LINKS TO USEFUL WEBSITES RELATED TO SNOW SPORTS INJURIES AND SAFETY
These links were all checked on 22.7.08. Please email me if you have any problems with these links or would like to recommend sites for inclusion on this list. Please note that I limit the links on this page to sites with reasonable relevance to the content of this website and/or whose content I feel is of sufficient quality and general interest to include. Commercial advertisements on this site are managed by DIrect Ads and Google Adwords.
1. SNOW SPORT INJURY/SAFETY INFORMATION
International Society for Skiing Safety
Visit the newly revamped website of the world's foremost international organisation for research into snow sports safety
Vermont Ski Safety
Order the excellent new ACL awareness DVD from the legendary Carl Ettlinger!
Vail Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Links to medical articles from Vail on the subject of snowboard injuries and wrist guards
Common knee injuries in skiing
A concise website covering injuries of the knee. Written (in English) by a French team!
Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic
Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic's Web page on common ski injuries
Injury Free Zone
Excellent site from the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. Check out the Snow Maniac game (excellent fun for kids and the young at heart!)
Snow Monsters
Another great site for promoting snow sports safety amongst kids!
IFREMMONT
French Mountain Medicine Academy
Terrain Park Safety
An American initiative aimed specifically at terrain park safety
Sports medicine for snow sports
Details of exercises for all snow sports thanks to IFA fitness (click on skiing in the left hand list)
Dr Attalla's guide to snow sports fitness
Excellent series of stretches and exercises to get you in shape for the winter season's fun!
Fit to ski
Written by Carl Petersen, dedicated physiotherapist for Alpine Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Albertville and Lillehammer. Full of information on getting and keeping fit for skiing.
Telemark Injury Information
Dr Mike Tuggy's informative site plus on-line injury study
NSAA Safety Facts
Various page links on snow sports safety from the National Ski Areas Association (US)
Ski Safety
Not quite as it sounds - this is the website of Jim Chalat - a Denver lawyer who specialises in ski injury cases - makes for interesting reading though!
Piste Hors
Highly recommended French based website (in English) with valuable information on off-piste skiing and avalanche safety. Regularly updated and respected reading!
ICE
Website and linked blog encouraging the use of the ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact system.
Tree well safety
Few skiers and boarders are aware of the potential dangers of tree wells. It's quite simply a horrible way to die. Read the information on this informative site and reduce the risks of falling into one yourself. If you've been involved in a tree well incident, click on the terms and conditions page to send information to the researchers.
KneeBinding
Website of the manufacturer of the soon to be released new alpine ski binding with lateral heel release specifically designed to mitigate against the major cause of ACL injury to the knee. You can find my explanation of this binding here.
2. HELMET AND WRIST GUARD INFORMATION
Helmets
Report 1 of the Council on Scientific Affairs (I-97) of the American Medical Association on ski helmets
Entitled "Helmets for Recreational Skiing and Other Winter Sports in Children and Adolescents", this is a far more objective assessment of helmets on the slopes than the CSPC study below
Report 19 of the Council on Scientific Affairs (I-99) of the American Medical Association
Another interesting report from the same organisation, this time looking at in-line skating with some observations on the use of wrist guards
CSPC study on helmet use in snowsports
The controversial study published in 1997 with a link to a PDF format. Although on the face of it, this document reads convincingly, it has in fact been discredited by most leading snow sports safety experts. More about why on the helmet page.
Skihelmets.com
A website dedicated to promoting the use of helmets on the slopes - lots of reviews.
Snell Memorial Foundation
Lots of information on helmets from Snell - who are behind the toughest of the recognised standards for helmets for snow sports
ASTM F2040
Information on the American Society for Testing Materials helmet standard 2040
Lids on Kids
An education initiative from the National Ski Areas Association aiming to promote the use of helmets amongst children on the slopes - good one for parents!
Wrist guards
Flexmeter Wrist guards - Currently my number 1 recommendation for snowboard wrist guards.
Choose from one of the following three sites:
The French site
The UK site
The American site
Biomex wrist protection
Also designed by a (snowboarding) doctor, the Biomex system is also highly recommended for those who don't fancy or can't get hold of Flexmeters.
3. NATIONAL SNOW SPORTS ORGANISATIONS
International Society for Skiing
The new ISSS website is under development and more features will be added in time for winter 2005/06
NSAA
The National Ski Areas Association (US)
Ski Area Management
Very useful site - you can subscribe to their newsletter which often contains very interesting information from ski areas around the world
Medicins de Montagne
MDM is a very proactive association of French ski doctors - their site is in French but you get the general jist!
F.I.S
The official site of the International Ski Federation
Snowsport GB
The British Ski and Snowboard Federation rebranded!
Snowsport Scotland
The national governing body for snowsports in Scotland
Ski Club of Great Britain
Britski
Not the best web design ever but packed with lots of useful information and links on British skiing and skiers
British Ski Slopes Operators Association
Organisation representing many of the artificial and indoor snow slopes in the UK
4. HOSPITAL AND CLINIC SITES
Chamonix Hospital
Link to the informative Mountain Medicine and Traumatology Department at Chamonix Hospital.
Vail Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Links to medical articles from Vail on the subject of snowboard injuries and wrist guards
Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic
Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic's Web page on common ski injuries
Aviemore Medical Practice Home Page
Visit the home page of the medical clinic in the Scottish Highlands where Dr Langran and his colleagues work
Reading Shoulder Unit
Leading UK shoulder surgery unit located in Reading, Berkshire
5. SKI PATROL SITES
British Association of Ski Patrollers
BASP are about to launch a new website in time for Winter 2005/06
National Ski Patrol
American ski patrol site
Dave Schutz's snowboard patrol site
A personal site with lots of information
F.I.P.S.
International federation of ski patrollers
Australian Ski Patrol Association
Canadian Ski Patrol Systems
Swiss Ski Patrol Association
6. SCOTTISH SKI INFORMATION
Ski Scotland
National site for skiing in Scotland. Links to conditions at all five Scottish ski areas, accommodation etc.
CairnGorm Mountain
Home page of the ski area where Mike is the ski patrol doctor
Generation 2
Learn or improve your telemark or alpine ski skills with Mike and Nick based in Aviemore
The Telemark Ski Co
Top class telemark tuition around the globe - who many moons ago taught Mike to telemark ski ....!
Winter Highland
Site for information and discussion forums on Scottish skiing and climbing
Highland Instinct
Great site dedicated to snow sports in Scotland. Frequently updated in winter with pictures from the ski slopes
7. OTHER MOUNTAIN MEDICINE & MOUNTAIN RELATED SITES
Hypothermia
Useful information, protocols and links on hypothermia and its treatment
Avalanche First Response Training Program
Simply superb! - A free online course in avalanche survival developed by the Canadian Avalanche Association. Highly recommended
Snow-forecast.com
Get predictions of when and where the white stuff will fall......In my experience its not that accurate for Scotland - but I know others swear by their forecasts
Mountain Weather Information Service
An excellent resource with accurate forecasts for all mountain areas of Scotland
Scottish Avalanche Information Service
Avalanche information and forecasts for major Scottish climbing areas
Wilderness Medical Training
Courses and conferences for those who need medical/first aid skills in remote environments (e.g. expeditions)
www.expeditionmedicine.co.uk
Another resource for specialist training courses for individuals providing medical cover on expeditions
Wild Medic.org
UK based organisation teaching EMT/wilderness medicine courses
Wilderness Emergency Medical Services Institute
US based organisation with a similar aim
Glenmore Lodge
Situated near the Cairngorm Ski Area, Glenmore Lodge has a worldwide reputation for excellence in teaching all aspects of mountain sports. Celebrating its 60th birthday in 2008!
Mountain Medicine.org
Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia
Links to lots of SAR discussion forums and other SAR sites worldwide
Wilderness Medical Society
Mountain Rescue Association
UK Mountain Rescue Council
Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
British Mountaineering Council
8. FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES OF INTEREST
ISSS 2009 - Garmisch-Partenkirschen, Germany
9. MISCELLANEOUS LINKS
Onsnow.co.uk
A very comprehensive guide to snow sports with many expert articles to chose from
ifyouski.com
www.go50.org
Fantastic page promoting skiing amongst the over 50's....some great links too.
Skibumnews.com
Lots of news (albeit with a heavy American bias)
Snow Journal
American based and full of information on snow sports, gear developments etc.
Orthopaedic and sports medicine journals
Links to all the free orthopaedic and sports medicine journals available on line
Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
A complete and authorative orthopaedic text on line - with lots of piccies and references -superb!
Oiseval photography
If you never been to Scotland, check this site out for some absolutely stunning scenic photography and you'll see what you've been missing (my wife is from the Outer Hebrides...not that I am biased of course!)
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Now we are talking! The Real McCoy - buy cask strength malt whisky on line. You'll need it if you visit the next two sites!
Kevin the Space Penguin
Test your mathematical skills trying to slingshot Kevin back to his spaceship (WARNING: This is great fun and very addictive - you could spend hours here!)
Poke the Bunny
Honestly, who thinks up stuff like this?! (irresistable all the same...)
