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

SKI RESORTS PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK

LAKEWOOD, Colo –December 27, 2005– Staff and guests of the nation’s ski resorts will celebrate the 7 th annual National Safety Awareness Week Jan. 14-20, 2006. Each year, Safety Week, sponsored by Mountain Dew, brings the ski industry together, as resorts plan and host a variety of events and activities meant to remind skiers and snowboarders to be responsible on the slopes.

"Safety remains a top priority throughout the season for ski resorts, and National Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity for both guests and employees to gain a better understanding of the importance of personal responsibility on the slopes,” said NSAA President Michael Berry. “Resorts nationwide implement new programs during Safety Week that expand their overall safety initiatives for the season.”

Safety Week activities are centered around the seven tenets of the Your Responsibility Code, which are key elements of safe skiing and riding. During the week, resorts host their own programs that include on-mountain contests, redeemable coupons for guests who can recite the Responsibility Code, safety demonstrations, employee competitions, and participation in the Kids' Safety Poster Contest, in which local elementary-aged children design safety-related posters.

This year, the Smart Style Terrain Park Safety initiative and its messages–“Look Before You Leap”; “Respect Gets Respect”; and “Easy Style It”–will again be heavily promoted by ski areas. In recent years resorts have also focused on backcountry skills, sun protection and helmet use. A list of Safety Week activities being planned at individual ski areas is available under the Safety and Education section on the NSAA website www.nsaa.org.

National Safety Awareness Week is part of the ski industry’s Heads Up Safety Initiative. As part of the initiative, NSAA recognizes resorts that exemplify the most creative and successful Safety Week programs with the National Safety Awards, which are announced in May. Additional NSAA safety programs include http://www.lidsonkids.org/ and http://www.terrainparksafety.org, which have both been updated for the 2005/06 season. For more information on National Safety Awareness Week or Heads Up, visit www.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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