Professional Medical Feedback

Associate Professor Julian Feller Orthopaedic Surgeon The Epworth Centre, Richmond

Dear Bert,

Thank you very much for the opportunity to experience and evaluate the Skimetric program last week. Having previously discussed some of the background principles with you, Skimetric was even more instructive and valuable than I had anticipated. Although the cost may at first appear a little pricey, there is no doubt in my mind that the Skimetric program can achieve much more than the equivalent in private lessons. The fundamental concept of Skimetric is to make appropriate boot and ski adjustments to accommodate an individual’s biomechanics and thereby set up the skier for a naturally balanced stance. This is then combined with some modifications in posture using feedback from video analysis. I was amazed just how much more balance I had in the middle of my turns and how much extra bite and power I could get out of my skis. For those skiers (like myself) who have had some knee surgery, Skimetric is clearly able to demonstrate how one subconsciously makes adjustments that don’t necessarily help one’s skiing or one’s knee. By using a combination of shims and supports in my boot, I was able to get back to a much stronger stance that I was able to maintain throughout my previously weaker turn to the right. This stance also took load of the affected part of my knee. I suspect that many my skiing patients would gain similar benefit from Skimetric. I think that Skimetric is the ideal next step for a whole range of skiers, but particularly those who have been skiing for a while with no real improvement despite lots of runs and numerous lessons. To those skiers I say, “Do yourself a favour and give Skimetric a go! ”Thanks again and I look forward to catching up in a few weeks to solidify my new stance.

With kind regards,

Associate Professor Julian Feller Orthopaedic Surgeon The Epworth Centre, Richmond VIC 3121

Professor Craig Waller, Orthopaedic Surgeon St Vincent’s Clinic Sydney

Bert!
Don’t hurt the snow…
I love that!!
May even use it myself with your kind permission of course.
Don’t hurt the snow…
Don’t hurt the snow…
Don’t hurt the snow…

Float, don’t fight

OK Bert I think I have got it but I dearly wish you were going to be there to reinforce my new open valley, relaxed, centred low energy stance…

I will just have to keep reminding myself:

Remember Adelberto, and DON’T HURT THE SNOW!!!

Thanks Bert.

You are a true legend and an inspiration

Best regards,

Craig
http://www.hipandkneesurgery.com.au/

Associate Professor Dr. Richard Chard Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Hi Bert,

We have been in Aspen for a week now, it is a big snow year, lots of powder. The new setup is going from strength to strength, the new stance has allowed me to stack over either downhill big toe edge or uphill little toe edge with minimal muscle effort. My stance is better, reducing the knock knee problem and allowing me to stand flat on the skis. The close shell fit gives great edge feel and comfort is good. The balance training with the Skier’s Edge and balance cushion has helped a lot, stopping my bad habits like pole dragging and with the new boots keeping me centered. I look forward to catching up on your progress. Thanks for all the help.
Kind regards,
Richard
Associate Professor Dr. Richard Chard Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Dr. Rick Harbig, Toorak, VIC

Dear Bert,

Nice to catch up with at Hotham after so many years. This note is to let you know how pleased I am with your ‘’ SKIMETRIC” treatment. My boots fit perfectly with no Pressure points and are correctly aligned with the Skis .I am now skiing as well as ever, even though I have one ‘crook’ knee (osteoarthritis) and one metal knee. Incidentally young Claas whom you gave a little lecture to about skiing to fast and out of control actually took notice! He went and practiced what you told him and made quite an improvement. I had told him a few times he was skiing too fast but he took no notice: But, he does listen to the expert! So, again thank you for your help. Look after yourself and hope to see you in the near future.

Yours, Dr Rick Harbig, Toorak VIC 3142

Dr. Cornelia Becker Fachärztin Anästhesiologie, Notfallmedizin, Moutain Medicine.

Hallo Adalbert, ich möchte mich bei Dir für eine intensive und wunderschöne Skisaison bedanken. Bis zum 22.1.2009 war mein Skifahren von meiner x-Bein-Stellung und zwei grossen Problemen gekennzeichnet: 1. sauber auf meinen skikanten zu carven; 2. massiv gereizte Sehnenansätze beidseits an meinen Knieinnenseiten. Durch die Schuhkorrektur und Dein Skimetric-Coaching, um die verbesserte Physis auch in ein ausgewogenes Bewegungsmuster beim Skifahren umzusetzen, hat sich für mich ab dem 22.1.2009 eine völlig neue Skidimension eröffnet bei mittlerweile komplett abgeklungener Sehnenreizung an den Knieinnenseiten. Durch das Skimetric-Programm wird die physische Power der Körpergesamtheit, was nicht gleichzusetzen ist mit „grober Kraft“, optimal genutzt, um sie mit den Bewegungsmustern des Skifahrens zusammenfliessen zu lassen. Ich bin überzeugt, dass Skimetric somit nicht nur zu einer Verbesserung des individuellen Skifahrerischen-Könnens führt, sonderen auch eine optimale Verletzungsprophylaxe für den skisport darstellt.Viele Grüsse Cornelia Becker Fachärztin Anästhesiologie, Notfallmedizin, Moutain Medicine.

If your German is not so good, in short she says that: “My knocked knee position stopped me from carving well on the ski edges and gave constant pain on the medial side of both knees where the ligaments connect to the bone”. Since the day of Skimetric 22/1/09 allowed me a new dimension of skiing with good balance, power transition and consequent optimum edge grip as well as no more knee pain. ”Cornelia further commented that she uses now the entire body dynamic for skiing, is using less strength, skis better and believes that Skimetric would potentially help to reduce injuries from skiing.

Franz Weber Olympian & 6x World Speed Skiing Champion, Current North American Speed Skiing Record Holder

Hi Bert,

Bert, these are wonderful testimonials on your website and validate the services you provide – thanks for sharing them with me. For me personally I have never been that comfortable in ski boots in my 55 years of skiing. Having had a quadruple back fusion and due to the alignment your system provides, I have been skiing pain free since the day I believe it was winter of 2010 when you started to prepare my boots. Thank you for all your contributions to the sport skiing that we all care about and love. Your services enrich the life’s of so many.
Thank you. Enthusiastically,Franz
Franz Weber Olympian & 6x World Speed Skiing Champion, Current North American Speed Skiing Record Holder
www.franzweber.com

Meg Bracken, Sydney Australia

I cannot express enough my gratitude to you, Bert! The injuries I have lived with for the last 30 years of my life (due to a motorbike accident which left me with a fused left ankle) left me with little mobility in my left ankle and severe scaring on my shin & calf from the compound fracture. In fact I am lucky to have my leg at all. My skiing style has been interesting to say the least and have found no off-the-shelf boot that is comfortable. In fact, I thought due to my injuries, if I wanted to ski, being in pain was a part of the process. I was just happy to be on the mountain. Due to the pain, my time on the mountain was always short.

My husband met Bert at an information night and was very impressed with him and his business and who he had helped in the past.  The only problem for us was that he based himself in Mount Hotham.  When we found out that Bert was going to be in Thredbo this year, I met with him and he immediately gave me the confidence that he would be able to help me.  We both knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was one worth taking.  After several meetings, detailed measuring & fitting it was time to take the new boots for a test run.

Firstly the boots were so comfortable I no longer envied my snowboard boot wearing husband. I could walk in ski boots comfortably, seriously.  The next test was on the mountain.  A little apprehensive, Bert settled my nerves with his wonderful story telling on the chair lift.  Bert didn’t let me loose on the mountain straight away; due to years of favoring my injury I had learnt every bad habit in the book.  Bert took my poles away from me and we went to basics, over the next 2 hours, I learnt to ski all over again and most importantly – pain free.  I laughed and giggled with excitement and have been on a high ever since.

I’ve never wanted to be the fastest on the mountain, I’ve just wanted to be able to ski pain free and enjoy the mountain with my family.  Now I can thanks to Bert & the Skimetric experience.The time that Bert spent with me to understand my injuries and the care that Bert took to measure and to fit a boot to my special needs, was way beyond the call of care and I would encourage anyone to experience Skimetric – even if you don’t have an injury.

Thank you Bert, I am your biggest fan. Meg Bracken.Sydney

Martin Van Hoek, Melbourne Australia

Hi Bert,

It was July 2009 when I first went through the Skimetric program and as my testimony reads here I was completely surprised by the outcomes and was looking forward to exploiting the now unlocked potential of my skiing through my Masters ski racing.

As you are aware only a few weeks after the Skimetric program I had a serious crash whilst training for a Super G. The reason for the crash is the subject of another story, but in short “fog, flat light and speed are a dangerous and stupid mix”. The net result of the crash was a severely broken left tibia plateau, a dislocated ACL and significant cartilage damage. You’re help at this time in making the connection with Professor Julian Feller and his clinic (and subsequently Tim Whitehead – Orthopaedic Surgeon), I’ll be forever grateful for!

The immediate outlook following the surgery was not positive, with the real possibility of a second operation to further repair the dislocated ACL, and concerns on my ability to walk, let alone skiing again! However after an endless three months on crutches, a belly full of determination and many physiotherapy sessions I began walking and bike riding as much as the leg and muscles would allow and finally made it back onto ski’s 10 months later in June 2010. The leg of course was at best only 60% of its original strength and therefore I was not able to use muscle strength to ski. You may recall that after such a significant fracture that I was keen to confirm that my alignment was correct which after a further assessment (July 2010) it was.

However I was still experiencing soreness and swelling around the area of the break and in the knee joint itself. Additionally, with some associated circulation issues of the left leg I was experiencing soreness of the sole of left foot as well. (It should be noted that in 2009, Skimetric were not, as yet, producing and fitting footbeds and I had had fitted at the time of the initial Skimetric assessment/adjustment a footbed by a third party). After listening carefully to the situation you determined that we should try a new Skimetric footbed, as Skimetric were now fitting these directly themselves. I was in the perfect position to compare as I had skied a full day before talking with you and therefore knew all the exact points of concern, soreness & pain. Once again, I was in your debt, as you were short on time and you worked into the evening to produce the new footbeds finishing quite late. The only words I could use to describe the difference is “chalk & cheese”. At the end of the following day of skiing “ALL” soreness & pain had been eliminated and I could load the leg and ski so much more easily than the previous day. There was still the question of overall strength, but the pain in the leg, joint and foot had been eliminated.

Through your knowledge Skimetric has provided such a perfect, comfortable and balanced platform that from my experience I’m creating the least amount of stress possible on the area of the break and joint.Since 2010, there have been many many kilometres on the bike and I’ m happy to say that I have recaptured at least 95% of my strength back. This combined with my Skimetric set up has, and is allowing me, to ski even more strongly than ever before!

I sincerely thank you for this, and look forward to keeping up with you for many more years to come.

Yours sincerely,

PS A forward and side shot of the “hardware” now keeping my leg together.

Dr.Barry Figtree, Sydney Australia

Dear Bert, I am really happy with the Skimetric Program results you have achieved for me. The boots fit like a glove on my boney feet and the alignment and stability are great. For the first time in over fifty years of skiing the skis are doing what I tell them.

You may recall at first I was a little sceptical at your enthusiasm but I spoke with six of my friends including two instructors who had done the Program before I signed up and they had all found the results to be terrific. I now agree with them.

I convinced my wife, Margie, to do the Program. As you know she has osteoarthritic knee pain and some valgus alignment ofher right knee. She too has noticed considerable improvement even in the three days following the Program at the end of our stay and is feeling more confidant for the future.

We are both looking forward to next February and the new skiing experience you have given us and hope to see you again in Thredbo next July / August.
Regards and thank you again, Dr Barry and Margie Figtree.

Tess Teychenne Prosthetics and Orthotics student at La Trobe Univeristy

I was born with Talipes Equinovarus (clubfoot) on the right side, and after numerous surgeries throughout my childhood, my right foot still remains quite rigid, weaker and unusual in shape, as well as several sizes smaller. This makes the fitting of nearly any shoe difficult, let alone ski boots.

As a result, until this year I was still skiing in the same boots I had when I was 10. As a ski instructor I need to be in my ski boots all day every day, and these boots were not holding up very well! Despite Talipes being a relatively new scenario for Bert, his in-depth knowledge of the art of skiing and its relationship to our anatomy allowed him to create a ski boot that was not only customised to the shape of my foot, but will also work to prevent any malalignment of my joints that may have lead to long-term health concerns had I continued skiing in my old boots for years to come.

It was so amazing to see Bert work his magic, from an initial ski around the mountain together to see where the improvements in my skiing could be made, then taking that back to the workshop where my new boots were transformed into probably one of the most supportive pairs of footwear I’ve ever owned!

From the very first turn in these new boots, I felt a change. My left leg no longer has to compensate for the weakness and rigidity of my right foot. Now, after some practice, my turns are becoming more even and my skis respond to even the most subtle of movements. In just a few short weeks I have felt my skiing improve significantly and this has even been noted by my trainers during training sessions for APSI Level 2.

 

 

Thank you so much Bert for your endless hard work and care, and providing me with the means to push myself and my skiing even further, and like you always say – I will strive to make every turn the best and most beautiful I can.

Graeme Mashman, Foster NSW, Australia

My name is GRAEME MASHMAN…since skiing with all the advantages of SKIMETIC; skimetric boots,skimetric skis [the best ski in the world in my opinion] I have been amazed.

I am 77 years old and have a titanium kneejoint also I suffer from Rhabdomyalisis [I think that is the spelling] the result of taking LIPITOR for cholestorol.  This drug ruins your muscles and you becomes progressively weaker [I have not taken it for 12 years but I still deteriorate].

However I still ski and love it. It sounds strange but this is how it feels. I was a ski instructor for 20 years and I now can ski with better technique than previously although very slow on gentle slopes.

Congratulations and thank you .Your systems are unbelievable and any keen skier who wants double their skill in about one week should take it up. To me the best thing I have ever done.

Thank you again Mr. Leibetseder.

Dr. Ch. Murr Bergdoctor Zuers/Austria

Rose Lingard

I was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease which landed me in hospital for 8 months. It has taken me a long time to build up my muscles, especially in my knees.

The shoes Bert made for me makes it easier for me to walk and there is now less stress on my knees. I don’t feel like my knees are going to collapse every time I walk.
Rose Lingard
Daughter of Dr. Doug Lingard
Chairman, Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation

To Find Out More About How Skimetric Can Help You Simply Contact Us:

Use the following e-mail to ask us questions or book your appointment with Bert.
ski@skimetric.com

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