skiing

[Michellehewlett]

hey i am just starting my transition i am a pretty avid  downhill skier
do hormones have any effect with say using mens equipment i am fairly tall
so unsure of whats available for women skis and boots due to my height and boot size 11.5  my skis and boots being only a couple seasons old have lots of life left still
i would prefer to save some money if i can. also on hormones do the changes say change how you ski with say speed or what level of runs you prefer. i know this one thing i will likely still do i just i guess i am curious besides this season i will likely only present as male
when i am on the mountain i guess i am just curious. next season i will present as female full time so my jacket helmet etc i will replace.. i will be starting hormones soon like some time in the next 4-6 weeks  and i am 28 6.4'5 175 ib

[jfong]

hey i am just starting my transition i am a pretty avid  downhill skier
do hormones have any effect with say using mens equipment i am fairly tall
so unsure of whats available for women skis and boots due to my height and boot size 11.5  my skis and boots being only a couple seasons old have lots of life left still
i would prefer to save some money if i can. also on hormones do the changes say change how you ski with say speed or what level of runs you prefer. i know this one thing i will likely still do i just i guess i am curious besides this season i will likely only present as male
when i am on the mountain i guess i am just curious. next season i will present as female full time so my jacket helmet etc i will replace.. i will be starting hormones soon like some time in the next 4-6 weeks  and i am 28 6.4'5 175 ib

I don't think it will affect much for what you are doing. The boots might get a bit loose but it should work fine. Other thing that might be affected is your strength but again you should be fine in that dept. I say just enjoy the ride and treasure the moment because it is quite exciting.

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[Megan.]

I'm not a skier,  but I don't think it should have much effect. I present female full-time, but still use much of my old 'male'  running and cycling equipment to save money, and because it's fairly gender neutral regardless.
I found that I could not find womens wetsuits that would fit, being made for a shorter body ratio,  I'm not sure if the same issue will exist with skiing clothing.


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[elkie-t]

Don't want to say obvious, but after some time in HRT your center of gravity will change, your strength might diminish and I'd suggest to start with easier routes for the first couple of rides until you find your comfort zone again


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[KathyLauren]

Unless your weight changes significantly, your equipment will all still work fine.  You may want to change some items for a more feminine appearance, but it will all likely still be functional.

You should be prepared for some loss of strength, especially in the upper body.  It would be wise to exercise caution on the more advanced runs until you find out how your body responds.

[Dani]

I am a skier. If the boots fit, wear them. Skis make no difference. It is true that women recreational skiers prefer a shorter, easier to turn ski than men's ski. This is mainly because of their lower center of gravity.

With HRT you may lose some muscle mass in the upper body and that will lower you weight and center of gravity. Leaning forward will not be as effective for women as it is for men, because of the lower center of gravity. You will just have to compensate with more shifting effort in you lower body. Taking a lesson or two from a woman skier who teaches a women only class will be immensely helpful.

[Paige]

I am a skier. If the boots fit, wear them. Skis make no difference. It is true that women recreational skiers prefer a shorter, easier to turn ski than men's ski. This is mainly because of their lower center of gravity.

With HRT you may lose some muscle mass in the upper body and that will lower you weight and center of gravity. Leaning forward will not be as effective for women as it is for men, because of the lower center of gravity. You will just have to compensate with more shifting effort in you lower body. Taking a lesson or two from a woman skier who teaches a women only class will be immensely helpful.

That's interesting Dani.  Even though we lose upper body muscle mass and some of that weight shifts to our hips as fat, some also can shift to breasts which would move your center of gravity forward. It's not all lost above the center of gravity. We lose mass in our leg muscles too.

Also our skeletal structure stays the same for the most part.  On average we have much longer torsos than cis-women and our skull would still be the same weight and distance from the ground.

I wonder if anyone has ever done studies on the biomechanics of transgender women before and after transition.
Paige

[Charlotte F]

I don't think you'll need to worry about your boots or skis - I doubt your foot size will change significantly and ski length is normally based on height and how experienced a skier you are.  If your feet or lower leg size does change through muscle loss then a boot technician should be able to adjust the fit for you relatively cheaply

Depending on how aggressive a skier you were and how much muscle loss you suffer, you might need to look at the DIN settings on the bindings (at what pressure the boots release from the skis).  This is very important to avoid injury but also super easy for a ski shop to adjust for you if required

As for skiing when your body has developed, I can't see this will be any more significant a change than say wearing a loaded backpack.  One or two runs and you'll soon have your balance in check and I guess with that extra weight up top, don't forget to 'Bend sie knees' 

[Deborah]

Given your height and weight I doubt you have much excess muscle to lose so you probably won't see significant change there.  Any foot shrinkage is also due to fat loss and you have little of that to lose too. 

As far as strength, you may get weaker if you want to but it's not inevitable.  There are lots of women who work out that are stronger than most men.  Women, trans or CIS, can be very strong (without a lot of size) if they want to be.


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