I just returned from a snowboarding trip last weekend. After not having been on the slopes for 1o years, I realised that people are much more concerned with safety issues now. Sitting in the gondola,  I created a list of safety tips which can increase your skiing/boarding experience and keep you safe on the slopes. Read on, be safe, reduce your chances of injury and you’ll have a great time.

1. Helmets

Helmets are the new fashion accessory on the slopes. Helmets are a must! They seem to be perfect for skiing, you can match the colour with any outfit and be safe. For snowy and overcast days, the best colours are the bright helmets. Not only do helmets protect your head, they also make you visible to your fellow skiers and snowboarders.  Fashion is moving away from funky beanie hats to ski helmets. Helmets from Red Hi-Fi are a trusted brand to protect your head.

2. Light & Bright Clothing

This weekend, I was snowboarding mostly in bad weather conditions. I managed to constantly lose my friends. Luckily, we had mobile phone  signals on the mountain and reunited at the next ski lift station. Wearing bright clothing would be much easier for your friends to find you and for other people to see you. This is especially important when you are a beginner and you spend more time falling on the ground than actually skiing down the mountain. Berghaus Jackets and Nike acg Jackets have a great assortment of bright colours.

3. Communication

This weekend I realised that some people on the slopes are very good at communicating where they are coming from. We are often taught to watch where we are going before we start skiing, but as soon as we start, excitement tends to get the better of us and leaves us careless. I was down with my snowboard, about to get up, and people would shout, “Coming from the right!”. This really helps to prevent nasty crashes. Hence, communication helps on the mountain.

4. Quality of your Equipment

Make sure the quality of your equipment is made for skiing or boarding. A friend told me that she went skiing with her normal jacket and the zip flipped up and cut her lips. Quality clothing and equipment for snow sports are designed in a specific way so that these things won’t happen. Columbia ski jackets are impressively designed and engineered for athletes. In addition, when you take a backpack out on the slopes, make sure all the straps are tucked away properly and won’t injure people or get stuck in the lift. Gelert backpacks are great, as well as Hydration Pack Backpack or Woodworm Rucksacks.

5. Lunch Time

Lunch time is a special time on the mountain, especially when the sun shines. The first half of the day is over and the afternoon is about to start. Usually, in the afternoon you are all warmed up and the skiing experience is even better. As I have witnessed this weekend, some people get too carried away with alcohol. Alcohol on the slopes can be very dangerous, as your ability to judge distance is affected. Many accidents have happened as a consequence of a long lunch break. The same principle which applies to the road is relevant here: Don’t drink and ski/snowboard.

Did you know…?

The torch relay at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is set to be the longest relay ever in Olympic history. The torch is travelling 106 days through more than 1000  communities in British Columbia.

-maricki

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