Another reason for the great season has been lack of people - that's my selfish side speaking, as there were many days when I had all ski hill almost for myself. Local businesses wouldn't endorse my previous sentence, as struggle that started couple of years ago, continued with even more vengeance this year. The latest casualty was Suginoya Japanese restaurant in Banff - the rent increased so much that the owner said:"Enough".
Too bad that in even Banff, successful businesses have to struggle. That means that something is wrong, and definitely not right.
Even though the racing season is finishing with FIS Miele Cup Finals this weekend at Nakiska, the ski season will go on for next almost 2 months. Mt.Norquay postponed the closing day, until Aptil 24th, and Sunshine will close, as usual on Victoria Day, and Lake Louise around May 8th.
Normally, I would be skiing until that last day, but this year, my season ended on March 27th.
I was skiing moguls on Norquay's Lone Pine, and somewhere at the middle of the run I lost my balance - I don't know why, and how, and what happened at that moment. I don't remember what was my mistake.
I only know I tried to stay on my skis, and even though I was pushed to my heels, with my hips below my knees, I still pulled myself up, and by doing this, I saved myself from certain big crash.
That was good thing, I stayed on my skiis - bad thing was that I heard a loud "pop", from my left knee, during my maneuver. Once I stopped, I felt immediate pain in lateral area of my knee.
It was funny, I even didn't crash, and I felt that something bad happened to my knee. I was still 400 m far from the bottom of Lone Pine, and I had to ski down. Well, normally, that's easy, but with pain and fast swelling of my left knee, I knew it would be challenge. To make the story short - I did it, basically, on my right leg, sliding from one side to the other.
I immediately removed my ski equipment, and applied icing cream to my knee. It was painful, and it was getting bigger. I drove home, as I knew I had to rest and take care of it.
This was my first ski injury - it sounds unbelievable, but I was able to stay healthy all of these years. This time I guess, I ran out of luck.
My doctor was worried, and she sent me to sport injuries clinic for experts assessment. In the meantime I read as much as I could about knee injuries - and now I know that, if something similar ever happens in the future (I hope it won't!), I will never read anything about injuries.
All of that material scared me so much - I had all the symptoms of the major injury, and these white papers confirmed that.
I was not able to straighten my leg, I was not able to flex it - only comfortable position was when it was bent 15-20%. I was not able to walk, climb, or go down on the stairs.
I was hoping that sports clinic assessment would be positive - I was thinking how am I going to climb Yunnan mountains in May, if I need a surgery? I was also thinking how bad timing for this injury was. I was also thinking about what I thought, when I boarded North American chair lift that took me to the top of Mt.Norquay - how that was my last run of the day, and that it would be really stupid to crash.
Good thing was, at the end, that actually I was born under lucky star, how my mom would tell me. My knee was strong as ever, except that there was a partial lateral collateral ligament and lateral meniscus tear. Blair, my savior, said that I will be as new in 4 weeks. No surgery needed, just rest, and slowly starting to exercise my quads.
Today, 3 days after my 'crash' (well, I don't know if I could call it an accident), I am almost able to straighten my left leg. There is very little pain in the lateral area, and I was even able to walk upstairs. There was no feeling that my knee would "give up".
It feels so good to know that I won't be out of action for a long time. It doesn't feel good to know that we always take our body and its abilities for granted. Only now I realized how hard is to deal with bad knees - I definitely have a better understanding for all people I know (and I don't know) who've had challenges with their knees.
I will wait for them when we climb stairs together.
