yeah chump change not good for the knee.

you sir are a dick!

Now go sit in a corner and think about what you have done.

[Tele'ndaboat]

Go search teletips, they had a thread on a study done world wide on what was the best on knees...

Snowlerblading was the safest







That being said, tele had the least knee injuries out of Tele vs snowboarding vs alpine, Can't remember if boarding or alpine was safer though?

[Shepherd Wong]

Well first day went great. Felt no different than the other knee. I'm so pumped!