So fed up of stories like this every single year. Stupid bloody Skiing.

it’s incredibly sad for the parents - no parent should lose a child through accident or illness, so I feel for them desperately.

But, skiing is a sport where you should be in control. You shouldn’t go so fast that you can’t stop when needed, you should read the terrain (ie trees, steepness, weather conditions) and you should abide by the rules of the mountain, including being aware of what in going on in front of you. Most accidents on the mountains these days are because someone is out of control - I have been hit by both skiers and boarders who were out of control. I’m lucky and have never had a serious accident, nor have any other members of my family which includes parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles and now nephews and my son.

Yes it carries a risk, but as a PP said, so does swimming in open water, rugby, horse riding, cycling (off road and on road) and any motor sport. How many youngsters are devastatingly killed in car crashes each year not long after they’ve passed their test? I’m far more worried about my son driving/ being a passenger when he turns 17 than I am about him skiing safely and in control with the family.

IMHO, letting your kid sit about all day watching videos on TikTok, gaming, eating ultra processed muck and vaping is far more dangerous.

Do you feel the same about horse riding, swimming, rugby?

Skiing is fun and statistically safer than many sports and certainly safer than taking your children in a car to cost grandparents

You can't live a life in fear what a dreary life that would be

Cycling on the roads is actually very safe, the stats show it is about as risky as walking. If you are cycling in London, you can greatly reduce your risk of death/serious injury by not going up the inside of large vehicles at junctions, since that is how the majority of cyclists are killed in the capital. To put things into perspective, around 100 cyclists are killed every year but around 75,000 people die from coronary heart disease, and physical activity such as cycling helps to lower that risk.

I do 2 of those ‘dangerous’ sports. Been riding most of my life but at the grand old age of 48 I had my first need to have medical attention, a fractured arm.

I have over 500 scuba dives in my log book, no accidents or injuries home or abroad.
i lead an active lifestyle looking after and riding my horse, my weight is with a reasonable level.
i do have the misfortune to have early osteoarthritis and nothing to do with ‘dangerous’ sports. I’ve have both hips replaced and ankle surgery, I am aware how much these cost

When it comes to discussions like this, I think it is important to differentiate between those who participate in hazardous sports/hobbies and do everything practical to minimise the risk, and those who are careless/reckless/ignorant. The former should not be judged on the publicised consequences of some of the latter. The media love to put images in our head in order to program our thinking and it is important to use critical thinking skills to assess the issue properly, not just lap a story up because it feels good. Given the fact that money, time and resources are limited we should focus our efforts on the major contributors to mortality if we are really concerned about human welfare and risk.

It’s essentially a middle class badge of honour that’s why. People thinks it gives kids acceptance and inclusion in certain social circles. Bad show really but it was ever thus.

I agree, that is a dangerously slippery slope to go down (pardon the pun). Anyone advocating certain activities should come with paying for treatment in some form should first present a case as to why any of those activities are a significant burden on our health service, backed up by real world data and peer-reviewed literature.

I believe in the case of motor vehicle incidents involving casualties, the NHS can claim some of the cost back from the offending driver's insurance company.

As sad as this case is, it is a very rare occurrence. I have skied my entire life and it is one of my favourite sports. In 40 odd years of skiing I haven’t had any injuries, and not has anyone I have known. I have brought my children up skiing and they both love it too. Why do you assume that skiing involves hurling one’s self down a mountain out of control? That’s not the case for us at all - we have a high level of control. Fast speeds? Yes, but under control at all times. Also, I actually do let my children do some of the supposedly dreadful things you listed - get on the backs of horses and go charging off, swim in open water, surf in big waves, go rock climbing, race bikes at high speeds? Yes to all - they are taught how to do it safely and coached to a high skill level and then off they go - sports are thrilling and childhood should involve measured risk.

I wonder how many more children are harmed through mental health issues caused by sitting inside being on screens / social media every day, than taking part in invigorating outdoor pursuits? I would never allow my children to be on social media but I don’t judge those parents who do, and it is now proven that SM does significant harm to children.

and anyone that smokes, doesn't excercise, doesn't eat healthily....... where does it stop?

Totally agree @Lifethroughlenses

I follow the girls’ freestyle scene a bit and GB has two massive recent successes, Kirsty Muir (represented GB in the 2022 Winter Olympics) and Sandra Caune (gold medalist at Winter Youth Olympics that just passed) both very ‘normal’ girls who train/ed at the dry ski slope in Aberdeen - hardly glitzy or glamorous.

I'm with you OP. My DC won't be skiing before they are old enough to pay for it themselves. I won't be paying for horse riding or letting them start rugby either.

Frankly I DGAF what anyone thinks of that.

Awful accident - I feel for the parents. I have skied at least annually for 45 years. Did training on dry slopes before parents first took us to the Alps in early 1980s. Parents skied 30 years from 60s to 90s. Siblings and I have all either lived close to or worked in resorts for a year or two. None of us has ever had an injury. I first wore a helmet 6 years ago when I took my kids skiing, to set a good example. They have done years of ski school and been taught to ski safely. I don’t ski faster than I can stop, and I don’t take unnecessary risks. I love the sport! But my real risk of death or injury? I get around London by bike, am a courteous road user, yet every day I feel I am risking my life while arrogant entitled people in oversized metal boxes try to kill me. I don’t let my kids cycle on the roads, and anyone who does, or has ever close-passed or failed to notice a cyclist, or run one off the road, or parked in a cycle lane, and yet calls out skiing as dangerous, is in my opinion a hypocrite. When skiing, your fate is largely in your own hands. When cycling, it is in the hands of someone else who values your life less than 20 seconds of their time.

@Tabbsi Its not part of our landscape per se (although we do have ski lifts in the lakes and resorts in Scotland) but I would say that many Brits have an enthusiastic love of outdoor sports and we have a pretty long history of skiing. We have artificial slopes all over the country and there is a thriving ski racing scene.

Historically we had explorers who climbed up mountains and skied down them and it was largely the Brits who started the ski holiday concept. This tradition has persisted. And yes I think it is aspirational for some people, for many it’s just a sport that they really enjoy. Our most famous ski racer (Dave Ryding) is from a solidly working class background, as are many who use dry ski slopes. It’s not all middle aged men drinking champers in the fancy resorts.

I've known a few families over the years who are very keen on skiing and that whole way of life. One friend married an Austrian so perhaps that's not surprising! But they all went skiing several times a year, from when the children were tiny babies and took health and safety VERY seriously. I can't help wondering if these appalling accidents are much more likely in families who are only occasional skiers, have little tutoring and really don't know what they are doing?

What a ridiculous thing to say. I have been skiing since I was 7 years old, have spend 3 winter seasons living in the alps and regularly take 4-5 trips a year but according to your friend I can’t ski??

Many many people on here need to learn to live life.
There are risks in everything we do.
Skiing as a family is one of the most enjoyable things we do. We are exercising, in a beautiful environment, breathing fresh mountain air, and spending quality screen free time together.
It’s also a real incentive to stay fit.
We are fully insured and are in no way a burden on the NHS.

Alternatively we could stay home, watch TV and wrap ourselves in cotton wool. What a fulfilling life that would be!

I would previously have been in the entitled show offs doing a dangerous sport camp but my perception has totally changed since trying it. Yes some people who ski are braying idiots, some of us deliberately go to resorts where we can avoid those people! There are a lot of ways to massively mitigate risk - skiing on piste, getting your kids proper lessons until then are technically competent (and beyond), skiing at sensible speeds in control, wearing decent kit, making sure your family knows and obeys the piste cross code etc.

And quite honestly, it’s popular for a reason. There aren’t many family holidays where everyone from 3 to 80 can engage in the same activity all day and all have a wonderful time. The scenery is spectacular. Everyone is exercising and there is usually some cracking food and drink on offer.

This incident was a tragic accident. It sounds as if he shouldn’t have been on a red and he definitely wasn’t in control. It is beyond sad that he lost his life as a result of this but it’s really unusual.

You're not wrong. It's a very upper-middle to upper class thing to do in the UK. I don't know anybody in my family or social circle who has gone skiing or snow boarding. The locations always look beautiful though.

Managed risk is part of life and you only hear about the horror stories rather than the many who ski perfectly safely year after year. I've been on lots of ski holidays but only once did one of our group get injured. My kids learned to ski safely young and are, I would say, confident but not overly so.

Rugby is in a way higher insurance category than skiing. It is up there with free climbing and base jumping, yet 100's of 1000's of children participate every week.
Life is about managing risk and sometimes you get unlucky. Better to have lived a life of adventure than spent it all in cotton wool.
I heli-ski and play polo and there is no way I'd play rugby.

The costs to the NHS of treating sports injuries are negligible compared to the costs of treating people who don’t undertake any exercise, drive cars dangerously, drink alcohol, etc. Would be far happier seeing all those charged.

Talking of risk, what about the TT motorbike races in the Isle of Man every year, then? So many deaths! I can't believe people do it.

I must be boring like another poster who was mocked for it. I hate taking any kind of physical risks at all. You wouldn't catch me scuba-diving, cycling on the roads, caving, or any number of other dangerous sports, no siree. You can get plenty of exercise without putting yourself at risk. I like swimming. In a pool, in water I can stand up in! I might try skiing again if I was fit enough, to see if I could get on with it after all these years, but I would stick to blue runs.

I disagree somewhat. The most entitled people I have met are one that claim long term benefits because the choose not to work, not because they can't.

I have went on expensive holidays with other people with money. I do think you are more likely to meet people with a sense of entitlement amongst people with money.

This is a huge generalisation and simply untrue. It's exactly like generalising about working class people going to Benidorm, splurging their benefits drinking too many pints of Stella and pissing off the locals. Do you have a chip on your shoulder about not being able to afford skiing?

Nah, coffee and a génépi on the side hits the spot.