The average skier death in CO is a thirty-seven years old experienced male skier wearing a helmet who loses control on an intermediate, groomed run and hits a tree.
The majority of deaths — 54 percent — occurred on blue, groomed runs, while 31 percent were on expert trails.
The increase in the number of people who wear helmets hasn’t resulted in fewer fatalities. Helmets are designed to protect riders at about 12 mph, while a skier or snowboarder who collides with a tree or another rider is typically going 25 to 40 mph.
More than 80 percent of ski deaths in Colorado are men.
Last season, 54 skiers and snowboarders died at ski areas within the U.S., which saw a total of 51 million ski visits, according to the National Ski Areas Association.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently estimated that about 600,000 people nationally are injured each year as a result of skiing and snowboarding.
Estimates are that about two injuries occur per 1,000 skier visits — a decrease of 50 percent since the mid-1970s.
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