Fatal Skiing Accident.

[zara_backdog]

After the death of Natasha Richardson, the wife of actor Liam Neeson, dies following a skiing accident', has it put anyone off skiing and has anyone else suffered for their sport?

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I had a accident the forth time of going. It was the first day and we were all standing on a nursery slope waiting to go off with the instuctor, and one of the party members skied into the back of me.

I was taken off the Piste by streatcher and taken to hospital where I was in for 10 days and had two operations to repair my ruptured liagments in my Knee.

Must admit, did put me off but I would like to take my kids at some point.

[Menelaus]

Suffering for Sport

I've skied a fair bit and the worst I've had was bruises from falling down too often and a twisted ankle from hitting a tree.

RIP, Mrs Neeson, however.

[Svalbaard]

No not at all - and please don't let this put you off skiing.

I heard she was on a beginners slope, and if she was a beginner she is more prone to falling over, especially as these slopes are usually hard pack ice (albeit groomed) due to high use. If this was the case she really should have been wearing a helmet and it may have saved her life - although to be fair I have not heard that she wasn't wearing one.

I ski 2 or 3 times a year and do a lot of off-piste and have so far had no injuries. I also ski with the kids but always make sure they wear helmets and that they ski terrain suitable to their abilities.

The real danger in skiing is being taken out by some other out of control noob but I do not believe this happens often.

I do feel for Liam Neeson though. He's always struck me as a thoughtful and intelligent man. Respects to him and his family.

[swamp]

I'm going skiing on Saturday. This is a tragedy but it doesn't put me off.

Actually I do wear a helmet, but in part just because it's comfy and keeps my head warm.

[Ruprect]

I do feel for Liam Neeson though. He's always struck me as a thoughtful and intelligent man. Respects to him and his family.

Watch out! This kind of respect and affection for someone you don't know is likely to be torn to shreds by the facists on here!

[BlasterBates]

Skiing is more dangerous than it used to be simply because of good skis, more people ski much faster and the slopes are fuller. The statistics tell you this.
I much more wary these days.

[Bagpuss]

It sounds like a rather minor accident, which just shows the margin between life and death is sometimes quite narrow and human beings are frailer than we like to imagine.

[NotAllThere]

I'm going skiing on Saturday. This is a tragedy but it doesn't put me off.

Actually I do wear a helmet, but in part just because it's comfy and keeps my head warm.

I'm going Sunday, but otherwise I could make the identical comments.

I've had two painful accidents. First was last year, when I was going down a series of "steps", each about 6 feet high off piste. I'd been down them the previous day and it was fun. However, I didn't know that at the bottom of the last one some snowboarders had built a ramp.

I hit, went straight up in the air and landed on my coxycc. It was several weeks before I could sit down uncomfortably... still get a twinge now and then. I was lucky. If I'd landed a little higher up, I could have broken my back. ( I was unlucky, a little lower, and I've had been fine! ).

It taught me to always go down an unknown slope cautiiously.

This season, I was skiing in not brilliant visibility, and it was difficult to make out the shape of the piste. I could see my kids ahead of me, waiting, so I went straight towards them. Unfortunately, the piste went in a curve. I bashed my face hard - thank God for the helmet. I had a bleeding nose and split both lips. Still got sprinkling of blood on my ski jacket In the light of the Richardson accident, I guess I should have got checked out. I didn't, and, after a few beers and a couple of schnapps, I was fine.

It took me a couple of days to get back to my normal level of confidence though.

[Moscow Mule]

Skiing is more dangerous than it used to be simply because of good skis, more people ski much faster and the slopes are fuller. The statistics tell you this.
I much more wary these days.

Don't blame the skis - I've never seen a pair of skis seriously hurt somebody without somebody attached to them.

The new ski technology is actually easier to steer than the old technology and newer bindings result in fewer serious lower leg injuries.

The reason there are more accident is that there are more people, and hence more idiots on the slopes.

[Lockhouse]

Many years ago when I was learning to ski, I was on a very busy dry slope. I lost control and slammed side on into an instructor who was giving a lesson. He was OK but I broke two ribs.