But we do it to keep the public safe - and on top of our paid, professional ski patrollers, there are 31,000 volunteer ski patrollers. We're not required by statute or by insurance companies. So emphasizing safety is incredibly important, and ski areas go to incredible lengths to do that."įacebook For one thing, he continues, "no law calls for us to have ski patrols. To have an injured guest tell people, 'I got injured at Acme Ski Area' doesn't do our sport any good. "It's something ski areas all over the country take extremely seriously, not just because we have a moral obligation to protect the safety of our guests, but also because we want our guests to come back time and time again to rent more skis, take another lesson, stay in our lodges. "One of the three purposes in our bylaws is to promote safety both within the workplace and on the mountain with the guests," he says. "And there are some family members who don't want information reported out by the ski area for personal, private reasons that any industry would respect."Īt the same time, Byrd makes it clear that safety is of paramount importance to the NSAA and its members. He points out that "there are going to be instances where a fatality has happened and the ski area doesn't know about it because a person has been transported to a hospital and the actual passing occurs later" - something that happened in the case of Enright, whose injury took place at Keystone on December 2, three days prior to his death. Such delays in sharing information aren't always a ski area's fault, Byrd argues. So we defer to the state associations to release their own information." It really fluctuates with such small numbers. "When you're averaging 38 or 39 fatalities a year, as we have been, there may be only one or two or three a year in some states. "We are the national trade association, and there are fifteen to eighteen individual state or regional associations," he points out. But the NSAA doesn't publish facts and figures about incidents in individual states. For example, people are surprised when they find out that fewer people die skiing than die by lightning."Īccording to the NSAA risk-management bulletin, an average of 73 people are killed and over 300 are injured per year as a result of lightning.īy our count, fourteen of the 2016-2017 skiing and snowboarding casualties took place in Colorado. The fatalities are low compared to the number and volume of skiers we have nationwide, and we try to place that into context. However, he says, "I think there's a misperception out there about how dangerous the sport of skiing is. In Byrd's view, informing the public about these incidents is an important way of conveying that skiing and snowboarding carry risk. Each year, he points out, the NSAA publishes statistics about fatalities and catastrophic injuries on its website, with fact sheets linked below revealing that 44 people died and 33 others suffered paralysis, broken necks, broken backs and severe, life-altering head injuries while skiing or snowboarding at U.S. Red social favorita Instagram or Youtube 17.Dave Byrd, director of risk and regulatory affairs for the Colorado-based National Ski Areas Association, thinks the ski industry gets unfairly criticized for a lack of transparency when it comes to fatalities and accidents at resorts across the country. ❼uál ha sido tu momento más humillante? Placing 10th at 2014 Winter Olympics in Slopestyle 16. ¿Sin qué cosas no puedes vivir? Family and skiing 14. But I also like to go in the gym in the summer. I think you get in shape for skiing by skiing a lot, so that has kind of been my way to do it. ❼ómo entrenas para mantenerte en forma para esquiar? Ski as much as I can and stay active in the offseason. I also skateboard and play tennis in the summer. ¿Qué haces cuando no estas esquiando? When I’m not skiing I like to hang out with my friends and girlfriend. ❺ donde te gustaría ir a esquiar y todavía no has estado? Japan to ride powder 10. Tu viaje de esquí favorito Alyeska in Alaska this winter. Lugar favorito para esquiar Breckenridge (Colorado), Folgefonna (Norway), and Andreas Håtveit’s backyard. That was the first big result I got and I was super happy. El mayor logro en tu carrera de esquí For me it was when I got 3rd at Austrian Open in 2012.