Skiing is a popular winter sport with over 200 million enthusiasts around the world. It is also one of the most dangerous sports, with over 90% of injuries resulting from skiing accidents occurring in the winter months. With the right equipment and the right attitude, it is possible to stay safe while having a good time, but first you have to determine how many people go skiing every year.
Table of Contents
The Rise In Ski-in/ski-out Travel
To begin with, let’s discuss the evolution of the ski experience. In earlier times, skiing had mostly local appeal, with enthusiasts travelling to resorts such as Val d’Isere or Courmayeur in the French Alps. The modern era of skiing began in the 1950s, with the creation of the Alpine Skiing Promotion Association (ASPA), which staged the first ever World Ski Championship in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Since then, the sport has enjoyed unprecedented growth, with more and more people taking up skiing every year.
What happened in between was the rise in ski-in/ski-out travel. When the original European settlers in the U.S. discovered the beautiful Rocky Mountains, they were immediately struck by the idea of enjoying the majestic skiing experience. Back in those days, the majority of the skiers were local, with only a few enthusiasts venturing beyond the frontiers of the U.S. for their skiing fix. The introduction of the car made it possible for people to travel further and further, finding new resorts and becoming familiar with other mountains globally. This resulted in more people skiing than ever before, with avid winter sports enthusiasts traveling abroad in search of the perfect powder stoke.
The Demographics Of Skiing
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), there are currently around 210 million enthusiasts of skiing worldwide, with annual holiday purchases worth around £20 billion in Europe alone. The sport is popular in all corners of the world, with the biggest snowflake being China, with 75 million enthusiasts. The U.S. and Canada also have a significant presence, with 30 and 20 million enthusiasts respectively.
Skiing is an all-year round sport in some parts of the world (such as the U.S., Canada, and Japan) while being a winter sport in others (such as Europe and Australia). Most countries take winter holidays at the same time, which can be a good excuse for a holiday in the Southern Hemisphere, where ski-in/ski-out travel is possible all year round.
There are numerous demographics within the sports of skiing. The one we will focus on is the age group. Younger generations are more drawn to electronic sports and activities, which means that the number of people taking up skiing is gradually diminishing. This is especially prevalent in developed countries such as the U.S., where a third of all skiing enthusiasts are aged between 18 and 24. In some countries, such as Switzerland, skiing is even seen as a ‘lifestyle sport’ and not just a winter sport.
The Share Of Men And Women In Skiing
Although women are generally seen as the weaker sex, they actually make up the majority of the world’s ski enthusiasts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 202 million women and 190 million men participating in sports and leisure activities in 2018. This is compared to 168 million women and 160 million men in 2007. Women are more likely to participate in sports than men, with around 54% of all sports enthusiasts worldwide being a member of a women’s sports club. The figure for men is 34%.
This gender divide was also apparent in the 2018 New Year’s Resolutions Industry Report, which found that 71% of the 2,200 respondents wanted to improve their ski/snowboard skills, while 68% said they wanted to travel more. Interestingly, the one resolution that received the most fanfare was getting ‘shapely’, with 29% of respondents wanting to lose weight and get in shape to improve their skiing/snowboarding. Only 7% of respondents said they wanted to try a new sport, while 13% said they wanted to learn a new language.
The Risk Of Injury
The stats are really frightening when it comes to injury rates from skiing. According to a study by the Canadian Institute for Health Research, there were 4.7 million injuries resulting from outdoor activity in Canada in 2018, with 82,000 of these occurring due to skiing. The corresponding figures for the U.S. were 5.4 million injuries and 83,000 skiing-related injuries. The overall risk of injury in Canada in 2018 rose by 6% compared to the previous year, while in the U.S. it increased by 14%.
When it comes to injuries from skiing, it is often the young that are at the greatest risk. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Research, around 26,000 injuries (including frostbite) were reported to have occurred among youth participants aged between 5 and 24 in Canada in 2018, which was an increase of 23% compared to the previous year. In the U.S., 16,000 injuries occurred in this age group in 2018, compared to 13,000 in 2017 and 11,000 in 2016.
The biggest problem when it comes to injuries from skiing is the fact that it is such a dangerous sport. The stats for fatal accidents are even more startling. The World Health Organization (WHO) records around 90% of all skiing-related deaths occurring in the winter. There has been some improvement in recent years, with the global fatality rate falling by 6% between 2011 and 2018, however, this has more to do with improved safety measures than any real declines in danger. Skiing is a dangerous sport because of the nature of the activities involved, with participants having to travel faster and faster down the mountain as the lift speed increases. In addition, the snow surface can create unexpected hazards, especially when it comes to skiing involving off-piste or freeride skiing. It is also important to note here that around 90% of injuries from skiing occur without the use of helmet.
Skiing is a popular winter sport with over 200 million enthusiasts around the world. It is also one of the most dangerous sports, with over 90% of injuries resulting from skiing accidents occurring in the winter months. With the right equipment and the right attitude, it is possible to stay safe while having a good time, but first you have to determine how many people go skiing every year.