Skiing deaths!?

Question

How often do people die from skiing/snowboarding? I know several celebrities have had highly publicized skiing deaths... but what are the statistics on everyone who dies?

... i went skiing and I nearly died several times... so I was just curious...

Answer 1

dont know but at least one person dies after running a marathon

Answer 2

Not sure.  All i know is that I never hear again from most my friends that go on a skiing trip.

Answer 3

Here in Summit County (Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper)  we see at least one death a month.  All because they weren't wearing helmets (...or they were out of shape and had a heart attack)

Go to http://www.summitdaily.com/  and search for "Skier Dies".  You'll see-- and then you'll be sure to always wear a helmet- beginner or advanced.

Here's a little taste of what I'm talking about:

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080...

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070...

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070...

Answer 4

7 out of every 1,000 people were injured skiing in the last year according to statisitcs from every popular ski resort.

My own uncle broke his leg skiing. I don't know how common death is among skiiers.

Answer 5

I go skiing 2-3 times per week, and I never heard of anyone dying when I was there.

If someone were to die skiing at a ski area where there are lifts, it is probably more likely that drugs or alcohol were involved, or a reckless person going off big air jumps in a terrain park and landing on his/her head.

If you are concerned about staying alive, get a good fitting helmet and make sure that your boots fit properly.  They should be snug and your feet shouldn't move inside of them at all, except for wiggling your toes.  They shouldn't be too tight that they cut off your circulation. Don't wear too pairs of socks if they are too big, that will make things worse.

The only time that I have ever hurt myself skiing, was because my boots were too big and I turned, caught an edge, and fell.  My ankle moved inside my boot and my foot and ankle hurt for about a week.

With the case of Sunny Bono, there is controversy about whether or not someone killed him and made everyone believe that it was a ski accident.

Answer 6

Skiing/snowboarding in a developed area, not back country or out of bounds, is about as safe as the resort and equipment manufacturers can make it.  Every year a few people do get killed, usually from doing something stupid. Stay in bounds, never ski alone, wear a helmet, ski under control within your ability and you should be OK.  

   When the Kennedy boy was killed, he was playing catch with a football and hit a tree without a helmet.  Sonny Bono was skiing very fast and hit a tree where 2 trails merged, also without a helmet.  Several riders have been hurt going under barriers and over cliffs, why do you think the barrier was there?

   "If you nearly died" several times, use it as a teaching lesson, slow down, get back on a slope that you can handle.

  As to the statistics of 7/1000 injured, I think it's closer to 7/10000.  And deaths about 1 of every 10000 injuries. You can check with the ski patrol online.

Answer 7

i read there were 14 snow related deaths in CO this year.  the vast majority are the result of being buried in an avalanche.  most of those were people in the backcountry on snowmobiles.  one guy i heard about on the news broke his neck and died at breckenridge a few weeks back.

skiing is dangerous, but so is driving a car.  if you wear a helmet and use common sense, i'd say your chance of dying is pretty remote.

Answer 8

Every single time I'm snowboarding, an ambulance comes. I just had a concusion doing it, I would thing odds are relatively high.

Answer 9

I've been skiing for 38 years. never heard of a death-by-ski incident locally until about 6 years ago. 1 heart attack - 1 tree related crash- 1 guy fell off a lift. - one teen softball player thought she was a good enough athelete to start on a dbl black....unfortunately she was wrong. that's 4 deaths over about 6 years and thousands of riders.

Answer 10

Well, there is a phrase that has entered the vernacular:

"Wow, did you see him Bono that tree?"