Contact: Troy Hawks
NSAA Communications
(720) 963-4215
thawks@nsaa.org

Study Shows Most Skiers and Riders Wearing Helmets on the Slopes
Helmet Use at U.S. Ski Areas Jumps 19 Percent in 2009/10 Season.

LAKEWOOD, Colo., May 14, 2010 - According to preliminary findings of the 2009/10 NSAA National Demographic Study, 57 percent of skiers and snowboarders wear helmets while enjoying the slopes at U.S. ski areas. Helmet usage among those interviewed nationwide increased 19 percent over the 2008/09 season, when 48 percent of those interviewed were wearing helmets. In comparison, only 25 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2002/03 season. The annual Demographic Study is compiled from more than 130,000 interviews of skiers and snowboarders nationwide. The study also showed that:

• 87 percent of children 9 years old or younger wear ski/snowboard helmets;
• 75 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski/snowboard helmets;
• 70 percent of adults over the age of 65 wear ski/snowboard helmets;
• Skiers and snowboarders aged 18 to 24 have traditionally represented the lowest percentage of helmet use among all age groups. This year, 43 percent of all 18 to 24 year olds interviewed wore helmets, representing a 139 percent increase in usage for this age group since the 2002/03 season, when only 18 percent wore helmets.

NSAA and its member resorts promote the use of helmets. NSAA views skiing and snowboarding in a controlled and responsible manner – not helmets only – as the primary safety consideration for all skiers and snowboarders. This fall, NSAA will be launching a new initiative designed to encourage all kids 14 and under to wear ski and snowboard helmets. NSAA has set a goal of near-universal helmet usage for all children by 2012. Find more information online under the Safety & Education menu at nsaa.org.

 THE NATIONAL SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION, LOCATED IN LAKEWOOD, COLO., IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FORMED IN 1962 FOR SKI AREA OWNERS AND OPERATORS NATIONWIDE.

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