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

[ExcessiveNumberOfNinjas]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14427223/British-schoolboy-14-killed-skiing-accident-northern-Italy.html

This poor lad, only 14 years old, crashes headlong into a tree at speed and dies of chest injuries right in front of his parents.

What's so fucking great about skiing? Every year without fail there are stories like this and I'm sick of them. I know someone who became permanently disabled and slightly brain damaged after a skiing accident in his 20s.

As parents we don't encourage our kids to get into cars and drive them at speed round a race track with very little training every half term in February do we? We don't stick them on the backs of race horses and slap their arses and watch them go over hurdles. We don't encourage them to dive off high cliffs into the sea below and hope that they manage to miss the rocks as they land. So why do we continually let them hurl down mountainsides at god knows how many miles an hour, hoping that they manage not to collide with a tree or hit their heads on a rock?

I don't get it. I never will. However 'fun' it might be it can't possibly be worth the stupid level of risk.

I wish people would learn to read statistics and not use a news article to fulfil some strange narrative. Any sport has risk. Want a kid with a head injury? Sign them up to football or rugby. Or is that acceptable because it's more common? Should we not teach our children to ride bikes? Lots more people die every year riding bikes.

OP stop being so bloody ridiculous and scare mongering. To be honest your post smacks of jealous and envy that you can’t afford to go so you sensationalise a very unfortunate accident.
Thousands and thousands of people ski every hour of the day in season. In the area I live most kids go skiing once or twice a year at least, it’s just the done thing. Most schools here offer a ski trip with proper ski instructors on nursery slopes for beginners.
Yes, accidents can and do happen, as with any sporting activity on wheels / fast motion.
If you’ve never been you will never know the thrill and exhilaration.
Ice skating can also lead to injury as can horse riding, driving a car down the motor way at 70mph, swimming in the sea is something that causes many deaths each year in summer sadly.
There are precautions you can take with all these activities to much lessen risks

It's extremely dangerous.

So much inverse snobbery on this thread! What on earth has money, or class, or whatever else people have a problem with have to do with the OP's question?

Skiing can be pricey. And?

@JoyousGreyOrca children under 5 are one the groups at most risk in their own homes from harm. Deaths of under 5s skiing is vanishingly rare.

I've posted above the most common causes per ages of deaths in children.

Cancer is the most common cause of a child aged 10-17.

'Extremely' is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

We're not all heli-skiing off piste FFS. If you ski within your abilities, being honest about them, and take precautions, you can avoid most injuries. Not all, but then that's true of driving.

There is probably a Daily Mail article somewhere that claims that skiing causes cancer!

I'm sure there's something you do or allow your children to do that could be read as reckless etc.

Lots of people are adrenaline junkies etc.

https://scientificorigin.com/top-15-most-dangerous-sports-in-the-world

Often hailed as the most dangerous sport in the world, base jumping involves jumping from a fixed object, such as a building, cliff, or bridge, and deploying a parachute to slow the descent. Unlike traditional skydiving, base jumping happens from significantly lower altitudes, which leaves very little time for the parachute to deploy. This makes it far more dangerous, as any equipment failure or delay can lead to fatal outcomes. The sport’s fatality rate is shockingly high, with an estimated 1 in every 2,300 jumps resulting in death. Even for experienced base jumpers, the risks are considerable, and factors such as strong winds, poor visibility, or technical malfunctions add to the danger. Injuries often include traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord damage from hard landings or collisions with objects.

I picked up on that in your post too and what's hilarious is that you felt the need to add it in. Especially as the reality is probably that they said merci a few times for their hot chocolate

What a tragedy. I despair of parents who encourage their children to participate in dangerous sports. Sport should definitely be encouraged but leave the dangerous sports to adults who decide to take the risk.

*Louisetheroux *
I added it in to show the holiday was about more than just skiing, for those who are incredulous at spending a holiday doing such a DEADLY sport 😅 There were loads of great aspects to it.

And seeing as you brought it up, DC is gcse level and fairly fluent so practised a lot. They did most of the talking as my language skills are sadly lacking in comparison.

Been skiing - my understanding is that the preponderance of injury is much higher than average sports. Statistics obviously can be manipulated to reflect any discourse.

My DC have skied since they were 5, late teens now. They also ride and shoot. Any sport that has specific risks needs to be approached sensibly but if those risks can be mitigated, it's healthy. The one change I would make to ski culture is the heavy use of alcohol during the skiing day- we don't think it's OK to drink and drive but there is a lot of drinking at lunchtime on the slopes. I don't think alcohol and guns mix well either.
But with sensible precautions the risk feels to me much lower than cycling on town or rural roads, and I was very glad when my DC stopped playing rugby at 13- I know so many adult men living with old rugby injuries, plus the issue of brain damage.

it’s not normsl in my social class to go skiing so never has to think about it. I can’t imagine paying that much money to go somewhere cold.

As a higher-risk yet popular sport, overall injury rate from skiing is close to one injury per 1,000 days skied. And, skiing can result in various types of injuries, affecting different parts of the body. The most common are:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture or sprain
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) rupture or sprain
• Shoulder sprains, fractures and dislocations
• Wrist and thumb fractures
• Head injuries, whiplash and concussion
• Torn rotator cuff

https://www.kingedwardvii.co.uk/health-hub/preparing-for-ski-season-common-ski-injuries-how-to-prevent-them

I agree with you OP. I think some people love the thrill, but for those of us that don’t care about risky sports - I’d rather be left out of it thanks.

The difference between using a car and skiing, is one is done for convenience and to get things done - and yes it’s unfortunate when there is a car accident. Whilst skiing is a choice - it’s a sport and it’s like getting on a rollercoaster- abit of fun, but you’re praying nothing goes wrong and when it does /m- it’s horrific.

I think skiing is seen as cool or has some kind of social badge attached to it - I couldn’t care less, but wish people wouldn’t glamourise it and push the FOMO

Why have you capitalised deadly like that with a laughing emoji, as if the suggestion is utterly ridiculous? This thread is literally about a skiing fatality. It does happen.

It is bloody marvelous. It's exhilarating. I used to get a similar thrill from hang gliding, too.

You get physical exertion and great views. Once you've got the hang of them you feel on top of the world when everything slides into place. Great for physical and mental health.

Dying young is always tragic. But risk is an inherent part of living. You don't have to do the riskier stuff, but they normally have rewards you don't get in other ways.

This. I live in a country where we have a skifield practically on our doorstep. All sorts of people ski, kids go up with the school and lots of little kids ski with their parents. I've never wanted to ski myself, but never give a thought to it being actually dangerous. I hear of far more injuries and deaths from other sports.

Far more people here drown every year than die skiing.

Why do some British people assume there's a hierarchy to all things, and why do they use the word 'aspirational' when 'curiosity' or 'eagerness to take on a challenge' or 'getting out of your comfort zone' would be valid alternatives?

The long reach of the class system has a lot to answer for.

Maybe in another 75 years, if there's still snow, future generations will venture skiing. After all, it would have been unthinkable back in 1950 for plebs to board planes for Benidorm or Ibiza or Lanzarote.

Meh - millions ski and snowboard and love it. You don't get to be angry with their choices. It's not for you or your family - leave it at that.

Personally - I don't particularly love it - my children and husband do though. We have been skiing many times without incident.

You are v v unlikely to die while skiing and life cannot be purely about risk minimization. having said that, I let our daughter ski only with her father on family holidays (I do not ski) and would say no to skiing on school trips. Too much silly behavior going on.

Skiing is an amazing sport.
Being in the mountains is amazing.
Spending all day outside, having fun with your F&F, in the fresh air and moving your body..... very little compares.

The freedom. Is exquisite. .

By necessity you have to be in the moment. So you leave all your worries behind. No work. No ancient family discord. No gossipy work colleagues. No worrying. Just the mountains and you.

And yes. It is more dangerous than going for a run on a track near your house. But the feeling cannot be compared.

And yes. Of course it is terrible when there is an accident. But like the rest of life you can take precautions and manage risk. But you can never manage a risk down to zero.

If we wanted that We would never leave the house. Never let our kids play sports. Never let them use the tube or learn to drive. We would certainly never let them on a computer.

But we do. We risk assess and make the right decisions for us and our families.

If you don't fancy skiing then you do you and don't.