The day it all nearly came to an end

I’m 60 now, and I’ve been skiing since I was ten. For me, skiing isn’t a hobby. It’s an annual rendezvous. So when my rheumatologist told me, about ten years ago, that I had advanced patellofemoral osteoarthritis in both knees, at first I refused to believe it. Then the pain took care of convincing me.

In the last few seasons before the Ski-Mojo, skiing had become sheer torture. After two or three runs, my knees were burning. I’d spend my afternoons in the apartment while my family made the most of the slopes. I tried knee braces, anti-inflammatories, injections. They brought relief for a while, but once I was on skis, the mechanical strain always came back.

A discovery, almost by chance

I came across the Ski-Mojo online in the winter of 2017-2018. At first I was sceptical: a lightweight exoskeleton that attaches under your ski trousers and takes some of your body weight?

It almost seemed like a gimmick. But I’d reached the point where I was ready to try anything before hanging up my skis for good.

I hired a Ski-Mojo for the day from “Chic et Performance” in Alpe d’Huez, and from the very first run, something changed.

First sensations: relief

I remember that moment very precisely. I was on a blue run heading down to Villard-Reculas, nothing demanding, just to try it out. In the flexed position, right where the pain usually started to build, I felt… support. As if someone were gently pushing up under my thighs to take the load off my knees. That’s exactly what the Ski-Mojo’s spring system does: it redistributes part of your body weight and reduces the pressure on your joints.

That first day, I skied for four hours. Four hours without having to stop because of the pain. I hadn’t done that for two years. In the evening, of course, my legs were tired, but it was a normal, muscular tiredness, not that dull, inflamed feeling that usually made my life a misery.

Eight seasons later: a clear-cut verdict

Since that winter, I haven’t missed a single season. Eight winters in a row. Some years I’ve done thirty, sometimes forty days of skiing. And every time, the Ski-Mojo is there, on my trousers, discreet and effective.

What has convinced me most over the long run is how consistent the relief is. It isn’t a placebo effect that fades after a few outings. The mechanics are simple and they work, season after season. My knees aren’t cured; the osteoarthritis is still there, and it’s slowly progressing, as it does for everyone. But the pain I get from skiing has been cut to a third, maybe even less. Where I used to be in pain from the third run, I can now last a whole day with a perfectly acceptable level of comfort.

There’s also a knock-on effect I hadn’t anticipated: because I’m in less pain, I ski better. My stance is more natural, I no longer compensate by stiffening up, and I’m once again daring to take on red runs I’d crossed off my map. Confidence comes back as the pain recedes; it’s mechanical, in every sense of the word.

What the Ski-Mojo doesn’t do

I want to be honest, because I’m not a salesman. The Ski-Mojo doesn’t work miracles. It doesn’t cure osteoarthritis. It’s no substitute for medical advice, or for good physical preparation. In the first few days, you also have to get used to the feeling: you feel slightly “assisted” when you bend your knees, and that can be a little disorientating at first.

There’s a period of adjustment, and you have to find the right setting for your weight and level. And the price isn’t negligible; it’s an investment. But measured against the number of days’ skiing it has given me over the past eight years, it’s probably the best value for money of all my equipment.

What I’d say to someone who’s in two minds

If you have knee pain and skiing is starting to feel more like an ordeal than a pleasure, don’t do what I did and wait until you’re on the verge of giving up before looking for solutions. The Ski-Mojo may not be right for everyone, and I always recommend talking to your doctor or physio first.

But for me, it’s been a game changer. It gave me my winters back. And that, honestly, is priceless.

So if you’re in two minds: give it a try. You might be as pleasantly surprised as I was, one day in April 2018, on a blue run at Villard-Reculas.