I received an email about National Ski Safety Week and naturally checked it out. I learned that it now encompasses the entire month of January.

With 20 years of ski patrolling on my resume, I obviously have some knowledge and thoughts on this topic, and I have written on it in these pages. As much of my travel is with other skiers, the thought that skiing is dangerous almost never comes up. But when I’m with non-skiers, it often comes up.

When parents tell me they don’t allow their children to ski because of the danger, I ask if their children have bicycles. The answer is, invariably, yes. That’s when I ask if they are aware that riding a bicycle is 12 times more risky than skiing. Think about that. Most of us learned to ride a bike on pavement. Fall on pavement and it hurts. Young children learning to ski fall a lot. But they laugh and get up.

That is why, when asked about skiing risk, I usually respond, compared to what?

As I mentioned, riding a bike is 12 times more risky than skiing. And if you really want to talk about risk, consider water sports. Taking sheer numbers, water sports involve more risk than all the others combined. And here in Maine, snowmobiling can be extremely risky. Skiers aren’t on machines that can exceed 100 mph, and I have never heard of a skier going through the ice.

Is there risk in skiing? Of course.

Part of the attraction of skiing, especially to young skiers, is the thrill of risk. Whether it’s going fast or sailing off jumps in a terrain park, risk is part of the attraction.

For those of us who are older and more experienced, risk isn’t an attraction, but we have reached a level where we can control our speed and choose trails we can handle. As a ski patrolman, I had to ski all trails in all conditions. But I still didn’t take any real risks. I knew the trails and how to approach them in poor conditions. Watch a group of veteran skiers and you’ll see skiers who control their speed and adjust according to conditions.

I doubt if any could recite the “Skiers Responsibility Code,” but I’m sure that they could all provide a list that would cover all the topics.

I have seen older skiers caution a group of younger skiers stopped in the middle of a run to move to the edge of the trail. As a patrolman, I knew I could count on veteran skiers to assist us as we performed our duties. They helped in stringing ropes to close trails, going for extra help (we had few radios in my early patrol days), aiding in splinting an injured skier and carrying the skier’s skis to the base. These skiers had grown up at a time when all skiers were taught or simply absorbed common-sense rules. They weren’t formally written or promoted by the ski industry, but they were known.

We knew that we should stop only at the edge of a trail, slow down approaching blind spots and in congested areas, call out when passing another skier (“On your right!” Or simply, “Trail.”). We were taught that we were responsible for any skiers below us. It was our obligation to give those skiers plenty of room as we went by.

While there are many great programs for young skiers, we still have many coming into the sport without benefit of ski school. This is especially true of snowboarders. They were never invited into skiing. They just showed up. Today we have ski schools with snowboard instruction, but the first snowboarders had no idea of any rules of the slopes. And because they were the first generation there were no adults to inform them unless they were the children of skiers.

Ski areas post the responsibility code and even have outreach programs to promote safety, but they can’t reach everyone. So far, I have noted our responsibility in making sure we don’t cause problems for other skiers. What about our own safety? This is almost entirely up to us. While it’s true that we could get hit by another skier, we can avoid that possibility. The easiest way is never stop where you cannot be seen from above, especially below a drop off.

Fortunately, the new equipment has made us much safer. Better bindings and shorter skis reduce the risk of injury. But be sure they are properly maintained. Transport your skis covered. That grime that covers your windshield can do a number on your bindings.

With tree-skiing now popular, be sure you never ski in the trees alone. Cell phone service is not always dependable in the mountains, so in the event of an injury someone might need to go for help. It is even better to have three, so one person can stay with the injured skier. On the idea of cell phones, how about having the ski patrol number? It’s on a lot of trail maps and at the very least have the general number for the area. This will be faster than calling 911 and will help the patrol to the exact location.

It should go without saying the skiing beyond the ski area boundaries is an invitation for trouble. The terrain on the back side of a lot of our mountains is very unforgiving and if no one knows where you left the area, you could be there a long time. I think the sign at the top of Killington says it all on this topic: “The mountains will be just as cold and lonely tonight as they were 200 years ago.”

Finally, a thought on the wind chill. It only applies to the effects of wind and temperatures on raw flesh, so don’t ski naked. As long as it doesn’t blow hard enough to shut down the lifts you should be OK.

See you on the slopes.

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