my first time skiing after ACL surgery!!! skiing with a brace at 10 months post-op

The recovery grind has not stopped but it has paid off because I am back on snow! At just over 10 months post-op I tried my first turns, and tested out skiing with a knee brace.
I have received a lot of opinions on skiing with a brace and here is mine: skiing with a brace after knee surgery is like driving with a seat belt. You hope you don't need to use it for it's intended purpose (to protect the knee from overextending/rotating), but just in case you do get into a situation where you need it you will be sorry you didn't have it.
Skiing in general is a risk to the knees, whether you are coming out of a recent knee surgery or not. Personally, I generally plan to ski with a brace for most of my entire first season after knee surgery. When I choose to not ski with a brace I will take less risks than on days when I have the brace on.
The absolute best thing I could do for my knee right now is to not return to skiing. But, I like it so I'm gonna do it. And to compensate at least a little bit for my eagerness to get back on snow I am going to wear the brace. And continue to strength train and practice impact and lateral quickness for many months to come.
But meanwhile I am so stoked to be on skis again :)
All the good footage was filmed by Zack Paukert
Song: This Fractured Mind - Nation of Language

[@NatalieWebb-h8g]

This has given me so much more confidence! I’m absolutely dreading my acl surgery, let alone being out of skiing all next winter. But this has made me realise a bit of patience will do all the good!!! Thank you🙌🏻

[@bpersons14]

I had a brace after my ACL surgery, skied/raced with it for the first few years. But it always hurt to wear it, one day a few years later I tied skiing and playing soccer without it and aside from the nerves, I felt so much better. The leg and knee pain went away once I stopped wearing it and haven’t looked back. So wear the brace as long as you want/need to for your mental health, after that try going easy without it. Slow and steady from here, you’re almost wear you want to be.

[@donbrunton5700]

I've been teaching here at Saddleback all season. Lost my ALC back in 85. I use a brace and wrap the shit out of the joint area with an ace bandage. I don't do the airial stuff I once did, but I'll still take the occasional mougle run and I've geared my training to deep carving. Never had the surgery.

[@hotliner2872]

Congrats on getting back on the snow! I am at 7 months post ACL reconstruction (allograft hamstring)... no skiing for me this season (but if you were going to miss one, this was the one here in VT). I am looking forward to next year though! I already have my pass (Ikon makes it easy to suspend a pass and use the cost towards the next year, if unused by early Dec). No brace for me, I will be over 1 year post surgery when ski season starts (Sept 13 2023 was my surgery). I stopped using the surgical brace as soon the doc green lit me, like at 6 or 8 weeks? And stuck with PT for 6 months, tho the last 2 seemed kind of pointless (I exercise for an hour pretty much 7 days a week anyway). If did not go through all this just to wear a brace :-p, But at 10 months it may not be bad insurance, and it is just that (no guarantees even with a brace). Glad you are back out there!

[@andrean8578]

I’m Glad to find you!! You definitely inspire me a lot I have 7 months from Acl surgery of my right knee. I’m in Denver now 😢 with son and husband. Doctor said next year I ll be ready 🎉

[@isaacschafer5337]

How did it take you 7 months to get surgery? 😭💀

[@erikchristiansen9609]

Glad you're back on the slopes...take it slow. I'm back on the slopes after 7 knee surgeries. A few because I pushed it a little too early. Brace is good too, even if you don't feel like you need it.

[@DelilahCupp]

love to hear it. and a good reminder to work on the patience part.....

[@SherryLin]

found this video so helpful as I start my own ACL recovery journey (from a ski accident)!! Please make more videos on how your first few months back on the snow have been with the new ACL :)

[@ToxicNinja238]

Going into surgery in a month here, happy to see you shredding post-op.

[@VibratoIbanez]

I've skied only once in my life 2 years ago which felt great.

[@77hoolie]

This is inspiring- thank you for sharing.

[@Amathylar]

I would stay light on the skiing until 12 months out if you had a patella bone tendon bone graft which is the strongest. With a cadaver or hamstring graft, 16 months to be safe. Going before that you risk "loosening" your ACL and leading to further injury. Wait, its worth it.

[@Vicariously_Stefan]

LOVE TO SEE IT

[@YZFMANIAC08]

Does anyone’s ACL injury still feel sensitive after 2 years

[@sagevogt7339]

10/10 knees

[@johnalcantara6892]

need breakfast!!! but i'm late but breakfast is key

[@jefflessard3063]

Tore my ACL and MCL skiing this year.. Surgery scheduled 4-weeks from now. What brace do you recommend I get for my return to the mountain?

[@AlexR_44]

Did the surgery come with a 1 year warranty? maybe it's a good thing to stress test before it runs out? 😂

[@vinenvinyl]

Hey congrats on getting back on the snow!!!! How long did it take you to get back to walking/ jogging normally after your surgery ?

[@DelilahCupp]

I started 'learning' to walk about 3 weeks after surgery (I think?). I didn't run until 4 months post-op. I ran/jogged quite consistently for a few months but recently had to stop as running was consistently causing me knee pain sadly.

[@bontrager1]

Bernard Kerr said he use to be embarrassed when he started vlogging. but now he's not.

[@DelilahCupp]

~commence channeling my inner Bernard Kerr~

[@Svampen3321]

What is that knee support from?

[@DelilahCupp]

It's the Breg Z12 brace

[@Bigbeardedguy]

So many quotable lines, you're really an influencer... "Nothing bad has happened since the last time something bad happened." "I need to watch less TV and go party more. "