Ski Season 2026: Evidence-Based ACL Injury Prevention for Victorian Skiers

Victorian ski season is almost here, with the 2026 snow season expected to begin across the June long weekend. For many Melbourne skiers, that means trips to Mt Buller, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, New Zealand or Japan are not far away.
At Acland Street Physiotherapy in St Kilda, we often see the same pattern every winter: people invest in ski passes, accommodation, gear and lessons, but leave their physical preparation until the last minute.
That is a mistake.
Skiing is fun, but it is physically demanding. It places high loads through the knees, hips, ankles, trunk and spine. One of the most feared injuries in skiing is an ACL tear. While no prevention programme can completely remove injury risk, the evidence suggests that better strength, balance, trunk control, neuromuscular control and fatigue resistance can help reduce risk.
Why ACL injuries happen in skiingThe anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, helps stabilise the knee.
In alpine skiing, ACL injuries often happen during a fall, awkward landing, sudden twist, loss of balance, or when the ski catches unexpectedly.
High-quality video analysis of World Cup alpine skiing injuries has identified several common ACL injury mechanisms, including:

• Slip-catch mechanism
• Landing back-weighted
• Dynamic snowplough

The slip-catch mechanism occurs when the ski loses contact or control, then suddenly catches the snow again, forcing the knee into a high-risk position. In simple terms, the ski can act like a long lever attached to the boot. If the skier is off balance and the ski catches suddenly, the knee may be forced into rotation or collapse before the skier can react.
This is why skiing injury prevention is not just about “strong quads”. It is about how well the whole body controls force, balance and position under fatigue.
The “backseat” problemMany skiing ACL injuries are associated with poor body position, especially when the skier’s weight moves too far back.
This is often called being “in the backseat”.
In this position, the hips and knees are flexed, the skier’s weight is behind the feet, and it becomes harder to control the skis. If the ski catches suddenly or the skier lands awkwardly, the knee may be exposed to high twisting or valgus forces.
For recreational skiers, the message is simple:
Stay centred. Avoid sitting back. Do not keep skiing hard when your legs are cooked.
Fatigue mattersMany ski injuries do not happen on the first run of the day.
They happen when your legs are tired, your technique breaks down, your reactions slow, and you start sitting back into your skis.
This matters for Victorian skiers because many people go from normal work, parenting and desk-based life straight into several intense days at Buller, Hotham or Falls Creek. If your legs are not prepared for repeated loading, your injury risk may rise as fatigue accumulates.
Skiing requires:

• leg strength
• hip control
• trunk control
• balance
• single-leg control
• power absorption
• endurance
• fast reactions
• the ability to stay centred when conditions change

A two-minute wall sit is not enough.
What does the broader ACL prevention evidence show?Most high-quality ACL prevention research comes from field and court sports such as football, soccer, basketball, handball and netball, rather than skiing. So we need to be careful not to pretend the evidence transfers perfectly.
However, the strongest available evidence supports neuromuscular training for reducing ACL injury risk in active populations.
Neuromuscular training usually combines:

• strength training
• balance training
• landing control
• agility
• trunk control
• hip and knee alignment
• movement retraining

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that neuromuscular training reduced ACL injury risk in athletes. Another meta-analysis found that better compliance with neuromuscular training was associated with greater injury risk reduction.
In plain English: the programme only works if you actually do it consistently.
For skiers, this does not mean a soccer warm-up magically prevents skiing injuries. It means the key ingredients of ACL prevention are highly relevant: strength, control, balance, fatigue resistance and better movement quality.
What should a ski-preparation programme include?A good ski-preparation programme should be more than wall sits.
Wall sits may help build local thigh endurance, but they do not fully prepare you for the balance, rotation, single-leg control, trunk control and unpredictable loading that skiing demands.
1. Leg strengthSkiing requires repeated loading through the thighs, hips and calves.
A ski-preparation programme may include:

• squats
• split squats
• step-downs
• lunges
• Romanian deadlifts
• calf strengthening
• loaded carries

The goal is not just to feel sore. The goal is to build strength you can control.
2. Hip and glute controlThe gluteal muscles, especially the gluteus medius, help control the hip and knee during single-leg loading. Poor hip control can allow the knee to drift inward, particularly when tired.
Useful exercises may include:

• lateral band walks
• side planks
• single-leg squats
• step-downs
• lateral lunges
• single-leg Romanian deadlifts

3. Trunk and core controlSkiing is not just a leg sport.
Your trunk helps keep your centre of mass over your skis. If your trunk control fails, your legs often have to compensate.
Core training for skiing should include more than sit-ups. It may include:

• side planks
• anti-rotation exercises
• carries
• dynamic trunk control
• rotational control
• balance under load

4. Balance and neuromuscular controlSkiing challenges balance in a unique way because ski boots and skis change how the body responds to the ground.
A ski-preparation programme may include:

• single-leg balance
• unstable surface drills
• lateral hops
• controlled landing drills
• change-of-direction exercises
• reaction-based drills

These should be progressed carefully, especially if you have a previous knee injury.
5. Power absorption and landing controlACL injuries in skiing may occur during awkward landings or when the skier lands with their weight too far back.
For recreational skiers, this means your body should be prepared to absorb force.
This may include:

• landing mechanics
• small hops
• deceleration drills
• lateral bounding
• controlled jump-and-stick exercises

Not everyone should start with jumping. If you have knee pain, hip pain, ankle issues or a previous ACL injury, it is worth being assessed first.
Technique still mattersA stronger body helps, but it does not replace good skiing technique.
To reduce avoidable risk:

• stay centred over your skis
• avoid sitting back
• keep your hands forward
• ski within your ability
• take lessons if your technique is rusty
• be cautious in flat light, ice, heavy snow and variable conditions
• stop before fatigue destroys your technique
• avoid unnecessary speed or jumps if you are not conditioned for them

One of the most underrated injury-prevention strategies is knowing when to call it a day.
Equipment matters tooBindings should be checked and set appropriately for your age, height, weight, boot sole length and ability level.
However, it is important to understand that bindings do not prevent every ACL injury. Some ACL injuries occur rapidly during ski-snow interaction and high knee loading, meaning equipment is only one part of risk reduction.
Before your first trip, have your skis, boots and bindings checked by a qualified ski technician.
Who should consider a pre-ski physiotherapy assessment?A pre-ski physiotherapy assessment may be useful if you:

• have had a previous ACL injury
• have knee, hip, ankle or back pain
• are returning to skiing after time off
• are planning a multi-day ski trip
• feel underprepared
• have not skied for several years
• are skiing with children and expect long, tiring days
• want a targeted strength and conditioning plan

At Acland Street Physiotherapy, we can assess your strength, balance, mobility, single-leg control, landing mechanics and injury history, then design a practical ski-preparation plan based on your goals.
The bottom lineYou cannot completely eliminate injury risk in skiing.
But you can reduce avoidable risk.
The best-supported injury-prevention approach is not a single exercise. It is a consistent programme that improves strength, balance, trunk control, neuromuscular control, landing mechanics and fatigue resistance.
With the Victorian ski season starting in June, now is the time to prepare.
Prepare before the snow. Your knees will thank you later.

References

1. Bere T, Florenes TW, Krosshaug T, et al. Mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament injury in World Cup alpine skiing: a systematic video analysis of 20 cases. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011.
2. Bere T, Mok KM, Koga H, et al. Kinematics of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in World Cup alpine skiing: 2 case reports of the slip-catch mechanism. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013.
3. Jordan MJ, Aagaard P, Herzog W. Anterior cruciate ligament injury/reinjury in alpine ski racing: a narrative review. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017.
4. Petushek EJ, Sugimoto D, Stoolmiller M, Smith G, Myer GD. Evidence-based best-practice guidelines for preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young female athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019.
5. Sugimoto D, Myer GD, Barber Foss KD, Pepin MJ, Micheli LJ, Hewett TE. Compliance with neuromuscular training and anterior cruciate ligament injury risk reduction in female athletes: a meta-analysis. Journal of Athletic Training. 2012.
6. Spörri J, Kröll J, Gilgien M, Müller E. How to prevent injuries in alpine ski racing: what do we know and where do we go from here? Sports Medicine. 2017.