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Since 1989
97%
REDUCTION
MILLION
saved annually
in tibia/leg
fractures
in U.S. after adoption of ASTM F27
ski shop boots and bindings standards
Source: Dr. Jasper Shealy, Rochester Institute of Technology
RISK OF TREEWELLS incidents. In 2018–19, there were 31 catastrophic injuries
from skiing and snowboarding at U.S. ski areas, for an inci-
At U.S. ski areas dent rate 0.69 catastrophic injuries per one million skier 600 / 600 Polar
62% visits. NSAA defines catastrophic injuries as broken necks
of fatalities and backs, paralysis, or life-altering serious head injuries.
resulted from Since the 2010–11 season, there has been a notable and Better slopes. Less work.
collisions consistent decline in the catastrophic injury incident rate.
with trees or While catastrophic injuries peaked during the 2012–13
natural objects season, they have otherwise been trending downward since The new PistenBully 600
since 2009 Suffocation 2010. This season, the catastrophic injury rate dropped to
in treewells 0.54 catastrophic injuries per one million skier visits—a drop Increasing productivity with driver assist
accounts for of 45 percent since 2010. While there is no conclusive expla-
12% nation for this positive trend, industry experts attribute part

of fatalities of the reduction to improved guest education, the dramatic
Source: NSAA since 2009 growth in ski helmet usage, more ski lessons and instruction,
and better signage and warnings, particularly with terrain parks.

SKI INJURY RATES ARE DECLINING IN U.S.
GENDER DISPARITY
As with most risky recreational activities, males tend to be far
Since 1980 more risk-inclined than females, who tend to be more risk
19% adverse. But with skiing and snowboarding fatalities, males

DECLINE IN are very over-represented. In the 2018-19 season alone, when
there were 43 fatalities at U.S. ski areas, 41 of these fatalities
injury rates were male—95 percent of all fatalities last season. And in the
overall last three ski seasons, with 123 overall fatalities at ski areas,
males accounted for 90 percent of all deaths at U.S. ski areas.
Notably, the breakdown of skiers and snowboarders
Source: Dr. Jasper Shealy, Rochester Institute of Technology
in the U.S. is much closer to the overall U.S. population,
Since 2010 Since 2012 with males making up 54 percent of all American skiers to
45% 52% female’s 46 percent, according to the NSAA’s 2019 National
Demographic Study. Whatever the cause or explanation—
DECLINE IN DECLINE IN testosterone and swagger, the thirst for speed, misjudging
catastrophic terrain park athletic skills, or just poor judgment—our dedicated ski
injuries serious patrols are well aware of the risk-taking inclinations of the
male egos in the sport.
injuries
Maybe this will result in targeted efforts by ski areas spe-
Source: NSAA cifically toward men—highlighting the risks, for example,
in men’s bathroom stalls, perhaps reminding them they have
RISK IS RELATED TO GENDER spouses, children, and / or mothers. Such targeting could rein-

Skier/boarder fatalities by gender in the last 3 seasons force to male skiers and riders the importance of more caution
and control, and to really think before they straight-line their
next run, duck a rope, try the double black diamond chutes,
or hit a big feature in a terrain park.
90%
Male A RECORD OF SUSTAINED PROGRESS
Fatalities AutoTracer SlopeTracer
The sport of skiing has seen a dramatic decline in a number
of different injury categories over the last few decades. Automatic steering of the tiller when Tiller follows slope
Thanks to a broad consensus of ski industry researchers,
10% Female cornering and countersteering on slopes contour automatically
Fatalities biomechanical engineers, gear manufacturers, ski resort
Source: NSAA operators, and rental shops, the sport has enjoyed stunning Improved steering Consistent tiller depth
in all conditions on any terrain
www.pistenbully.com/600

60 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2019

85% 99% 95%
Overall ski Kids 9 and Minors (under 18)
helmet use under wearing wearing
ski helmets ski helmets
Source: 2018–19 NSAA National Demographic Study