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Leave the Ego and the iPod Home, and Stay Safe on Slopes

January 21, 2009 - What's the latest warning? "Objects are closer than they appear."

No, this message is not from Detroit concerning your vehicle's rearview mirror. It's the National Ski Area Association's latest safety campaign. Skiers are reminded always to ski in control and be able to stop. Essentially, this is window dressing on the first rule of NSAA's good old seven-point responsibility code, a new catchphrase about avoiding colliding with another skier, a tree, a grooming machine, a snowmaking tower – anything that won't move out of your way.

Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of NSAA's National Safety Awareness Week, Jan. 17-23, celebrated by resorts nationwide to promote safe skiing and riding. Ski resorts will display signs with the new campaign and handouts of past safety jingles such as "Know the Code," "Heads Up," "Lids on Kids" and "Get Smart" – the last of which encourages Terrain Park users to be safe when jumping and using freestyle.

With so many skier slogans, it's a challenge to keep all your tips straight, but the mission is a good one – to keep skiing and snowboarding safe.

Dr. James Gladstone, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and co-chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, recently released what I found to be a basic guide to avoiding injury on the slopes.

Gladstone, a former varsity ski team racer at Dartmouth College, says these precautions can help both competitive skiers and beginners enjoy the sport in a safe and healthy way:

• Wear a helmet.

• Make sure bindings are set correctly.

• Stick to level of ability – don't try Black Diamonds if you're a novice.

• Don't go off trail if you are not experienced in powder snow.

• Take lessons – any level of skier classes never hurt.

• Be careful going off ski jumps or in terrain parks unless you are highly experienced.

• Let yourself fall – don't fight the fall, because activating your quadriceps can cause an ACL injury

• Keep arms tucked in and roll as you fall – outstretched arms are more susceptible to injury.

I think Gladstone hits on several avoidable injuries here. By keeping your ego in check (staying off terrain you are not ready for) and being prepared (mentally, physically and equipment-wise), your odds are greatly improved to have a safe day on the slopes.

An admitted hypocrite on the helmet issue, I am hard-headed (OK – hat-headed) and prefer the breeze over a bucket on my head. So I am preaching but not practicing wearing a helmet. Here's the deal: A helmet won't save you in every high-speed impact, but it will provide a level of protection from bumps and bruises to your head and warmth on cold windy Maine ski days.

The binding issue is big – and so easily fixed. Some resorts even offer free safety binding checks in their ski shops to assure you are dialed to the right DIN. I know some core skiers put an extra crank on their bindings, which can result in serious crank to their knees when they don't release. Bindings are sophisticated safety mechanisms – make sure yours are checked annually for the proper setting (height, weight and skill) by a trained technician. I say when in doubt, it's best to come out.

Sticking with terrain that suits your ability and seeking lessons to improve your form makes the sport more fun. As Sunday River and Sugarloaf promote their lesson programs, "The better you get, the better it gets." A simple instructor tip like keeping your hands out in front can tweak your technique and help you master more of the mountain; the increased control is a safety side benefit.

As for jumps and terrain parks, whoever said "go big or go home" should go away. I say – go too big and you will be going home, in a ski patrol sled. The 20-foot jumps and sharp steel rails in today's terrain parks are "sick," and any inexperienced fools launching off them are too. Know your skill, your risk and your landing area.

Gladstone's final points – knowing how to fall and tucking in your arms – are reactions that must be learned, since your natural instinct might be the opposite – tense and brace. Here, you just need to train yourself to "ragdoll" a fall. Practice makes perfect, as they say – and no one wants to practice falling – but it could save a shoulder, a knee... you get the point.

I might add two safety points. First, "objects in your ear may interfere." Skiing with iPods, earbuds, even cellphones tucked into your hat or helmet are recent trends that distract skiers from their downhill activity. Keep your tunes and talking (and texting!) to a level that you are still aware of what's happening around you.

My final addition: look before you load the lift. I feel for the male skier in Vail who was suspended upside down "exposed" after boarding a chair without a seat pad in place. His pants slid off when he slipped through the chair opening, so he dangled there for 15 minutes awaiting evacuation. That's a bummer way to spend New Year's Day.

I hope you to see you out on the slopes. Be safe.

EVENT

Sugarloaf celebrates National Safety Week with a Safety Poster Contest for kids, and "Ski with a Patrol," which allows advanced skiers and riders to sweep the trails at day's end and learn about mountain safety. Sign up for these events at Sugarloaf's Ambassador Safety Desk.

HEATHER BURKE, Portland Press Herald, January 15, 2009


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