Now, you may think at the age of 28 that I will be young and nubile. You are sadly mistaken. My ripe old age has brought with it back problems of a 90 year old and a slightly squeaky knee that leaves me thinking that genetics have a lot to answer for.
So when I found Martin Hannaford at the Ski Show this year, bouncing around on what can only be described as Robocop’s long lost brother, I was intrigued. Martin is Ski Mojo’s Marketing Director and explained that the Ski Mojo is essentially an extra pair of thigh muscles, therefore taking 1/3 of the strain off the knees and acting as a shock absorber promising to “ski powder all day long”.
If anyone wants to find a cheat to having better posture, extra power and more time skiing, it’s me. Due to my back problems, I already wear a super-sexy ‘support girdle’ whilst skiing but I’ll be using purple rinse before too long if I turn up looking any less able. But you only have to look at the Testimonials to realise that the Ski Mojo really does work:
“The effect is weird at first, and then it’s wonderful. It’s as if someone has just injected your legs with Asterix the Gaul’s magic potion. You can still flex and move them in the normal way, but they feel as though they have twice the power”
So, with much glee, I quickly agreed with Martin that I would test it in Chamonix on a Pure Powder off-piste trip I had coming up. Even though it looked like it had enough parts to rival a Meccano set, Martin promised that by the second day I’d have it mastered…
In Chamonix we were faced with some off-piste skiing in tricky conditions. Cement-like powder was the order of the day and after 10 slightly painful minutes putting it on I hoped it was worth it (please see footnote).
Martin had mentioned the Ski Mojo would also better my posture. Whilst it certainly took a run or two to get used to it, I noticed that my skis felt more stable due to way it positioned my legs. Whilst skiing La Thuile, we had a hefty portion of thick, heavy powder and moguls to get home through. Because of the Ski Mojo, my legs were less tired (my knees didn’t hurt at all) and I felt I had more control. The fact that it also saw me up and down the Argentiere glacier shows how durable it is. I really did forget I was wearing it and considering a week before my Physio had urged me not to ski at all shows how much pressure it took off my lower back.
You may be thinking the Ski Mojo isn’t for you. Indeed it may not be. But for those of you with tiring legs, knees and backs I would highly recommend it. It’s certainly not a cheat or an imposition and caused much interest on the slopes. The downsides? Well, it had to be the squeaking (which was sorted with some highly technical spit after remembering we’d been in a fairly heavy ice storm). But for under £300 I’d urge anyone who is not as fit or able as they once were to invest!
Ski Mojo has just launched its brand, spanking new device taking considerably less time to shimmy into. Sleeker, lighter, more comfortable, more user friendly and can be fitted with just the use of an Allen Key. We are delighted to offer a 10% discount on Ski Mojo’s for Pure Powder guests – please contact us for more details.
If you fancy a Pure Powder off piste experience (with or without the help of Ski Mojo) then you should check out our all new European Off Piste trips.
Having not long bought a ‘Donjoy’ brace to take the strain off my old knees, I’d be interested in doing a comparision on both systems, if and when I get the chance to get off piste in 2011.
Folks, I had knee trouble for years and used knee braces (including Donjoy) to prevent injury and patellar tracking. Eventually I had both total knee replacements and after 7 months was skiing again. I used braces and the first version of SkiMojo to get me up and running. When the new SkiMojo was introduced I tried these and they are easy to fit and comfortable. My knees are unloaded and I dont have any issues skiing again. I am skiing powder and bumps and the greater carving edge control caused by the Mojo mechanism pushing down is really noticeable. I still alternate between Braces and Mojo depending on how tired I feel and the terrain. I discovered that when I had unstable knees, the braces were more beneficial as it provided greater protection from twisting injury (no longer an issue, but still feel I want protection). When I wanted to unload the knee and ski for long periods the Mojos were great. If you`re light like me and you down unweight the skis in bumps or difficult terrain, the Mojos take more effort because it is harder to retract the heels. But they are effortless to up unweight. My advice (for what its worth) is to use both braces and Mojos depending on the terrain, duration of skiing, your own skiing style and physical limitations.
I too have had years of knee trouble and tried the old skimojo but found it too cumbersome, difficult to put on and way too big to go under my normal ski stuff. I have since upgraded but have not as yet used it. I had one total knee replacement this summer and hope to get out later in the season. I too use knee braces, one carbon fibre and one hinged knee skin, but how can you use both the mojo and a brace or do you pick and choose days to wear one or the other? Any advice gratefully received!!
Thanks for your comment Elaine – although Pure Powder and Ski Mojo can’t give medical advice and would recommend speaking to your doctor and physio, most people feed back that they no longer bother with knee supports as the mojo is now a hinged knee support.
Some people do still use a “Brace” if it’s the Carbon fibre type if it’s recommended by their doctor, but the new mojo just wraps over any other knee product (they only need to do up the lower strap for the mojo to work -the top one can be left undone), making it much easier to use!
Hi Elaine, sorry for the confusion. I use either braces or Mojos on a given day depending on how I’m feeling, the ski terrain, weather and of course powder. The new Mojos fit under any ski pants as they are slimmer and eassier to fit. I gave them a real workout several times in some knarly bumps and they get my vote. I can certainly ski longer and on the odd time of taking a tumble found the Mojo rods did protect my robo knees from twisting. Happy skiing.
It’s really good to hear the feed back on the Ski Mojo as I am thinking of getting one this year due to an accident with my right knee and although I had key hole surgery it’s no better and feels a little weaker.I have only been Skiing 3 times and was doing really well even on red runs and always been extremely fit even at 65 I was leg pressing over 200kg so hopefully with the Mo Jo I will be back skiing soon will let you know how I get on. Hope they have a stand at the Ski Show next week ?
Hi Tony – I think the Mojo will be a great start. Visit Martin at the London Ski Show from 31st October to 4th November at Earls Court 2 on Stand C51. Let us know how you get on!
I’m 73 and started skiing at 52. I had my first ‘total knee replacement’ in August last year (2013) and skiied at the beginning of January this year (2014)with a hinged brace, a lot of analgaesia – very much ‘cruise the blues’ and stop after an early, long lunch! The other knee gave out just a week before the second week’s skiing at the end of January. Having heard about ski-mojo two/three years before, when none of my chums knew anything about it, it was when my surgeon (having injected steroids into one side of the knee and WD40 into the other!) asked if I’d thought about a Ski-Mojo that I gave it serious thought. Having tracked down a supplier, I was fitted, managed to ski for three mornings of the second and am looking forward to next year following the second knee replacement.
The Mojo was easy to use after a few trials (remember to dis-engage before getting on a chair lift!) It’s like a hand under the bum going up-hill!