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Any pro's wear knee braces while skiing?

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Ryan_St33zeee
Posts: 106 - Karma: 15

Ive always wondered this because I've twisted my knee a few times while skiing and pros ski much bigger jumps and land much harder.

Jun 20 2010 11:14PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
Actually, does everybody's brace not interfere with their boots? I don't have access to my boots, and won't unless I go home for the weekend to make sure, but does anybody have that problem?

My brace seems rather long and looks like it would definitely interfere with my boot. Halp?
Oct 18 2010 6:00PM
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123+ski
Posts: 2832 - Karma: 581
they can help, but the best thing is PT. wearing it everytime will make you reliant and won't help it. I know some people are born with bad joints, i'm one of those people, but anything you can do to make it stronger really helps
Oct 18 2010 6:47PM
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fatbastard
Posts: 337 - Karma: 586
I've always heard that here and there and never understood it. When you're wearing a brace and you're in a squatting position--bouncing, jumping, whatever--I don't feel the brace is doing jack. How can it? It doesn't have any springs offering support, and you're still balancing and using all of those little muscles to do so. To me, the brace is just there in the event you go into a hyperextension position and that's when it actually does something by locking off before that can happen.

I'll add I've blown an ACL in one knee and everything in the other. I no longer where a brace in the first knee but will probably be wearing one on my really bad knee for a while to come. I'm definitely not worried about the muscles getting lazy beneath it, though.
Oct 18 2010 8:01PM
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titsLOL
Posts: 7485 - Karma: 396
If you haven't had any previous knee problems wearing one will just make your knee weak, unless you ski really gnarly stuff like people mentioned earlier. But if you aren't skiing with pep and seth on the reg then you are much better off just exercising your knee a lot off the slopes, which is better than a brace for many reasons.
Oct 18 2010 8:13PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
What's a good training routine? If that made any sense.
Oct 18 2010 8:45PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
I hate to ask again, but does anybody who wear one have a problem with it interfering with their boots? I'm short, and so have shorter legs. Mine looks like it will interfere with my boots. What would your options be besides not wearing it. I tore the acl completely and did some slight damage to the meniscus, repaired via hamstring.
Oct 18 2010 9:44PM
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C.Royce
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 187
never had a problem with them interfering w/ my boots. CTI often makes the tibial portion a little shorter for skiers, for that reason.

I ride w/ 2 CTIs always. I've blown my right knee twice and left once. The second time I blew my right knee, I had a custom CTI on. They definitely help, but they aren't a tell-all. I didn't even fall. I overshot a jump and my knee popped out. It wasn't my lack of strength either.. long story..

but yeah.. it's so nice riding w/o out them, because your legs are so much more free and light, but I wont try as many tricks or go as big.
Oct 18 2010 9:52PM
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titsLOL
Posts: 7485 - Karma: 396
In the gym there are good exercises you can do, but I don't know much about that so someone else can describe that. Just running and/or biking a lot in the off season (and when you can in the winter) makes yours whole legs a lot stronger and therefore much less injury prone.
Oct 18 2010 11:03PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
its not a trend to protect your knees you retard.
Oct 18 2010 11:29PM
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jhackbeez
Posts: 2136 - Karma: 258
I just had ACL reconstructive surgery on my left knee, had a hamstring graft.  My dr. is not making me wear a knee brace for skiing, because depending on the person they can be really contricting for your muscles to get back to what they should be.
Oct 18 2010 11:34PM
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basedjase
Posts: 2510 - Karma: 640
Quality post.
Oct 18 2010 11:49PM
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C.Royce
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 187
definitely don't wear one if you're training your muscles.. its more for during contact sports or sports like skiing where your knees are constantly at wrist. if you use one during weight training and stuff like that, you're more likely to rely on it. you use it instead of the muscles
Oct 18 2010 11:56PM
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Durtschi
Posts: 6897 - Karma: 1,878
I wear Asterisk braces on both knees, all season. Luke Tanaka hit a tree stump and it saved his knee from near combustion, they are a good deal and you get used to them after a while.
Oct 19 2010 12:09AM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
do these provide way more support than the neoprene ones? cuz my dads been through multiple knee injuries and still skis with the neoprene one, but im wondering if this kind would be better.
Oct 19 2010 12:17AM
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LivinOuttaBounZ
Posts: 949 - Karma: 382
YES! Check out their website! http://www.asterisk.com/ Just the knee pad alone is a great idea. Unlike the neoprene ones, the idea behind Asterisk isn't compression, but a reduction in articulation, unwanted twisting and rotation, range of motion, and impact protection.
Oct 19 2010 3:14AM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
$600 a pair is steep, but those look amazing if what people have been saying about them is true. Besides going for just a neoprene one, any suggestions to find these for cheap?
Oct 19 2010 3:20AM
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LivinOuttaBounZ
Posts: 949 - Karma: 382

I know you're replying to Durtschi, but since I have to shop retail like most of us I thought I'd chime in again.

I found mine on amazon.com from some motorcycle retailer for $200 each. Still pricy but it was worth it. I've only used them while skydiving so far but look forward to this season on snow with them.

Oct 19 2010 3:24AM
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Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9095 - Karma: 3,073
Now I'm all stressed out cuz I don't wear knee braces everyday ahha
Oct 19 2010 3:25AM
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Jooky
Posts: 1239 - Karma: 37
Well first of all, working the muscles around the knee is important:

Squats
Leg Extension
Leg curls
Calf raises

Then you need to start thinking about stability exercises:

Wall sits
Lunges
Balance activities (balance boards, etc)

All around workouts help too:

Plyometrics
Sprints
Wall balls
Circuit training

Hope this helps. If anything, Google will have a ton of workouts if you put in snow training, off-season, etc.
Oct 19 2010 9:47AM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,297
I do some variation of a leg press, ride the bike, the thing where you put the bard on your feet and extend your leg, and the leg that I hurt is my pushing foot when I skate to class. And I've been consciously trying to put more pressure on that foot when skating for balance and turning. I'm normlly very front footed, the non injured leg.
Oct 19 2010 10:48AM
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*Nefarious*
Posts: 1072 - Karma: 4,208
i also wear Asterisk braces on both knees. have for 5 years now, i swear by them...
*claim* Tanaka bought his life saving pair of braces from me, !
Oct 23 2010 2:38AM
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OCHO
Posts: 319 - Karma: 732
I also wear the Asterisk braces and have been riding them for 4 years now, they have saved me many of times wont ride with any other brace anymore.
Oct 23 2010 10:58AM
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RileySnyderPhoto
Posts: 688 - Karma: 1,451
I tore my ACL 2 years ago and my insurance paid for a Don Joy which I love and always ski with even though I have had surgery, its just a comfort thing now. I feel like its worth it to save up for a nice brace if you are worried about your knees (they do not make you invincible) but they help me not have to worry about my knee as much if I am riding crappy snow that is easy to tweak a knee in.
Oct 23 2010 11:20AM
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SoupCurry
Posts: 1847 - Karma: 731
i just re-upped my asterisk stash, slime green baby!!

but seriously, these haved saved me from thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of surgery/PT bills.

and thank you collin, if not for your words of wisdom i probably wouldn't be skiing this year...whoop whoop!
Oct 23 2010 4:48PM
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McLeod
Posts: 1762 - Karma: 1,582
been using my donjoy for 2 years, but a doctor wrote a prescription for it so it was far cheaper than the 1000 dollar price tag.

looking to upgrade and get a pair of asterisk's. heard great things, and my PT recommended them. any recommendations on best place to find a cheap pair? also, any idea on how to determine size?
Oct 23 2010 5:45PM
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.Asain-Skiier
Posts: 3708 - Karma: 977
I use them for my chicken legs.
Oct 23 2010 6:28PM
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Capernicus
Posts: 382 - Karma: 218
I don't know if I'd consider Asterisk an upgrade from DonJoy. I'd just say they are different. You also cannot compare bracing for football to bracing for skiing. Last time I checked, no one hits you in the side of the knee or lands on you when your body is in a 'pretzel' during skiing.

After my first ACL I didn't wear a brace skiing and I was fine. Then I tore it again playing another sport without a brace (was slacking on physical conditioning). So I got a DonJoy and wore it for two seasons, then this last season I didn't wear it, and I was fine. And after reading this thread I'm thinking about wearing it again this season. But I really think it's all mental

None of the doctors I visited suggested one. There is no recent studies that show that wearing a brace prevents knee injuries either (I have searched). Even if that were the case there is no way to factor in the physical conditioning and skiing intensity of the subject.

But I do agree with saying that investing in something that might reduce chance of injury by 2% is worth wearing. Rehab makes you think about a lot of things. So again, it's pretty much all mental either way you look at it.

Guy who wears brace outside knee = idiot

So, pros with braces:
Nimbus crew - CTI
Vanular - CTI
CHUG - Asterisk
Sage - yes (but what brand?)
Seth - yes (but what brand?)
TWoods - Asterisk
Durtschi - Asterisk
Tanaka - Asterisk
Collins - Asterisk
Martini - ?
Turpin - ?
Others - ?

How is Tanner going to brace this season?

Also if anyone could tell me what knee problems Even Raps and Boyd Easliy had that would be much appreciated.

Dec 9 2010 8:15PM
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Chompo.
Posts: 4952 - Karma: 88
haha yeah i know.. I have never really thought about getting one but now i may consider one if i can get the cash
Dec 9 2010 9:42PM
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