A new report by the National Ski Areas Association suggests that the averageย skier killed in a crash at Colorado resorts is anย adult male with 30 years of experience.ย It’s often been cited that most skiers killed at resortsย are beginners or intermediates who lose control and end upย in front of a tree, pole, or another skier. Although the reportย is limited to U.S. resort deaths in the 2015-2016 season, it is coming off the heels ofย a continually shifting pattern of thought process on resort safety.
“Beginners on green runs tend to be more cautious. It’s when you get on the blue runs with a mix of abilities and speeds that things become less controlled.”
– Jasper Shealy, N.S.A.A
Perhaps even more striking is that most of these accidents occur on blue runs, rather than advanced or expert terrain where the vast majority of scary warnings are posted.ย This follows the logic that experienced skiers simply become conditioned to the sport and ski at high speeds relatively effortlessly, which sometimes results in lapses of focus. “If you’ve been skiing or boarding for a long time, the risks aren’t at the forefront of your mind,” said Chris Linsmayer, a spokesman for Colorado Ski Country USA. “When you’ve been skiing for 15 years, it’s easy to forget that the dangers are the same every day you ski and every time you take a run.”
Ultimately, the “average” skier killed at a Colorado resort last year was aย 30-something male, wearing a helmet, who hit a tree on an intermediate slope.ย
Ski industry officials suggest a simple remedy to the problem – just slow down, especially when you’re on terrain with a mixed bag of abilities.ย
