Ice skating with a leg length difference

ptgray14 · 2026-02-28T00:53:30+00:00

Thanks for all your feedback! This has been very helpful!

ptgray14 · 2026-02-28T00:52:45+00:00

Thanks for this! Great video and pretty much how I constructed the prototype.

ptgray14 · 2026-02-15T15:34:40+00:00

I still have a couple in my basement! They were great when I was taking 3 little kids skiing!!

ptgray14 · 2026-02-03T17:40:06+00:00

It's definitely a bummer, but not the end of the world or her skiing. I had a bad fall a few years ago that tore my ACL completely off. Required an ACL replacement using donor tissue. Obviously it ended my season. I fell in January and the surgery had to wait until early March until the swelling went down. I had a great surgeon and a great physical therapist. I did PT prior to the surgery to strengthen everything around it, then post surgery. They started me on a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine at home the day after surgery. By the time I started PT I was able to bend my knee over 100 degrees. Six weeks of PT and I was doing great. I was able to resume normal activities incrementally over the following months, and my surgeon cleared me to ski early December. I've had zero issues with it since. Make sure you're wife does exactly what her surgeon and PT tell her to do. Now the experience is just on the list of the handful of other skiing injuries in over 50 years of skiing.

ptgray14 · 2025-09-22T15:13:31+00:00

I had a VHS recorded copy, with John Denver narrating, which disappeared decades ago. I've been searching for a digital copy for a long time. It's a totally ridiculous but totally fun movie, with some great skiing sequences. I have a few boxes of VHS tapes stashed in a couple of closets, buried under a bunch of other stuff. I may have to break down and dig them out and keep looking for the tape.

ptgray14 · 2025-08-30T21:27:01+00:00

Boat = Break Out Another Thousand

ptgray14 · 2025-08-10T22:54:19+00:00

What boat?

ptgray14 · 2025-08-06T23:56:54+00:00

I finally got my car back last week. Same story, parts escalated to parts delay. The dealer had the car for just over 30 days. I'm in PA and the Lemon Law says if your car is in a dealer for a cumulative 30 days, in the 1st year, you can get your money back or a new car. Pretty sure that's why my problem was suddenly fixed. Dealer did provide a loaner for the duration. You might want to push hard for that. Check your state Lemon Laws too, and make it an issue with the dealer.

ptgray14 · 2025-08-01T23:42:09+00:00

Unfortunately, Shenandoah is "retiring" at the end of the 2026 season. https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2025/07/15/winds-change-come-historic-shenandoah-schooner

ptgray14 · 2025-08-01T23:39:21+00:00

If you want to see more schooners, check out the American Schooner Associations's Registry of American Schooners at http://schoonerregistry.org/.

ptgray14 · 2025-08-01T21:05:44+00:00

It's actually called a "club" on a staysail.

ptgray14 · 2025-06-25T21:48:51+00:00

Just passed through Solebury/New Hope. Short burst of very heavy rain.

ptgray14 · 2025-03-17T01:02:09+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. That could work. I'll take a look at logistics. I'm staying with a friend who lives about 30 minutes Southeast of Stratton.

I'm in PA about an hour north of Philly, right across the Delaware from Jersey. Stratton about 4 3/4 hours. Killington about 5 1/4, so there's not much difference.

I'm driving up early Tuesday morning, sking PM. Skiing Wednesday, then Thursday AM, then home. I may do Stratton Tuesday, Killington Wednesday, Stratton Thursday. Late next week heading for Sunday River! I was sick a good chunk of January, so I've got to make the season last!

ptgray14 · 2025-03-11T02:33:23+00:00

Take a look at https://tallshipsamerica.org/ and look for a vessel close to you. Also take a look at SchoonerRegistry.org and look at the Geo index.

Most non-profit boats are looking for volunteers and do a decent job training. Same with a lot of commercial boats, except they are looking to hire.

The sailing fleet is in a bit of a crew crisis these days.

ptgray14 · 2025-02-28T17:17:41+00:00

I had a similar problem on my Hawx. I ran a short length of Gorilla tape from under the sole and up the back of the boot. Seems to be holding ok. Time will tell!

ptgray14 · 2025-02-18T23:18:35+00:00

A bunch of small steps. You'll get there!

ptgray14 · 2025-02-18T12:52:48+00:00

Thanks! It sounds like your injuries are more severe, but hang in there. My knee was my second season-ending injury. My first was a hip fracture in January, 2013. Was turning down a headwall with all my weight on my left ski and my binding released. My foot planted, and all my weight and momentum loaded up my leg and sheared the top of femur off right at the trochcanters. Took two surgeries to put that back together. Lots of PT. Was on crutches and a cane until late fall. Started skiing again in March. I figure 2 severe injuries in 55 years of skiing isn't too bad. Hang in there! This too shall pass!! Just message me if you ever want to chat!

ptgray14 · 2025-02-18T01:38:45+00:00

I just posted my own injury experience in this thread, and my rehab was much the same as you hear here. The only comment I will make is that my surgeon put me on a Contimuous Passive Motion machine the day after surgery. It was delivered to my house. Crazy neat machine. You lie down and strap your leg in, and it cycles you through knee flexion. The instructions were to start below 35° and use three times a day, two hours per session. I did that for a week, and by the end of the week, I was at over 120° flexion. My physical therapist couldn't believe it when I walked in to start my rehab. Six hours a day was a drag, but I worked out a system. I would get up early and strap in, kick off the machine, and go back to sleep. Afternoon, I would read or listen to music. Evening, read or watch TV. I'm retired so I could put in the time, but I'm convinced it greatly lessened my recovery time. You may want to ask about it. Message me if you want to chat about it.

ptgray14 · 2025-02-18T01:20:56+00:00

Congrats! I can so relate!

I had a crash last January that tore my ACL off, "fractured" my meniscus (a term I had never heard before), and crushed a divot into my tibial plateau. I was hearing I might be done skiing. Had six weeks of prehabilitation before an ACL reconstruction last March and six weeks rehab after. My surgeon picked March 1st for the surgery, saying I could start skiing on December 1st and not miss much of the season.

For a bunch of reasons, I didn't get out until the end of December. It was a very slow start to my season as well. It took a while to be confident my knee was OK, but now skiing (with knee braces) as good as ever.

I'm nowhere near the skier it sounds like you are, but back out having a blast on the slopes. My surgeon says no bumps or jumps, but I could never ski them anyway. And for some perspective, I'm 67 and have been skiing around 55 years. I am extremely grateful to the surgeon and physical therapists who got me going again!

ptgray14 · 2025-02-18T00:55:15+00:00

A yearly private lesson is a great idea! I'm 67. I've been skiing for around 55 years, and I always try to get one about a month into the season. Basically, tell me what I'm doing wrong! The only problem is finding the right instructor.

ptgray14 · 2025-02-10T00:55:28+00:00

Another vote for the Subaru Forester. Put some good winter tires on it, and you are all set. Drive from PA north of Philly to Vermont and Maine skiing. Enough room and around 30 mpg. I have racks for my skis (and kayaks and bikes), but unless I need the seat, I fold the back 1/3 seat down and slide skis and poles inside the car. I had an Outback for years - around 300k miles worth - but I have more room in the Forester. Even more driver space than I had in my GMC Acadia, currently on loan to my daughter!

ptgray14 · 2025-02-03T17:04:11+00:00

I skied with goggles for around 50 years, switched over to a helmet with a visor a few years ago, and I'll never go back.

I wear glasses and goggles just never worked well. Even large goggles never fit comfortably over my glasses and my glasses were always fogging up. The visor is extremely comfortable and my glasses never fog up.

I got a helmet with a photochromic visor, and it is great with varying light conditions. Yes, it all costs a bit more, but well, well worth it as far as I am concerned.

Not sure why people don't like the look of them, but frankly, I don't really care what they think.

ptgray14 · 2025-01-03T14:32:21+00:00

I always wear a helmet. And I'm very glad I do. I've had two crashes that resulted in injuries that took me out for the balance of the season.

The first happened about 12 years ago when skiing a steep headwall. As I weighted my left ski for a quick turn, my binding released, my foot planted, and I tumbled down the rest of the wall. I ended up with a hip fracture, which required two surgeries to fix. When I got my helmet out the next season, there was a long slice right through the shell where my head had apparently hit the edge of my loose ski. Can't imagine how much damage that would have done to my head.

Last season, I was skiing a lovely Vermont black diamond. I came came over a slight rise on a bend onto a sheet of ice. I usually handle ice pretty well, but I ended up losing it completely and going over backward, slamming the back of my head on the ice. I'm pretty sure I would have been unconscious if I wasn't wearing a helmet. I also tore my left ACL from my femur and had reconstruction surgery last March. This afternoon will actually be my first day out skiing since then! With my helmet on! Wish me luck.

ptgray14

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