Another Skier Death

Skier Dies at Sunday River

2 days ago I read about another at Sunshine Village up in Banff.

EDIT: Found stats from as of 2012 (for the previous decade)

 


Have there been more deaths at ski areas this year than normal?  

None so far that I am aware of at WF this season

Knock on wood

I am actually surprised it is so high.    At over 40/yr a lot must go unreported or not widely reported.    

I am sure I could get the data, but curious what % of that is due to AVY, and T-park.    


Also, I expect to see a very high increase in "serious" injuries in the next 10 yr scale.   I see a serious injury at least once a year in our park.   Bad injuries every weekend.     Don't want this to derail the thread but the industry must really figure out some test/measure of ability vs. feature size.   Some resorts have tested and may be opening themselves up to deeper liability.  Others don't for fear of liability.   "I passed the test, the resort felt I could do the 60'gap"   They should have a stronger test, I am a quad now.  

I:)skiing wrote

I am actually surprised it is so high.    At over 40/yr a lot must go unreported or not widely reported.    

I am sure I could get the data, but curious what % of that is due to AVY, and T-park.    

Here is the link to the source data: N.S.A.A. Death/Injury Fact Sheet

I'm thinking that many of the deaths must be a result of collision trauma.  Last year there was an inbounds burial at Crystal, but as far as I am aware avalanche deaths inbounds are fairly rare.  

Here is the Avalanche fact sheet: N.S.A.A. Avalanche Facts

In terms of an increase in serious injuries, and their relation to terrain park feature size, I agree.  I was recently at Mount Bachelor.  Terrain parks are part of their core product.  Many of the features are enormous.  That said, entry into these areas is very loosely controlled.  I could very easily have thrown myself across a 50ft gap... the end result being a multitude of broken bones.  I wouldn't think of blaming the ski area for my own stupidity, but I know there is a segment of out population that most certainly would.

These numbers put the death statistic in context:

What the hell is unintentional public poisoning?

billyymc wrote

What the hell is unintentional public poisoning?

Good question: And why the hell did 4500 die as a result of it?  

I think unintentional public poisening is govt speak for:   Kid eats dishwasher detergent from under the sink.   Unintentional and "public" as opposed to something like a resturant, private.  Likely a code for that. In case Heinz accidently puts arsenic rather than sugar which causes death.    


Perfect perspective---basically very, very rare.  Skiing is a rather safe sport, generally speaking.    But that could be adverse selection at work too.     People who SHOULD NOT be skiing, know that and don't go.   However everyone thinks they can ride a bike, or drive a car or even cross the street, like a pro.    We see how well that works.     Granted many of those deaths are caused by others hitting the innocent person.