Tips for winter sports safety

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — The arrival of snow and ice means winter sports are in full swing, including Northern Michigan favorites like skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding and ice skating.

Winter sports can be plenty of fun and participants know bumps and bruises are likely when they are cruising down the hill or across ice at high speeds. However, those activities can also cause serious injury if proper precautions are not taken, experts say.

Randy Frykberg, patrol director at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, has 50 years of experience patrolling the hill and assessing injuries.

According to Frykberg, injuries vary based on whether a person was skiing or snowboarding.

“The mechanics of the fall is a lot different (for skiers and snowboarders),” he said.

Skiers tend to have more leg injuries, especially in the knee, while snowboarders typically injure their arms or wrists.

Ben Doornbos, assistant area manager at Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs, said that advances made in equipment design have helped reduce the risk of injury for skiers and snowboarders.

“The bindings have become so much better that they release when they should release and that makes a huge difference,” he said.

The fitness level of the skier or snowboarder can also impact their chance of being injured.

“The condition of the person is making a big difference,” Frykberg said. "Don’t try to ski yourself into shape.”

Both Frykberg and Doornbos said it is important for skiers and snowboarders to understand and follow the Responsibility Code to help activity on the hill run smoothly and safely.

According to the National Ski Areas Association, the code’s seven points are; always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects, people ahead of you have the right of way and it is your responsibility to avoid them, you must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above, whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others, always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment, observe all posted signs, warnings and keep off closed trails and prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

“(The code) boils down to use good judgment and stay safe,” Doornbos said.

Other safety tips for skiers and snowboarders include wearing a helmet and dressing appropriately for the weather.

"We recommend a helmet, of course, and those are quite warm,” Frykberg said.

Randy Galloway, emergency medicine physician at McLaren Northern Michigan, added that “head injuries are common, especially with high-speed sports.”

“What protection equipment you can wear for that sport, you should have on,” he said.

At Griffin Arena in Harbor Springs, helmets and other safety equipment are required for all youth hockey programs at the arena. Helmets are not required for open skate sessions but general manager Jim VanAntwerp recommended them.

“I always would advise using a helmet. A bike helmet is sufficient,” he said. “It’s always more enjoyable if there are no bumps and bruises.”

Along with safety equipment, dressing warmly is also important for winter sports.

Frykberg recounted a recent incident where a father and his child were out on the hill without any hand protection, putting them at risk of frostbite. He added that skiers and snowboarders should also have appropriate eye protection and sun protection because the sun can reflect off of the snow.

Galloway said “layering is always the smart thing to do” to prevent injuries from cold weather exposure.

Exposure is also a concern with high-speed sports, like snowmobiling or skiing, when the wind chill can become a factor.

“People don’t protect themselves well ... you’re freezing (the skin) just like you would in the south pole,” Galloway said.

Frykberg also advises people to make sure their equipment is right for them and to “know their limits.”

“The rate of accidents is much less if people have had a lesson recently,” he said. "From a safety standpoint, taking a lesson really helps.”

If someone is injured, Galloway encourages them to use common sense and seek treatment if necessary. Even if someone can walk on an injured leg or use an injured arm, he said they should still have the injury examined because different people have different thresholds for pain.