How to Prevent Risks of Injury

Despite chilly temperatures and shorter days, winter is the favorite time of year for many sports enthusiasts. No matter how skilled at cat skiing, you may be at risk for serious injuries while performing your catskiing activities.

However, there is always the nagging feeling in the back of your mind that your catskiing activities may be cut short due to injury. Death is rare and many of us sustain the occasional minor injury, but most of us will have seen someone being stretchered off the mountain from time to time. Anything from sprained thumbs, dislocated shoulders, fractures or head injuries could occur, but the most common of all is the knee, accounting for 25% of all injuries.

Please invest a few moments reading my at cat skiing and snowboard injury avoidance tips:

1. Positive Mental State

Never ski when overly stressed — and certainly not when over tired. Recognize your mental state. The psychological process of learning to cat skiing or snowboard should be based on desire — not coercion.

2. Know the terrain
When hiking or snow skiing, stay on marked trails. Mapping out your route beforehand and incorporating the latest information will prevent surprises.

3. Observe the rules of the road
Knowing how to behave on the slopes can protect you from injury. Follow the Skier responsibility code guidelines properly.

4. Wear a helmet
Especially when you are out of your comfort zone, make sure you protect your head. When you are learning a new skill, you need to think about every move. This means you are more mechanical and prone to falling. I rarely wear a helmet, but when training in gates (racing) I always do. That's because I don't do it often and am out of my element. Every beginner is in this situation.

5. Don’t Show Off For The Camera Or For Friends

If you are naturally competitive, you could feel peer pressure to take the lift to pistes that you are not yet ready for. Politely decline the offer. Want to show off making jumps for the camera? Crashes happen because the camera is there.