Skiing hurts
Some interesting stats on how dangerous skiing is (keep in mind these are for inbounds skiers in the USA). Notice how the trends seem to be going up and not down?
By the numbers
Males represent 85 percent of all skiing fatalities, from their late teens to late 30s (70 percent).
In 2004/5 there were 45 deaths: 39 were male & 6 were female – 30 were skiers & 15 were snowboarders -nsaa.org
From 1996 to 2006 there were 38 deaths from skiing/riding per year on average in the USA -nsaa.org
Snowboarders more likely to get head injuries
One U.S. study suggested that the odds were 66% higher for all types of injury (P=0.05) whereas a Norwegian study put the odds even higher at three- to fourfold. A Canadian study found a 50% increase in head and neck injury risk for snowboarders compared with skiers. -medpagetoday.com
Snowboarders get hurt more
More people are hurt snowboarding than any other outdoor activity, accounting for a quarter of emergency room visits, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. - calsafety.org
What is the Reason for This Rise in Injuries?
The occurrence rate of both spinal cord and traumatic brain injury appears to be increasing worldwide because of higher speeds and more jumps and acrobatics leading to more falls and collisions, found Charles H. Tator, M.D., Ph.D., of Toronto Western Hospital here, and colleagues. -medpagetoday.com