CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The harrowing scene of Lindsey Vonn writhing in pain on the slopes before being evacuated by helicopter following her Olympic accident served as a brutal reminder of downhill skiing’s inherent risks.
Perhaps most troubling: Her skis never detached.
During her tumbling crash at the Milan Cortina Games, Vonn’s boots stayed locked to her skis, twisting unnaturally as she came to rest while clearly suffering tremendous pain.
While it’s unclear if releasing skis would have prevented her severe tibia break — which has already necessitated several operations — the catastrophic injury has highlighted concerns about binding technology, which connects boots to skis and represents one of skiing’s most outdated systems.
Associated Press sources reveal that an advanced binding mechanism engineered to automatically detach skis when racers like Vonn lose control remains in early conceptual stages following years of delayed conversations.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it does take horrific accidents to shine even more of a light on what can be done,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “It’s an area we can’t be competitive in; we’ve all got to be in it together with our different country counterparts and FIS (the International Ski and Snowboard Federation).”
Ski bindings have maintained essentially the same fundamental structure for fifty years: After a skier enters toe-first and secures by pressing down their heel, force must be exerted for the mechanism to free the boot. Recreational skiers use bindings calibrated to release more readily to prevent leg trauma; elite competitors have theirs tightened significantly to maintain connection during high-speed racing.
Most observers weren’t shocked that Vonn’s skis stayed on. The real debate centers on whether they should have released.
An intelligent binding system utilizing algorithmic technology and engineered to automatically disengage when skiers lose control “would have surely” prevented Vonn’s leg fracture, according to Peter Gerdol, FIS women’s race director for both Olympic and World Cup competitions.
“That’s exactly what the system will be designed to do,” Gerdol told AP. “Her skis would have definitely popped off. … We’ve seen a lot of other cases in which the bindings don’t open and it results in knee issues, especially when the still-attached ski acts as a lever, either on the net or on the snow or on a gate or on any other obstacle. The leg becomes blocked and the knee gives out.”
Just nine days prior to her Olympic accident, Vonn damaged her left ACL during a crash in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. She ended up tangled in protective netting with her skis still connected.
This intelligent binding technology could utilize components from the protective airbag systems that became required for speed event competitors this season.
“It’s still going to take time to develop but the idea is that the binding would be triggered by the same algorithm that prompts the air bag to inflate,” Gerdol said. “The heel piece would slide back and the athlete’s skis would pop off.”
Dainese and its affiliated company, D-Air Lab, invested years creating algorithmic technology for airbags that inflate beneath racers’ suits after establishing similar systems for motorcycle competition.
Working alongside FIS, Dainese is providing the airbag algorithm to major binding manufacturers including Look, Tyrolia, Salomon, Atomic and Marker to modify the technology for ski release applications.
Automatic ski release presents greater complexity than airbag deployment. Elite athletes sometimes achieve remarkable recoveries after becoming airborne and frequently rely on their skis for braking before colliding with protective barriers.
“It’s a very complicated project,” said Marco Pastore, a Dainese representative on the circuit for the air bag system. “If you release a binding, you’ve got to be absolutely sure you do it at the right moment. For the air bag you can look at the rotations and the entire body position. But with the bindings you’ve got to examine how the feet move, what the trajectory of the skis is — plus a series of other variables.”
Although FIS seeks to oversee the initiative, funding questions persist.
“These are very costly projects and to be honest Dainese has not made much” from the air bags, Pastore said. “Right now it’s costing us money. Everyone wants these great things but at the end of the day someone has to pay for it.”
Sasha Rearick, who led the U.S. men’s ski team from 2008-18, remembers binding discussions during his tenure with the World Cup coaches’ working group almost ten years ago.
“The problem is that Dainese is the one who’s putting the money and all the investments,” Rearick said. “So if they’re sharing it with the binding companies, the binding companies now need to invest heavy, and it probably costs (a lot).”
Markus Waldner, director for men’s World Cup and Olympic racing, stated earlier this season that FIS is “working with bio-mechanists and manufacturers to refine boot and binding standards to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic edge catches at high speed.”
Nevertheless, Gerdol estimates the project could require anywhere from two to six years before implementation.
To prevent accidental ski detachment, technicians adjust racers’ bindings to create virtually permanent connections.
Leo Mussi, who services equipment for American downhill racers Bryce Bennett and Sam Morse, calibrates his athletes’ bindings to withstand up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of force — more than twice the capacity of consumer-grade bindings.
Austrian competitor Marco Schwarz sustained significant knee damage during a December 2023 crash at the Bormio downhill. His skis remained attached as he slid into safety barriers.
“It’s tough to say,” he said of whether the skis popping off would’ve saved him from injury, and he isn’t sure about changing things.
“The best way is to keep it simple,” Schwarz said. “I don’t want to push too much into more technology.”
Nina O’Brien, an American athlete who underwent four operations following a severe compound fracture at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, said she didn’t fault any equipment issues for her crash and credited her technician.
“Regardless if I’ve worn the skis that morning, clicked out and gotten a coffee,” O’Brien said, “when I step back in, he checks them to make sure they’re perfect.”
The protective airbag system underwent initial World Cup testing in 2013 and only became mandatory for downhill and super-G speed events this season. During the interim period, some athletes complained the devices affected their aerodynamics, caused discomfort, or potentially contributed to injuries.
Safety concerns gained urgency recently following the death of Italian skier Matteo Franzoso after a preseason training crash in Chile.
“Unfortunately, it always takes something serious to happen for people to say, ‘No. Now we need to do something,’” Pastore said.
This season also marks the first time cut-resistant undergarments are mandatory for all World Cup and Olympic events.
Significant opportunities exist for safety improvements. While smart-binding development continues, Rearick — currently director of Apex 2100, an international ski academy in Tignes, France — recommends addressing racing suit standards.
“Make one suit of material for everybody that’s a little bit warmer, that’s a little bit slower, that’s cut-proof,” Rearick said. “That will make the sport a lot safer for everybody.”
