The Over 50 Rule

I love to ski moguls.  I can't ski them like I could when I was 18, but I can still manage a decent showing on occasion.  With more than 40 days of skiing under my belt for this season - and what a season it has been - my form in a mogul field is better than it has been in years.  Actually, decades.  That is until yesterday.

After a day of teaching I headed up on the mountain for a few mogul runs before heading home.  One of the better mogul slopes runs under the chair lift.  I was having a good run - until my binding released.  As I pressed in on the backside of a large mogul the rear binding on my left ski pre-released sending me head first down the trail.  I took the full force of the fall on my right shoulder.  

Getting to my feet I knew I was hurt, but I snapped on my ski and managed to complete the run.  Reaching the bottom I changed - limped to the car - and came home to apply a liberal amount of ice (both to my shoulder and to a glass containing gin).  I skipped skiing today.  My shoulder still hurts, but I'm confident it's nothing too serious.  I may take tomorrow off as well.  But what about the Over 50 Rule?

Ski binding manufacturers provide specific guidelines to technicians for setting release tension.  Binding tension is set as a function of the skier's weight, boot size, skiing ability, and AGE.  The guideline reads, "If the person is over 50 reduce the tension to the next lowest setting."  Damn!  I'm convinced this is why my binding pre-released.  The rule was probably written by some corporate liability lawyer.  I cranked up the tension.  

Advil, gin, and ice.  It does a body good.