Ski Slope Hazards

Skiers face a number of hazards when they venture down the slopes, including collisions and other accidents. However, the Big Bear Valley National Ski Patrol states that skiing and snowboarding are not necessarily more dangerous than other activities like boating, swimming and bicycling when the amount of fatalities and injuries are compared.

  1. Ski Slopes Rating

    • Slopes at ski resorts have trail ratings so skiers can choose appropriate terrains based on their skill levels. Reading the slope difficulty levels as a guide and skiing on slopes that you can handle helps skiers avoid hazards and possible injuries. Slope ratings may vary per ski resort, but are typically categorized from easy to expert as green circle, blue square, black diamond and double black diamond.

    Hazards

    • Skiing involves risks and dangers, just like any other sport. Skiing hazards include collisions with other skiers, ski lift accidents, collision with trees, stumps, fences, rocks, signs and other man-made or natural structures. To avoid collision with other skiers and snowboarders, stay in control when you ski down the trails, stop in a safe area when you are starting to go downhill and always obey signs for slow zones and intersecting trails. Always wear safety gear such as helmet and goggles when you ski on groomed terrains. Backcountry skiing requires even more safety gear including shovel, probe and beacon.

    Avalanches

    • Avalanches are slides of powdery snow that move downhill as a formless mass. Bigger, more disastrous avalanches happen when massive snow slabs break loose from the mountainside and crash down the slopes. Slabs of snow mass can slide down as fast as 80 miles per hour and skiers can get caught and buried under the snow. Avalanches pose a great hazard to backcountry skiers, especially those who are alone and unprepared.

    Statistics

    • According to the National Ski Areas Association, an average of 38 people died annually while skiing or snowboarding from 1996 to 2006. During the 2004 to 2005 skiing season, 45 fatalities occurred -- 30 of the deaths were skiers and 15 were snowboarders. These fatalities occurred out of the 56.9 million skier/snowboarder days reported for the season.