Skiing and Snowboarding at Ski Resorts: Case Studies of Accidents

Millions of people take part in winter sports worldwide 1,2. Downhill skiing and snowboarding are said to have beneficial effects on health 3, although they are also associated with a potential risk of injury. Previous studies report an injury rate of 4.6 per 1,000 skier-days 4, with differences between alpine skiers (2 to 10 injuries per 1,000 skier-days) and snowboarders (1 to 6 injuries per 1,000 snowboarder-days) 5,6. The at-risk population in Spain was 5,155,380 during the 2024-2025 season 7, translating these percentages into a high number of injuries per year. The possibility of suffering a serious injury or death whilst skiing or snowboarding means that these are considered high-risk sports.