With the 2018 Winter Olympics well underway, viewers may not know about some of the featured sports, for example; skiing.
First, it is important to understand what this crazy sport is all about. In high school ski racing, there are only two different events, Slalom and Giant Slalom, and yes, Giant Slalom is basically just a larger, longer version of slalom.
Ski racing isn’t just getting down the hill the fastest (although that is the goal), it is all about training, timing and technique. If you turn your skis just one millisecond too late you could get thrown out of the course.
This precision leads to an intense sport, with many injuries, even at the high school level. Many safety precautions are taken to prevent injuries, such as chin guards and netting to catch skiers before they hit the trees.
Injury is just a side effect that comes with the sport. Take Olympian Lindsey Vonn for example; with multiple ACL tears and a severely broken arm as just the tip of her injury iceberg, Vonn is the perfect example of endurance.
Injuries in ski racing don’t only happen to olympians. Freshman Lizzie Hackett survived a scary fall at the 2018 Division 2 Regional Ski Race on February 12th, 2018 and is ready to get back on her skis.
After losing control and narrowly missing the netting on Caberfae’s south peak, Hackett went soaring into a cluster of trees. She walked away with only a minor injury. The fall appeared much worse to spectators than it was, and ski patrol even radioed a helicopter reporting multiple injuries before they reached Hackett.
“It felt like a multiply injury fall,” Hackett said. “The first thing I did was check to see if any bones were broken, and then I saw blood on the snow and checked my teeth next.”
Hackett walked away from the fall with only a rip in her cheek, a huge surprise to everyone who witnessed the fall.
*Disclaimer: Megan Goetcheus, a member of the ski team, is a co-editor in chief of this publication and was involved in the decision, interviews and writing of this article.*