Ski like a girl

Jeannie Thoren is a saint...or a thorn (no pun intended) in the side of the ski industry. It all depends on whom you talk to.

To women readers: If you are skiing in comfortable boots, and on skis you can actually make turn, send a silent note of thanks to Jeannie. Guys: If the woman in your life loves skiing, you probably owe Jeannie thanks, too. I recently had a chance to say thanks in person.

For the past 20 years, Jeannie Thoren has been on a crusade to force the manufacturers of ski boots and skis to recognize that men and women are different. Duh!

At one time, “women’s” boots were all made exactly like men’s boots, on exactly the same lasts, except in different colors and smaller sizes. Ditto with skis.

None of this took into account the fact that men and women generally have different physiology and, thus different needs for equipment.

The “Thoren Theory” is simple: Women are shaped like pears sitting on their bottoms; men are shaped like pears sitting on their stems. According to Jeannie, this means that the entire balance relationship is thrown off when women ski on equipment designed for men.

All of this sounds fine in theory, but what does it mean in real life?

Recently, I got to watch Jeannie at work with three women in a clinic hosted by Stratton Mountain Resort  in Vermont. I have skied often with Marilyn Donnelly and with Myra Foster who works for Stratton, and know their skiing abilities well. The third woman, Amy Pennington, has 32 years of experience on skis. Stratton hosted this clinic as part of a plan to attract women customers -- and to make their experience pleasant enough that they'll keep coming back.

On the slopes at Stratton, with each woman in her own boots and skis, Jeannie started with some simple drills designed for balance and movement. Then she let each woman make a run down an easy slope to get a feel for how they skied normally. On the second run, she challenged them with some exercises designed to show their strengths and weaknesses.

Then the magic started.

First, Jeannie added half-inch heel lifts inside each woman’s boot, and footbeds designed to support a woman’s arch (for the two who didn’t have custom footbeds).

Back on their own skis, all three women felt that they skied better and more comfortably. More importantly, I could see that they were skiing better -- they were more forward on their skis, more able to put the ski on edge and to let the skis turn the way they were designed to.

In the afternoon, Jeannie put all three women on skis that she’s designed for Dynastar. The tips on these skis are designed so a woman can pressure them correctly in her normal stance, and the “sweet spot” on the ski under her foot

Another dose of magic.

All three women had two or three-year old “women’s skis” from other manufacturers, all three preferred and skied noticeably better on one of Jeannie’s designs than on their own skis.

You simply can’t argue with success.

Top tips

I am absolutely convinced that today’s women’s boots and women’s skis, no matter who manufactures them, are far better than anything previously available.

Unfortunately, most on-mountain rental programs are built around “unisex” gear designed for men.

If you are a woman taking up skiing for the first time, you may be better off renting “demo” gear before you get to the mountain. Or, at least, call ahead to see if the on-mountain rental shop offers a choice of boots and skis for women.

If you’re a woman who has skied for awhile, and you don’t seem to be making any progress, it’s quite possibly your equipment, not you.

Here are the questions Jeannie asks::

•  Do your skis wander or cross?
•  Do your heels lift up in your boots?
•  Do your feet move in your boots?
•  Do you lean back on your skis?
•  Do you fatigue easily?
•  Do your feet get cold or tired?
•  Do you ski “knock-kneed?”

If you answer yes, the fault probably lies in your equipment, not your technique or athletic ability.