Category: Sport Vision

Ski Season

With restrictions finally lifting and travel opening up many of us are finally getting our chance to hit the slopes and indulge in our passion for hurling ourselves down the side of the mountain…some more gracefully than others!

I was lucky enough to get back to the mountains last weekend – what an absolute joy to breathe in the mountain air and indulge in my favourite pastime. Many of you have booked and are off to the slopes for half term …the ski kit is out… the boots feel like torture… squeezing into the salopettes after lockdown is a challenge… and is that jacket still up to the job??

But… how many of you are looking at your eyewear? The visual demand of winter sports is very real…the glare coming off the slopes is huge and that can change in an instant when the cloud comes low and you find yourself in flat light … or worse case, a whiteout. You want to look the part, but there’s not much point in looking great but not being able to see where you are going. Reading the slopes at speed; the rucks and undulations of the snow, avoiding other skiers and coping when the light lux changes are all very real challenges our eyes must cope with. Good binocular vision accounts for accuracy, timing and depth perception – allowing us to make better and safer decisions at speed.

If you are that person that desperately tries to get your ski goggles over your glasses… goggle inserts are amazing – great vision and great protection. Easily changed should your glasses prescription need an update.

And… lastly… all you parents that take off your child’s glasses, stick their helmets and goggles on their faces and gleefully wave them off to ski school…..please think about their vision down the mountain….no point trying to get little GB skiers out of them if they don’t have good binocular vision.

New technology in polarised lenses gives our eyes the best sporting chance up the mountain, and these days they look great too. Reducing glare, increasing contrast and excellent peripheral vision whilst protecting the eyes from UV damage is an absolute must.

So, think about your eyes when packing your ski kit this season, designer might look good, and at Park Vision we are totally into our beautiful sunglasses but are they really fit for anything more than a chilled glass of something at lunchtime? After all you wouldn’t take the dog out for a walk in a pair of high heels!

At Park Vision we have a huge selection of some of the best polarised brands - available in prescription and obviously the latest styles… and of course we are always happy to share a coffee and chat about the latest mountain adventure you are planning…

Michelle Beach, Optometrist Director