The back-to-back deaths of Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono on the ski slopes might suggest that the hazards of the sport are increasing–or at least that devotees should think twice before whizzing down a mountain at high speed.
But improvements in skiing equipment and technology actually have dramatically lowered the rate of accidents and have kept the annual death rate hovering within a fairly constant range, according to statisticians and emergency room doctors.
During the 1960s, there were about 10 injuries per 1,000 skier days, a rate that has dropped to 2 per 1,000 skier days, according to an analysis by Dr. Doug Hill, a skier and board member of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
With a ski industry building boom under way, the number of people tackling the slopes on skis and snowboards is expected to grow. But ski enthusiasts and some doctors hope that in coming years the death rate dwindles as more youngsters who learn to ski don helmets–and accept them as a piece of gear as necessary as the ski boot.
Though head injuries are the most dramatic, knee injuries are the most common. That is a change from 20 to 30 years ago, when more crudely designed boots made ankle injuries prevalent.
But while the type of injury has changed, the profile of the injured skier has remained constant: Young males up to age 30 tend to be hurt most often and most severely.
“The type of major injury we’re seeing is usually a young male in the 15- to 30-year-old age group who’s a fairly decent skier but is skiing above his level and hotshotting,” said Jan Buttrey, director of Utah’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.
“It’s just like with the Kennedy incident the other day: He was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing and went into the trees,” she said. “It’s just a matter of testosterone sometimes.”
While skiing is perceived by some as more dangerous than, say, bike-riding, comparisons are difficult to make. Different sports calculate participation and, consequently, injury rates in different ways.
“The ideal measure would be the number of hours of participation in each sport, but I’m not sure we’ll ever get that level of detailed information,” said Alan Hoskin, manager of research and statistics for the National Safety Council. The private, non-profit public education organization is based in Itasca.
Those who both study skiing and practice it, however, say that the safety level is improving and has surpassed other sports.
Mike McMenany, director of marketing for the National Ski Areas Association, said that an average of 34 people have died in each of the last 13 years in skiing-related accidents.
During that time, deaths reached a high of 49 in 1994-1995 and a low of 24 in 1989-1990.
Industry representatives are quick to point out that the ski industry death rate of .69 deaths per million skiing days is far lower than in other sports, particularly water sports such as boating and swimming.
And some skiing enthusiasts who also treat ski injuries say better equipment has led to fewer accidents.
“I think skiing is a safer sport than it once was,” said Hill. “In Colorado, we’re pretty stagnant on skiing deaths.”
Still, he said, skiing carries risks, and accidents and deaths will occur every year.
“You could chop down every tree but that’s no fun,” said Hill, a skier for more than 30 years who is the medical director of the Colorado Mountain Club.
A better approach than trying to clear every tree, he said, is for skiers to exercise caution and improve their skills.
“There are a lot of reasons accidents happen–skiing above your ability; simply going too fast, which may include skiing out of control; and using improper equipment,” Hill said.
The crash that killed Michael Kennedy happened during what observers say was his group’s last run of the day. And studies have shown that is when most accidents occur.
“These are the people who talk to their friends and say, `Let’s go get a hot toddy, I’ll race you guys to the bottom,’ or the person who says, “I’m tired and I can’t do it anymore,’ and the friend who says, `Oh, please,’ ” Hill said.
While most skiers still take the slopes without helmets and did not change their ski vacation plans because of the Kennedy and Bono deaths, even some accomplished skiers are rethinking their approach to safety. Bob Kleinman is convinced that the slopes have grown more dangerous, and he and his wife are planning to buy helmets this weekend.
Kleinman, a former resident of Highland Park, spends 80 to 90 days a year on the slopes. A partner in the Chicago law firm of Ross & Hardies, Kleinman, 51, moved to Vail in 1992 and became a telecommuter; he also volunteers one day a week with the ski patrol in Colorado.
“The topic that everyone is talking about is getting helmets–not that that would prevent or ameliorate–but it’s the one thing you can do. . . . No one would bike without it, why would you go down at 30 m.p.h. without it?” he asked.
“You’re seeing more and more of them,” he said, adding that all kids in weekend racing programs are required to wear one. “If it’s good enough for little kids, it should be good enough for us. Our heads are not that much harder.”
Joe Waldek of Batavia said he is seeing more helmets on the slopes in recent years–particularly among the younger skiers. But he wonders whether the protective headgear really will help.
“Will the helmet make people feel more indestructible or more careful?” asked Waldek, who is planning a ski trip to Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., where Bono died. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
On Tuesday at the Heavenly Resort, Bono’s death was the central topic of conversation. While many skiers said they were saddened, few said the accident would prompt them to wear helmets.
“It scares me a little, but I guess it’s normal for something like this to happen once in a while,” said Erica Maule, 26, of LaCrosse, Wis. Maule, a first-time skier, said she would not wear a helmet.
Sharon Watson, 39, of Orlando, Fla., who also was vacationing at Heavenly Resort, agreed that such accidents seem to be inevitable in skiing.
“It’s not the first time this has happened,” she said of the accident. “It’s a real dangerous sport, if you’re not careful.”
Perhaps emblematic of a generational difference in attitude, 11-year-old Anna Lambdin had a different view. During a skiing program at the resort, she was wearing a helmet.
“I made the decision for myself to wear a helmet,” she said. “I feel safer.”
