CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsay Vonn fell to the snow, screamed in pain, and was Airlifted off route by helicopter Her experience after falling at the Olympics was a stark reminder of the dangers of rappelling.
Same thing: her skis didn’t come off.
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Even after her windmilling fall at the Cortina Olympics in Milan, Vonn’s boots remained locked onto her skis, pointing awkwardly in different directions as she slipped in obvious pain.
Had Vonn’s skis been released, it’s impossible to know whether her injuries would have been less severe — her complicated tibia fracture already required multiple surgeries. But the devastating injury shined a spotlight on the importance of bindings, which secure boots to skis and remain one of the oldest pieces of technology in the sport.
After years of stalled discussions, a binding system designed to automatically release skis when racers like Vonn lose control is still in the drawing board, officials told The Associated Press.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it does take a terrible accident to make people more aware of what we can do,” he said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “This is an area where we cannot compete; we have to be in it together with our counterparts in different countries and the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation).”
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The basic design of the binding has not changed significantly in half a century: Once the skier presses down first with their toes and then with their heels to lock, pressure needs to be applied to the system to release the boot. Less skilled skiers can use bindings that release more easily to avoid leg injuries; the higher the skill level and the more intense the skiing, the smaller the crank of the binding to keep elite racers on the skis.
Few were surprised that Vonn’s skis didn’t come loose. The question is whether they should do so.
‘Smarter’ bindings ensure ‘athletes’ skis pop’
Peter Gerdol, FIS event director for the women’s Olympic and World Cup circuit, said the so-called “smart binding” system, based on algorithms and designed to automatically release when a skier loses control, “definitely” helped prevent Vonn from breaking her leg.
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“That’s exactly what the system was designed to do,” Gedol told The Associated Press. “Her skis were definitely coming off. … We’ve seen a lot of other situations where the bindings wouldn’t open, causing knee problems, especially when the skis that were still attached acted as leverage, whether it was on the net, on the snow, on a gate or on any other obstacle. The leg got stuck and the knee came loose.”
Nine days before his Olympic accident, Vonn suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in an accident in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. She eventually made it into the safety net, with her skis still attached.
Smart binding systems could borrow technology from airbag systems, which have become a must-have for skiers in speed competitions this season.
“It still takes time to develop, but the idea is that the binding will be triggered by the same algorithm that prompts the air bag to inflate,” Gedol said. “The heel section will slide back and the athlete’s ski will pop out.”
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Algorithms for measuring rotation and body position need tweaking
Dainese and sister company D-Air Lab have spent years developing an algorithm that allows air bags to inflate under a skier’s racing suit, after creating a similar system for motorcycle racing.
Dainese coordinated with FIS to share airbag algorithms with top binding suppliers such as Look, Tyrolia, Salomon, Atomic and Marker in order to adjust the formula to release the ski.
Releasing a ski can be more dangerous than inflating an air bag. Elite skiers are sometimes able to make amazing recoveries after flying into the air, and they are often able to use their skis to brake before hitting the safety fence.
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“This is a very complex project,” said Marco Pastore, Dainese representative on the airbag system track. “If you release a binding, you have to make absolutely sure you’re doing it at the right moment. With airbags, you can look at rotation and whole body position. But with bindings, you have to check how the foot is moving, what the trajectory of the ski is – and a bunch of other variables.”
Finances an issue for complex security projects
While FIS hopes to coordinate the project, the question of who will pay remains.
“These are very expensive projects, and to be honest, Dainis doesn’t make much money from the airbags,” Pastore said. “It’s costing us money right now. Everybody wants these great things, but eventually someone has to pay for it.”
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Sasha Rearick, head coach of the U.S. men’s ski team from 2008-18, recalled the binding discussions that took place nearly a decade ago when he was in charge of the World Cup coaching staff.
“The problem is Dainese is the one who put in the money and all the investments,” Relick said. “So if they share it with a binding company, that’s going to require a lot of investment right now by the binding company and it’s probably going to cost (a lot).”
Men’s World Cup and Olympic competition director Markus Waldner said earlier this season that the FIS is “working with biomechanics experts and manufacturers to refine boot and binding standards to reduce the potential for catastrophic edge jamming at high speeds.”
However, Gedol said the project could take two to six years to implement.
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Will skiers use this technology?
To avoid skis falling off, ski technicians will raise a rider’s bindings so that they are almost locked.
Leo Mussi, a ski technician for American downhill athletes Bryce Bennett and Sam Morse, said he sets the pressure on his racing bindings to 200 kilograms (440 pounds), more than twice what store-bought bindings can handle.
Austrian racing driver Marco Schwarz suffered a serious knee injury in a car accident during the Bormio downhill race in December 2023. His skis didn’t release as he slid into the safety net.
“It’s hard to say,” he said of whether falling off his skis would have saved him from injury, and he wasn’t sure whether to change anything.
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“The best approach is to keep it simple,” Schwartz said. “I don’t want to get too involved in more technology.”
Nina O’Brien is an American who suffered a horrific compound fracture at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and had to undergo four surgeries. She said she did not blame the accident on any equipment issues and credited her technicians.
“Whether I put my skis on and went out for a cup of coffee that morning,” O’Brien said, “when I go back, he’s checking them to make sure they’re perfect.”
Progress on ski racing safety slow
The airbag system was first tested on the World Cup circuit back in 2013 and has only become mandatory in downhill and super-G speed events this season. Some skiers say these ski bags hinder their aerodynamics, are uncomfortable to wear and can even cause injury.
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Safety concerns have become more pressing recently following the death of Italian skier Matteo Franzoso following an accident during pre-season training in Chile.
“Unfortunately, it always takes something serious to happen for people to say, ‘No. Now we need to do something,'” Pastore said.
This is also the first season that cut-resistant underwear will be required at all World Cup and Olympic events.
There is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of safety. While developing the smart binding system, Rearick, now director of Apex 2100 at the International Ski Academy in Tignes, France, suggested solving the racing suit problem.
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“Make a warmer, slower, cut-proof set for everyone,” Rerick said. “This will make the sport safer for everyone.”
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Graham reported from Bormio.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics