Plans include an oversized ski dome set to rise from Dubai’s mega tourism development project-Dubailand. The project is called “Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome”, and it is the first of its kind in the Middle East.

This is fantastic news for not only the tourists it hopes to attract, but for the locals who endure scorching temperatures year round. It will provide an outstanding winter experience in the Middle East that people of that region would otherwise not have access to, with a full range of activities for all ages.

The structure consists of a steel dome, which is said to include a large revolving ski slope, which meanders through an artificial mountain range, giving it an authentic outdoorsy effect. Boreholes of approximately two hundred meters deep have been dug to make use of geothermic energy and to support what will be the largest free-standing dome in the world.

When guests enter the Sunny Mountain Ski Dome, they will be greeted with Arctic experiences including:

• A penguinarium
• A snow castle
• Winter Aquaria
• Ice rink
• Arctic animal statues
• 4 Seasons Aquaria
• Snowfall
• Sound and light effects
• An ice bridge
• A ice slide
• A cable-lift
• Cold and warm bath spa
• Polar bears

This will be a luxurious winter escape amid the arid and dry region. It will also integrate a luxury hotel, shopping mall, themed restaurants, coffee shops and other retail options.
*This luxury project began in February of 2006, and the exact ETA is unknown.

SOURCE: http://www.imaginelifestyles.com/luxuryliving/2010/03/dubai-announces-18-billion-dollar-%E2%80%9Csunny-mountain-ski-dome%E2%80%9D-first-its-kind

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What started as a beautiful banner day at Big White Ski Resort yesterday turned to tragedy after a 27-year-old snowboarder from Vancouver died after hitting a tree.

Resort spokesperson Michael J. Ballingall was clearly struggling with the situation when contacted today.

“At a resort like we have, there are lots of highs in our business,” he said. “Yesterday was a real low.”

Since he started at Big White in 1995, this was just the second time someone has died on the hill after hitting an obstacle, the last one about 7 or 8 years ago when a woman from Atlanta hit her head on a rock.

Ballingall said he hasn’t got any official reports of what happened just yet but has pieced together the basics. The man was part of a group of 10 snowboarders in town from the Lower Mainland joining another 10,000 people who hit the mountain on perhaps the best Saturday of the year.

A doctor was also enjoying the day on skis and wasn’t far behind the man on White Foot Bowl, a groomed blue run. He heard people on a nearby chairlift screaming for help for the man. The doctor was on scene within a minute. The doctor sent a tourist down to the Falcon chair to radio ski patrol which was on scene again within minutes. They worked on the man for some time before it was clear that nothing could be done. At that point it was a matter for the RCMP which were also on the hill, and the B.C. Coroners Service. Both agencies are still investigating.

The man’s nine friends were then cared for by a trauma care specialist with the Big White Fire Department who observed them and looked after their needs and ensuring they were safe for the night. Several ski patrollers and staff at Big White also saw a trauma care specialist.

For Ballingall and Big White, the question is what happens now? He has no specific information about how it happened or how fast the snowboarder was going. He knows the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet but more information is needed to determine if that is a factor in the incident.

“If you are going fast enough, the helmet wouldn’t do anything for you,” he says. “But I am sure that debate will be waged across Canada tomorrow.”

The resort will continue to probe the matter as information comes in. Until then, the same code that applied to skiers and snowboarders on Friday and Saturday applies today. The Canada West Ski Areas Association recommends that everyone wear helmets but also encourages education on the limitations of helmets.

“The primary safety consideration and obligation under the Alpine Responsibility Code is to ski and ride in a controlled and responsible manner,” it says.

“The biggest message people have to understand is that when you are sliding down a mountain, you have to observe the terrain and slide in control,” he says. “It is part of the alpine responsibility code to remain in control of your own person and if people live by that, you don’t have collisions and people hitting obstacles.”

Big White also has safety information on its web site.

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1. Snowboarder without Helmet dies on hill at Big White

The snowboarder may have struck a tree, but Ballingal did not have further details on the circumstances leading to the death.

“It’s a tragedy. It’s very, very seldom that these things happen, a sudden death like that,” said Ballingal.

The snowboarder was staying at the resort with friends. Ballingal described conditions on Saturday as a “bluebird day, not a cloud in the sky.”

The accident occurred between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

An off-duty doctor who happened to be skiing behind the snowboarder was on scene within a minute, said Ballingal.

Ski patrol was alerted quickly, he added. The name and age of the snowboarder have not been released. Kelowna RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating.

SOURCE: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Snowboarder+dies+hill+White/2650939/story.html

PHOTO: An undated photo of groomed runs on Big White in Kelowna, B.C., where a young man died while snowboarding Saturday morning. Photograph by: Handout photo, Handout photo

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Warman recollects Miller’s spirit of giving:

“Bode has always been an extremely generous guy. I remember him buying U.S. Ski Team jackets for the Development Team a while ago,” she recounted. “No one knew where they came from. Bode didn’t want the credit, he just wanted to help out.”

The helmet, worn by Miller in the Vancouver Olympics and autographed by the athlete, is currently up for auction on eBay, along with items from Jake Zamansky and several other Olympic skiers close to Warman.

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“In the last couple of years, you see a big movement toward helmets — it just makes sense,” says Ted Ligety, the U.S. Olympic skier who sported a bright orange helmet in Vancouver. “I started wearing a helmet when I was 4 years old. I feel super naked if I’m not wearing a helmet. My parents did a good job ingraining it in my head.”

Wearing helmets for recreational skiing and snowboarding often starts with the kids, and then parents — who find it easier to practice what they preach than incite a meltdown — find they’re comfortable, warm and sometimes wired for cell phones and iPods.

Snowmass and Aspen Mountain, both in Colorado, instituted a policy in 2001 that all children 12 and under in its ski-school programs must wear helmets. Once kids get used to them, they’re likely to keep wearing them as adults, says Jeff Hanle, director of public relations for the mountains. The helmets are as much a part of their gear as boots or a parka.

Skicrosser Casey Puckett feels like not wearing one actually draws unwanted attention.

“I never used to wear one when I was younger. Ski helmets just weren’t really a consideration. But probably in the last five to 10 years, helmets have made a real push onto the scene to the point where it’s almost like you look strange if you just go out with a hat or something,” Puckett says.

Of course, high-profile accidents, such as actress Natasha Richardson’s death last year of a head injury sustained while skiing without a helmet, also raise awareness of helmet use.

Hanle says he doesn’t expect helmet use to reach 100 percent unless they’re made mandatory, but the numbers should continue to rise.

According to the trade group SnowSports Industries America 656,523, valued at $11 million, were sold through December, representing unit sales up 29 percent over the previous season.

Ligety has tapped into the business with his own line of helmets with the brand name Shred, which he started first with the plan of making goggles. The protective eyewear was so intertwined with the protective headgear, he decided to do both. “Being a ski racer, I knew what feels good and what works. I knew I had to have the highest quality and safety. We’ve tried to make them light and adjustable so it feels like you get a custom fit.”

Some Olympic skiers, including U.S. medalist Julia Mancuso and the entire Swedish team, are wearing Poc helmets. “There’s a trend in society toward anything to do with safety and health, and that drives helmets as well,” says company founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn.

He also thinks there’s a link between increased helmet use and the carving skis that started to boom about 10 years ago.

“Everyone suddenly became much, much better skiers, and people started to ski faster,” Ytterborn says. It’s also changed the lines of skiing, with more carved turns, and there are also more daredevils out there in this X-Games generation. “Kids want to jump 25 meters (82 feet). When they crash, they hurt themselves, and helmets have become a necessity for these skiers.”

“I feel uncomfortable not wearing a helmet. It makes me feel safe, and it just makes me feel like I’m having a better time when I do wear a helmet,” says Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, an Olympic freestyle aerialist. “Plus, they are warm. It’s the way to go.”

Alpine skier Stacey Cook said she learned to wear a helmet the hard way: sustaining several concussions. “I think it’s a very valuable thing not only for me but for other people out on the ski hill to protect that noggin,” she says.

Poc’s president of U.S. operations, Jarka Duba, predicts improving technology and electronics will lead to more safety features in the near future, including the ability to track a skier or boarder who has crashed in a remote area.

SAMANTHA CRITCHELL AP Fashion Writer

SOURCE: http://www.timesleader.com/features/Helmets_a_no-brainer_in_snow_sports_03-04-2010.html

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Brighton Ski Resort has teamed with officials at Intermountain Medical Center, Life Flight and the Brain Injury Association of Utah for a public service campaign called “Save your brain, wear a helmet.” Those who purchase a ski pass at Brighton on Saturday will get a ticket for a helmet raffle to be conducted throughout the day. Those who show up wearing a helmet at the ticket booth will receive a two-for-one night skiing pass to Brighton, which is good any night the rest of the season.

The resort also will sell helmets that day at a discounted rate.

Bill Duehlmeier, a nurse practitioner with the trauma program at Intermountain, said about 49 percent of skiers and snowboarders nationwide wear helmets while on the slopes, yet “approximately 30 to 60 percent of traumatic brain injuries can be avoided by wearing a helmet.” Such injuries are the leading cause of death and serious injury among skiers and snowboarders.

Medical personnel see “more mild traumatic brain injury with snowboarders,” and about 25 percent of snowboarder injuries involve the head. About 20 percent of injuries for skiers involve the head, he said.

“Most of the injuries we see are concussions, but we also stress that concussions can affect your entire life,” Duehlmeier said. “Even a small one can cause issues with your job and personal life with lost concentration and memory. They’ve also been found to affect people’s ability to manage stress and concentrate.”

While nothing can prevent every possible injury, “we do know that major head injuries or life-threatening injuries rarely occur when people are wearing a helmet.”

Traumatic brain injury can lead to serious or lifelong disability, including paralysis and serious concussions that can take months or years for recovery.

Susan Connors, president of the Brain Injury Association of Utah, emphasized in a news release that “a concussion is a brain injury. … Medical evaluation by a licensed health care provider before returning to play is essential to the athlete’s short-term and long-term health.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that U.S. emergency departments treat an estimated 135,000 sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, each year among children ages 5 to 18.

For more information, contact the association at 801-484-2240, or visit their Web site at www.biau.org.

By Carrie A. Moore

Deseret News
SOURCE: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700013772/Officials-promote-helmet-use-for-skiers-snowboarders.html

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SKIERS and snowboarders have one thing in common: falling is often part of their alpine experience. Although most crashes injure only the ego, some high-profile accidents — like the death of the actress Natasha Richardson last year on a beginner ski trail — have brought safety to the forefront.

This winter, Vail Resorts began requiring all employees at its five ski areas to wear helmets while skiing and snowboarding on the job. And a California state senator recently introduced a bill that would require helmet use in the state for skiers and snowboarders who are 18 or younger.

“A helmet will cut the risk of injury significantly,” said Robert Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon in Burlington, Vt., who is on the board of the International Society for Skiing Safety. Even with a helmet, severe injuries are still possible, he noted.

Jarod Richmond, who reports on snow conditions at the Sunday River ski resort in southern Maine, skis about six days a week. He tested these helmets for a month on terrain ranging from tree runs and wide-open trails to the occasional jump.

Photos: Joel Page for The New York Times

GIRO SEAM Ski Helmet $160, Altrec.com.

“The venting was awesome,” Mr. Richmond said, because it channeled air to his goggles. And since these vents were easy to adjust, moderating the temperature inside the helmet was a snap, and he wore it on one of the coldest days on the mountain this year. He liked the “all-mountain look” and said that the Giro Seam “didn’t feel like you were wearing a helmet.” His favorite feature? A dial that allows the user to fine-tune the fit.

RED PRIME $159.95, backcountry.com.

Comparing the Red Prime’s integrated air pump to the Reebok sneaker pump of yore, Mr. Richmond said that this air system “helps customize the fit.” But he was surprised by how high the helmet rode on his head, leaving a gap that exposes the forehead and can cause the skier’s equivalent of an ice cream headache. The product does come with a gasket, which covers the gap.

PRO-TEC VIGILANTE ANDREAS WIIG $99.96-$139.96, backcountry.com.

The sound quality on the Vigilante’s integrated headphones was “phenomenal,” Mr. Richmond said, and the sound controls were “easy to use, even wearing gloves.” He didn’t like the material on the ear flaps, which got cold easily, but he did say the helmet had a “decent fit” and was “versatile.” He appreciated the vents that channeled air towards his goggles, keeping them fog free.

POC RECEPTOR BUG $130, backcountry.com.

The Bug had a “secure feel,” Mr. Richmond said. He took a big tumble and said it “absorbed the shock really well, and I was able to get up and go along with no real issue.” It was also “very warm,” so much so that he had to take it off to adjust the venting, which was “inconvenient.”

SMITH MAZE $100, backcountry.com.

Smith calls its Maze helmet the lightest on the market, and it was certainly the lightest in the test. Mr. Richmond called it “warm” and said that it “vents well” and would be versatile enough for springtime skiing. He did not like the removable goggle clip because it came off too easily, potentially letting the wearer’s goggles fall off. Overall, he called it a “good helmet” that “could take an impact decently.”

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By Gabriella Le Breton:
A split-second after I registered that I was no longer skiing but flying, I realised that landing was going to be painful. Coming to a few seconds later, I picked myself off the snow and slowly pieced together what had happened.

I was in Andermatt, a small resort in Switzerland, with six experienced skiers taking part in a new “Mystery Powder Tour” run by the Verbier-based guiding company Powder Extreme. From our warm-up run I had judged that I would need to be on form to keep up, so I had been concentrating intently on the second run. So intently, in fact, that I had failed to see a deep, hard rut in the snow, which I hit at speed. I was thrown from my skis, and landed face first on the piste.

Dazed and seeing stars, I tried to assess what hurt most. My trusty Salomon helmet had borne the brunt of the impact, but my head still felt as though it had been through a wine press and my ears were ringing. I seemed to have been hit on the back of the head, too, and my neck was making ominous crunching noises. Judging by my reflection in the others’ goggles, my cheek had also taken a battering and was already puffing up and developing a teal-and- magenta hue.

Being something of a concussion expert (this was my seventh), I felt I knew what to expect from the next few days. Determined to stick the course, I tried to ignore the blurred vision, continuous blinding pain in my head and neck, nausea and sheer exhaustion. I was less successful at ignoring the painful spasms that shot from my neck into my back, occasional blackouts and intermittent vomiting.

I kept skiing for six days until I met friends in Sainte-Foy, who insisted I see a doctor. His diagnosis surprised me: suspected fractured neck and broken cheekbone in addition to concussion. I was transferred directly to the nearest hospital for further tests and a CT scan to check for bleeding in the brain. The scan was clear, but the breaks and “severe” concussion were confirmed, in addition to strained neck ligaments.

Despite my injuries, I found it hard to stay behind in the chalet each morning as my friends went skiing. The incident, however, has reinforced the importance of some invaluable ski lessons:

1) Always wear a helmet, regardless of your skiing ability (and of what Boris Johnson advises). It can significantly minimise the extent of damage caused by a head injury. If you do have an accident and your helmet takes a knock, replace it immediately.

2) Always check your own ski equipment. I failed to check my rental skis and didn’t realise they were on a setting that resulted in my being thrown out of both of them.

3) Seek medical attention immediately after any incident involving your head and neck.

My doctors confirmed that my head injuries would have been worse had I not been wearing a helmet. I have already ordered a replacement “lid” from Ellis Brigham’s rapidly depleting stocks. British retailers sold out of helmets last winter following the accidents involving Natasha Richardson, the actress, who died after a fall, and Dieter Althaus, the German politician, whose collision with another skier was fatal for her and left him – he was wearing a helmet – in a coma.

Dr Mike Langran, a specialist in head and ski injuries based in Aviemore, says: “While wearing a helmet should not be viewed as a panacea against fatal injury and should not give the wearer a false sense of security, the fundamental response to the question of whether or not skiers and riders should wear a helmet is easy: yes. The real question is whether helmets should become mandatory on the slopes.”

SOURCE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/7322853/Ski-helmet-debate-a-woolly-hat-wouldnt-have-saved-me.html

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When we saw this article and photo we had to post it. While we applaud the creativity on this ski helmet, we are curious as to what you might look like on a bright sunny day going down the slopes. Perhaps a Super Mario Brothers Style fireball? Perhaps with the sparkle of Twilights’ Edward? Perhaps with the cheeze of a CD hanging from your corvettes mirror? Whatever it may be, you are bound to turn heads and receive a few chuckles, sighs and possibly admirers wearing this new Ski Helmet from Dareece Saca. Enjoy. SkiHelmets.org Staff.

DENVER – Dareece Saca, a statuesque former computer programmer with a long blond ponytail, grew up skiing without ever wearing a helmet. She joked to a friend, “I’ll never wear a helmet unless it’s crystallized like a Judith Leiber bag.”

When she started skiing in the Lake Tahoe area with a helmet covered in sparkling crystals attached one-by-one by hand, people kept stopping her to compliment her, and soon her business Ice Couture was born.

Ice Couture’s crystal-covered helmets will be sold in time for next season, with prices ranging from around $200 for simpler designs to up to $2,000 for Swarovski crystal helmets. The bling designs include pink camouflage and a skull and crossbones.

“Skiing is becoming more fashionable,” she said. “Everyone has designer goggles. Especially for kids, you want them to want to wear their helmets. If you get attention for wearing a helmet, it’s fun for them. It’s an accessory.”

Besides stepping up safety features, mainstream helmet makers are coming up with high-tech lighter options, snugger fits, unique designs to fit customers’ personal style, and a better fit with goggles to encourage riders to wear their helmets instead of leaving them in the car.

Helmets with polycarbonate shells can shave weight and bulk.

Makers have tinkered with ways to offer a better fit. Some include fleeces of various thicknesses to wear underneath. Some POC helmets have a knob to turn to tighten them.

Burton’s RED Prime helmets have an air band system, with small inflatable air cushions that ring the head. A push of a small pump on the side of the ear pad pushes air into the cushion to make it snug.

Nutcase Inc. has added Fidlock magnetic snap buckles, so people don’t pinch their skin trying to snap on helmet straps. Men tend to go for solid colors, but Nutcase has plenty of flashy patterns and graphics, too, said Nutcase owner Michael Morrow, a former creative director at Nike.

Helmet covers that make the hard shells look more like stuffed animals are also still selling.

Karyn Climans started Tail Wags Helmet Covers after her helmet shattered — but she recovered — from a crash into a tree. A pink princess cover topped with a yellow crown and pink veil is her top seller.

SOURCE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/fashion/bal-ski-helmet-0224,0,4130061.story

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Experts called for new safety rules to be introduced following the death of mother-of-three Tracy Boland.

The 46-year-old suffered fatal injuries after she collided with a 23-year-old Dutch woman. Neither woman was wearing a helmet.

Sales have already gone up sharply this season following the death of actress Natasha Richardson after she fell during a lesson at Mont Tremblant Ski Resort in Quebec.

It is also understood that in the wake of this week’s tragedy and several similar accidents in the country, the Austrian authorities are reconsidering plans to make them regulation for all who use the slopes. They already require children to wear a helmet.

Al Morgan of the Ski Club of Great Britain said: “We would urge people to look at all the available research and make an informed decision.

“Children under 13 should definitely wear a helmet, and while we say that for adults it is their decision, that is guidance we are constantly revising, especially in light of this latest accident.”

Arnie Wilson, editor of Ski + Board magazine said: “Everyone should wear a helmet, but they don’t guarantee safety — people should see them as an insurance policy.”

Advances in ski technology now mean the inexperienced could be exposed to greater risk. Josef Schmid of the Austrian Ski Federation said: “We recommend that all skiers should wear helmets.

“With the new carving skis, people tend to ski faster these days and they overestimate their own abilities. The slopes are very busy and it’s much safer for everyone if you wear a helmet.”

A recent study in Calgary, Canada, showed a reduction in head injury risk with helmet use.

Mrs Boland, a secretary from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was on a week’s holiday with husband, Paul and their three children Charlotte, Patrick and Philip, aged between eight and 12, in the resort of Kaprun.

SOURCE: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23807368-new-call-for-helmets-in-wake-of-ski-death.do

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The enforced sale comes because a New York hedge fund that owns the resort is reportedly behind on a £335million loan payment, the result of flagging business and plummeting property values.

If there is no last-minute settlement, its creditors will auction off the 8,000-acre resort – ski slopes, lifts, property, everything – while the eyes of the world are on it.

A sale, which could bring in £160million, would have no direct impact on the Games and British tour operators say there will be no effect on trips to the popular site, above Vancouver in British Columbia. The resort is the largest in North America and attracts about 20 per cent of its visitors from Europe.

Even if the sale goes ahead, it won’t have any direct impact on the medal events.

But the timing of the debt wrangling is another embarrassment to organisers, who have been battling to overcome complaints about overspending on the so-called ‘Bailout Games’ and the tragic death of a Georgian luge contestant on the eve of the opening ceremony.

The background is a parable of our economic times: high-stakes hedge fund gambles, the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the possible bankruptcy of a company that owns some of North America’s most prestigious resorts.

‘We don’t know what these new guys want to do with the mountain. It can change your whole life, right?’ said Ian Ribera, manager of Castro’s Cuban Cigar Store in Whistler village.

‘They’re holding the Olympics hostage because a bunch of Wall Street guys aren’t getting fat enough,’ added Ryan Watts, an employee at the Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau.

The story begins in the distant days when Wall Street was on a seemingly unstoppable roll. Fortress paid £1.8billion for Intrawest, which operates Whistler and other elite American resorts.

It borrowed about half the money from big investors like Lehman, the global financial services firm that went broke at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.

Analysts say the idea was that soaring property prices would turn Intrawest into a massive profit machine.

Fast-forward to the 2010 Winter Games, and the world is a different place: Resorts are struggling and property prices have plunged, making it difficult to raise money in credit markets to meet loan commitments.

Experts say Whistler should have no trouble attracting suitors if the auction does go ahead. One analyst, Will Marks of JMP Securities, estimated the resort could fetch as much as £160 million ($250million), with Vail Resorts – which owns resorts in Vail and Breckenridge, Colorado – one possible buyer.

Fortress could avoid an asset sale if it puts Intrawest into bankruptcy, a strategy that would buy time and allow it to continue to operate as control shifts to a trustee. A last-minute refinancing deal also remains possible.

Intrawest and Fortress both declined to comment.

‘People feel life will go on, somebody will step in,’ said estate agent Jeremy Anthony Jones. But he added: ‘It’s a little irresponsible to stick it in front of us during the Olympics.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1252064/Olympics-host-resort-auctioned-centrepiece-alpine-skiing-events.html

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The commentary calls for skiers to shun the cultural stigma or fashion faux pas associated with wearing ski helmets to encourage helmet use as a routine part of the ski and snowboard culture.

Head injuries in these two alpine sports are the most frequent cause of hospital admission and death. Research shows that about 120,000 people in North America suffer head injuries while skiing or snowboarding each year. Recent studies have shown that helmets help reduce the risk of head injuries by up to 60 percent.

“Despite compelling evidence that shows wearing a helmet significantly reduces the chance of head and brain injury, there are still those who argue that helmets are not fashionable or part of the ski culture,” explains Dr. Michael Cusimano, a neurosurgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital. “We have established the safety benefits but now we must find ways to integrate helmets so it becomes another piece of standard equipment for people on the slopes. It is time for everyone who has a stake in skiing and snowboarding to do their part to make the slopes safer.”

According to the authors, a shift in attitude toward helmet use is necessary to quash cultural stigmas. They say that change has already begun. For example, during the 2009 National Ski Safety Week, ski areas in California, Colorado and Washington offered discounts on helmets through the Lid for Kids safety awareness program. Other resorts are including a helmet with their child and youth ski and snowboard rental packages.

“Resorts have two reasons for promoting helmets — one, it keeps their customers safer and two, they are also seeing a discount in their insurance premiums when the slopes are safer places,” says Dr. Cusimano. “Role modeling can also have a powerful effect on what people sense as normal. Ski patrollers and instructors understand that helmets lessen the risk of traumatic brain injury and view themselves as role models for the public; however, most do not wear helmets regularly.”

The authors recommend:

* All ski and snowboard advertising images include people wearing helmets
* Public Service Announcements featuring well-known athletes promoting healthy physical activity
* Parents wearing helmets to promote the practice with their kids
* Formal instruction aimed at ski resorts, schools and novice skiers offered through groups such as, Think First and the National Ski Areas Association, need to be included in any campaign to make the slopes safer.

“We are on the brink of changing the culture in skiing and snowboarding towards helmets,” he says. “What we need is action by various stakeholders so wearing a helmet no longer becomes a fashion decision but rather common sense. We need action from national organizations, to ski resorts and schools, to parents and kids to make this culture shift. At that point, we will make real progress in reducing the number of head injuries on the slopes.”

SOURCE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100217114636.htm

Photo: AP

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Ontario County sheriff’s deputies said it appeared that Elliott A. Eklund struck a tree on the south side of the Shooting Star trail, while snowboarding down the mountain last night. Eklund was found unresponsive and unconscious at the base of a small tree by a passing skier about 7:30 p.m., said Lt. Bill Gallagher of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office.

Bristol Mountain Marketing Director Drew Broderick said no one witnessed the accident, which occurred on the novice section of the Shooting Star trail. Although Shooting Star has a halfpipe and terrain park, Broderick said Eklund was located on the bottom part of the trail about halfway down the mountain.

Gallagher said Eklund suffered a severe head injury, though a specific cause of death was not yet determined. It was not immediately known when Eklund struck the tree or how long he was on the ground before he was spotted.

Eklund was not wearing a ski helmet at the time of the accident. Ski helmets are not required on the slopes in New York, but are available for purchase or rental at Bristol, should a patron opt to use a helmet, Broderick said.

Bristol Mountain’s ski patrol took Eklund off the mountain by sled. He was treated at the scene by members of the ski patrol and by Canandaigua Ambulance’s advanced life support team.

Eklund was taken F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, where he died at 8:20 p.m. His body was taken to Geneva General Hospital for an autopsy, which is expected to be completed later.

Eklund was a Xerox employee for the past 16 years, said Xerox spokesman Bill McKee. He was a research scientist and technical area manager, working on print head technology in the Xerox Research Center Webster, which is part of the Xerox Innovation Group. McKee said Eklund holds 19 patents.

Broderick said Eklund is a season pass holder at Bristol and typically snowboarded at the mountain several times each week.

Eklund was at Bristol yesterday with two of his children. Gallagher said it appeared that Eklund was skiing alone when he struck the tree. Deputies located his two sons waiting for Eklund in Bristol’s Sunset Lodge at the base of the mountain.

Until this week, the most recent fatal accident on the mountain was in February 2001.

“It’s hard and we take this to heart,” Broderick said. “It’s one of those things you hope you never have to encounter. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Deputies and Bristol Mountain personnel are investigating the incident.

Broderick said she was not sure how many people were on the mountain at the time of the accident. She noted that part of the Shooting Star trail was temporarily closed last night. All but one of Bristol’s 33 trails are open this week.

SOURCE: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100217/NEWS01/302170010/1002/NEWS/Penfield-man-dies-in-snowboarding-accident

SkiHelmets.org Comment:

Bristol Mountain Does Address Ski Helmets Specifically on their Website with this statement:

“While Bristol Mountain does not currently mandate that guests wear helmets, we do feel it is very important that parents, skiers, and snowboarders educate themselves about the benefits and limitations of helmets. With the growing popularity of helmets, many parents are considering a helmet for their child. The National Ski Areas Association, together with the help of many others in the ski industry, has developed a website to help educate parents about the benefits and limitations of helmets. Ultimately, the choice of whether or not to wear a helmet is one of personal or parental preference. View information on getting your kids to wear helmets at Lids On Kids. Associates in our Bristol Ski & Sport shop can also answer questions you may have on helmets and help you get fitted properly.

Bristol Mountain puts a high priority on providing you with a fun and safe mountain experience. We take your safety seriously and would like to remind you of a few things that we hope will make your day on the mountain more enjoyable. “

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Tracy Boland, 46, suffered fatal injuries when she collided with a 26-year-old Dutch woman on the Kitzsteinhorn mountain in Kaprun, Austria.

Her husband, Paul, was skiing with her when the accident happened just after midday on Tuesday. Their children were at a nearby ski school.

A doctor was on the same ski slope and arrived within minutes but could not revive Mrs Boland. She was declared dead on the mountain. The other skier was also injured but is due to be discharged from hospital. Neither woman was wearing a helmet, police said.

A police spokesman said: “The accident is a mystery. There are no witnesses and we do not think that the two skiers were skiing very fast. They were in a relatively easy ski area and the conditions were good.

“It was a very fine day with a clear sky and there was no snowfall. There were not many people on the slopes. This slope is very broad and is not for advanced skiers, just beginners.

“The British lady was skiing behind her husband. He did not see what happened. He heard the crash and he looked back and his wife was on the ground. The Dutch lady has not been able to explain what happened. She has spinal injuries but they are not severe. She is being released tomorrow and we will interview her then.”

In Austria skiers are advised to wear helmets but they are compulsory only for children.

Mrs Boland, described as an experienced skier, is understood to have flown to Austria last Saturday for a week-long break with her husband and their three children, Charlotte, Patrick and Philip, aged from 8 to 12. It is believed that another British family accompanied them.

A post-mortem examination carried out yesterday showed that she had suffered a severed aorta.

Mr Boland and the children were preparing to return to their four-bedroomed detached home in Marlow, Buckinghamshire today. Pat Payne, who lives next door, said: “They are just a really lovely couple and she was a lovely caring person.”

The Foreign Office said that it had received no formal request for consular assistance for the family.

The Kaprun resort is where 155 people died when fire swept through a funicular railway ski lift in 2000.

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STANLEY TUCCI always makes sure he wears a helmet when he goes skiing – after his best friend NATASHA RICHARDSON died in an accident on the slopes last year (09).

Richardson passed away last March (09) after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a fall during an alpine holiday in Canada.

Tucci was devastated by the tragedy, and was grieving again just two months later (May09) when his wife passed away after a battle with cancer.

Now Tucci, who is a keen skier, makes sure his children wear helmets when they go on winter sports holidays to protect them if they have an accident.

Tucci says, “My wife was a great skier. We used to go skiing every year and I took the kids again just after Christmas. I feel it’s important to do the same things we always did, as painful as it is.”

Asked if Richardson’s death prompted him to wear a ski helmet on the slopes, he says, “It did. I knew Tash. She was one of my best friends. The last time my wife got out of bed was to go to Tash’s funeral… The kids always wear helmets.”

SOURCE: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/tucci-wears-ski-helmet-following-richardsons-death_1132486

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