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New research shows that 150,000 skiers/snowboarders get injured every year

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
I'm lifting this entirely from UnofficialNetworks:

A newly released study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission says that skiing and snowboarding are responsible for approximately 150,000 injuries each year and that no one area of the body is exempt from punishment.

The Washington Post has since reported on the study, saying that snowboarders are 3 times more likely to get injured than skiers, even though skiers account for a larger total # of injuries. While that might seem paradoxical, it’s simply because there are simply more skiers than there are snowboarders.

“In these sports, characteristic injury mechanisms often are related to the position of the limbs during injury, the athlete’s expertise level, and equipment design”

The study goes on to say that the only defense against such bodily ailments is keeping in shape, eating right, and skiing or riding conservatively.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I just got injured last week at Whiteface. An out of control 15 year old slammed into me while I was standing at the door of the mid-station lodge grabbing my skis off the ski rack. He hit me so hard that he broke the ski rack when he crashed. I now have a level 3 shoulder separation and an angry neck and back. The frustrating part is that I wasn't even skiing at the time :( A few weeks ago my son got crashed into while skiing by someone who was whipping out, and he has a tibia plateau break and meniscus tear. 2 years ago my daughter crashed into a tree and wound up on the ICU with multiple breaks and internal injuries. It's a damned dangerous sport with a range of ways in which we can get hurt.

Non skiers say..."you need to find a new bobby"

Skiers say...'When will you be able to ski again?"

(the answer is hopefully in a few weeks)
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
I just got injured last week at Whiteface. An out of control 15 year old slammed into me while I was standing at the door of the mid-station lodge grabbing my skis off the ski rack. He hit me so hard that he broke the ski rack when he crashed. I now have a level 3 shoulder separation and an angry neck and back. The frustrating part is that I wasn't even skiing at the time :( A few weeks ago my son got crashed into while skiing by someone who was whipping out, and he has a tibia plateau break and meniscus tear. 2 years ago my daughter crashed into a tree and wound up on the ICU with multiple breaks and internal injuries. It's a damned dangerous sport with a range of ways in which we can get hurt.

Non skiers say..."you need to find a new bobby"

Skiers say...'When will you be able to ski again?"

(the answer is hopefully in a few weeks)

Oh gosh! I’m sorry to hear this! Sending thoughts for a quick recovery!
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Is there any resource in a situation like that? You can't possibly be found at fault if you weren't even skiing. Would you have to sue the family to get them to pay any out of pocket medical costs you have, or is there a simpler way?
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
Well, I just discovered my skis are broken too. Hadn't really looked at them since the crash since other people packed up my stuff. I got them back the other day and noticed a crack in my sidewall, among other nicks and scratches. So now I'm super pissed. I have an attorney and am already pursuing a claim with the parent's homeowner's insurance for the skis, out of pocket medical (xrays ortho, PT copays). The kid was also part of the ski club too that clearly was not supervising him adequately. In NY you assume risk when you ski, so suing is ineffective. However, I was not on skis and not on a ski run, so I wasn't assuming any risk. He's completely at fault for the damage. I feel compelled to address it and be compensated. I contacted the parents and the ski club to notify them of the crash. The mom replied "Thanks for letting me know, I'll look into it". Didn't ask how I was, and didn't answer my question if her son was ok. I got the impression she didn't know about it. I hope he wasn't hurt. Considering he cracked the ski rack apart, you'd think he was injured in some way. The ski club thanked me for contacting them, said skier safety is of the utmost importance, etc, but also didn't ask how I was, what my injuries were, or tell me if he was ok. They also didn't seem to know. The whole thing has me very angry and upset.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I'm sure your lawyer will say this, but don't forget time lost from work. I can't imagine you're not losing any time given all the appointments (and pain!) you must have.

This is so unfortunate, unfair, and awful. How are you feeling? Are you getting around ok?
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I'm interested to hear what happens--good luck, and keep us posted. I'd be really pissed too. I don't think there is any excuse for being so reckless and out of control, and for parents and ski club leaders to be so blase.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I'm sure your lawyer will say this, but don't forget time lost from work. I can't imagine you're not losing any time given all the appointments (and pain!) you must have.

This is so unfortunate, unfair, and awful. How are you feeling? Are you getting around ok?
I'm just starting to feel a little better. More range of motion, less severe pain. The prednisone helped a lot with the swelling and pain. While I was at PT for my son tonight we talked about my injury. The therapist cautioned me that this might take longer to recover from than I think. I actually haven't missed that much work....really 1 day and had my appts after work. Probably shoukd have stayed home a bit more. I saw the letter my lawyer drafted today. It's pretty scathing. I'll let you all know what happens.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The kid was also part of the ski club too that clearly was not supervising him adequately.

I sometimes help out with my school's ski club by serving as a van driver, but I'm not otherwise involved with the club's policies or procedures. I always ski when I go with the club, but most of the chaperones just sit in the lodge grading or playing Scrabble or whatever. There are TONS of ski club kids on the hill, and as far as I can determine, very few adults.

Now granted, you can't monitor every kid all the time, but you can have a presence on the hill, giving kids the sense that they could always run into you, and you can create a culture in which they understand their responsibility for being safe and courteous. I wish we did more of that, but it's not my purview. The best I can do is set a good example during the drive up by refusing to indulge stories of irresponsible behavior.
 

diymom

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was just thinking about Chicopee's (Waterloo, ON) school club policy the other day after seeing a Boston area school at Wawa. The kids got a stripe on their lift ticket, to show they were with a school group. They would have to test get another stripe. Two stripes got you on a lift with access to blues. Three for the lifts that serviced blacks. And irresponsible behaviour would risk losing a stripe, which any liftie, instructor, etc. on hill could do. It did help to encourage responsible skiing.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I sometimes help out with my school's ski club by serving as a van driver, but I'm not otherwise involved with the club's policies or procedures. I always ski when I go with the club, but most of the chaperones just sit in the lodge grading or playing Scrabble or whatever. There are TONS of ski club kids on the hill, and as far as I can determine, very few adults.

Now granted, you can't monitor every kid all the time, but you can have a presence on the hill, giving kids the sense that they could always run into you, and you can create a culture in which they understand their responsibility for being safe and courteous. I wish we did more of that, but it's not my purview. The best I can do is set a good example during the drive up by refusing to indulge stories of irresponsible behavior.
I looked up the Peru Ski club that this kid was part of. Apparently, the parents just have to sign a waiver indicating their kid can ride the lift alone. They have a ski/board lesson and then are free to ski Whiteface unsupervised all day. The parent has to sign that they know their kid will be without adults on the hill. This family allowed their kid to participate, and no one seemed to even know he had a crash. Apparently there are some chaperone's on site, and some of the adults seem to ski together. This kid did not appear to be with anyone. People came running to my rescue, but no one was there for him. He eventually stood up and started to text someone. I bet the ski club had no clue until I contacted them. I'm hoping he gets kicked off, or suspended, or something. The club needs to address reckless members who are a danger to themselves and other skiers. Whiteface is not a small, local, family mountain. I'm kinda shocked they let kids out there alone.
 

2ski2moro

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I used to run a ski club for kids aged 9-18. As a chaperone, and later a board member, we were required (extremely encouraged) to have an umbrella policy of at least a $million$. I'm sure your attorney is looking into the possibility of the chaperone's liability, too. Feel better soon.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I looked up the Peru Ski club that this kid was part of. Apparently, the parents just have to sign a waiver indicating their kid can ride the lift alone. They have a ski/board lesson and then are free to ski Whiteface unsupervised all day. The parent has to sign that they know their kid will be without adults on the hill.

I just looked at their Facebook page - there's a group picture. Some of those kids are quite young! It seems like a very irresponsible arrangement.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
I just read this and wanted to say how badly I feel for you. It really stinks, particularly because you weren't even skiing! Wishing you fast healing.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I used to run a ski club for kids aged 9-18. As a chaperone, and later a board member, we were required (extremely encouraged) to have an umbrella policy of at least a $million$. I'm sure your attorney is looking into the possibility of the chaperone's liability, too. Feel better soon.
Yup. A letter has been sent to the ski club as well with a request for their insurance. I can't imagine not supervising kids at a mountain like Whiteface. That's just crazy.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I just read this and wanted to say how badly I feel for you. It really stinks, particularly because you weren't even skiing! Wishing you fast healing.
Thanks. This is the part that burns me up the most. I wasn't even skiing!!! But hopefully I'll be back out there soon.
 

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