Jennings: Skiing tragedy reminds us our love of sport comes with risk

You would think that getting killed by a lightning strike is the rarest of occasions.

But you’re far more likely to get zapped by a bolt from the blue than to meet your fate skiing or snowboarding.

According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), during the 2013-14 season, 32 fatalities occurred out of the 56.5 million skier/snowboarder days reported, which equates to 0.57 per million visits. The National Safety Council figures the odds of dying from a lightning strike are one in 136,011.

The risk of death on the snow is low but not nonexistent. A 61-year-old woman died skiing at Lookout Pass after hitting a tree Sunday. She was wearing a helmet and was known as an accomplished skier. Her death is the first fatal accident at a local ski area since February 2009, when a 33-year-old man died after hitting a tree at Silver Mountain. He was also an accomplished skier. In fact, those who die on skis or a snowboard are often the accomplished ones.

The NSAA collects data from all U.S. ski areas at the end of every season about fatalities and catastrophic injuries that occur from in-bounds accidents during regular operating hours. Fatalities related to a pre-existing medical condition, such as a heart attack, aren’t included.

The 32 fatalities last season represent a 20 percent decline compared to the 10-year ski industry average of 39 fatalities per season. Testosterone has always been a major factor. Of the 2013-14 ski area fatalities, 27 were men and five were women. Skiers accounted for 20 deaths and snowboarders accounted for 11. In one of the fatalities, mode was unknown. Helmets were worn by 23 of the victims.

When you look at the facts about helmets, it makes sense that 72 percent of those killed weren’t saved by wearing one. NSAA figures show that 73 percent of skiers and snowboarders were wearing helmets last season. Since 2002-03, helmet use has nearly tripled, with usage rates increasing by 180 percent. Yet despite the increase in helmet use, the association said the number of snow sports-related fatalities or serious brain injuries has not decreased.

It’s not likely the protection offered by a helmet will make a difference. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ATSM) certifies helmets sold in the U.S. for safety. A product fails the ATSM test if an instrument placed within it detects a deceleration greater than 300 g forces (the brain’s threshold for permanent damage) when the helmet hits an anvil at 14 mph. Most skiers and snowboarders easily exceed that speed limit.

The woman killed at Lookout Pass was wearing a helmet when she was found just after midnight on Monday morning, in trees lining the edge of a run called Rainbow Ridge. This run is marked with a green circle on the resort’s trail map – one of the easiest routes down the mountain.

While most people may assume that ski area fatalities occur on steep runs and in tight glades, most people are killed on green or blue runs. Becoming complacent or losing one’s concentration for no more than a split second would be all it takes for the most accomplished skiers and snowboarders to collide with another person or a tree.

NSAA data show that ski area accidents typically happen after lunch. People have a tendency to lose their edge after stopping to eat. Fatigue toward the end of the day may also be a factor. Several hours of traffic can also make the snow scraped and icy. In spring, the pattern may reverse as snow is hard and fast in the morning then softens in the afternoon sun.

Soft, sticky snow – especially of the type we’ve seen lately on these warm afternoons – can grab a ski or snowboard and make it nearly impossible to turn in time to avoid a tree. I could speculate about many factors that could have been in play that resulted in the latest tragedy. Unfortunately, the only person who knows what actually happened cannot tell us.

What we can do is use this bad news as a reminder that an activity we love as much as skiing or snowboarding comes with risk. Most of the time, the degree of risk we assume is up to the choices we consciously make. Sometimes it isn’t.