Nation of posers – half of experienced skiers have injured themselves taking photos or videos of themselves on the slopes
Skiers and snowboarders collectively take gadgets worth £3 billion on their winter holidays
Olympian Chemmy Alcott warns skiers and snowboarders to put safety ahead of the selfie
The urge to obtain the best selfie or GoPro footage of themselves in action means experienced skiers and snowboarders, those who ski on black runs or go off piste, are risking serious injury. Nearly three quarters (72%) of these skiers and snowboarders admit to filming or photographing themselves in action.
Experienced skiers and snowboarders pack gadgets such as Go-Pros and GPS trackers worth £743 on average when they jet off for their winter break. With more than nine million Brits estimated to be skiers or snowboarders and the money spent on gadgets averaging almost £350 per person, some £3 billion worth of gadgets are taken on the slopes2.
Chemmy Alcott, four-time British Winter Olympian, said: “Experienced skiers and snowboarders know that the mountains can be unpredictable and you need to focus on your activity to avoid injury. The range of technological equipment you can take to the slopes now is incredible and it’s fantastic to be able to record your experience, but it’s important to remember to take care and put your safety ahead of the selfie!
“When you capture a new trick or a fantastic run on your camera or phone, make sure that you are visible to other skiers coming down the slope, that you have stopped somewhere safe and that you don’t try to retrieve dropped equipment if it’s unsafe.”
On average, British skiers spend £517.57 on winter sports equipment and clothing each year. Men spend significantly more on an annual basis on both ski equipment (£302 vs £168) and ski clothing (£327 vs £178) than women.
Young skiers also spend substantially more each year on ski related equipment than the older generation. Those aged 18-34 spend £666 on average on both equipment and clothes every year compared to just £156 spent by skiers aged 55 and over. The fashion conscious youngsters spend more than four times the amount on clothes than their older contemporaries.
Rob Thomas, Head of Brand at Columbus Direct said: “Injury or loss of valuables can take the fun out of winter sports holidays in an instant. As a standard single trip travel insurance policy is unlikely to cover winter sports automatically, skiers and snowboarders are always recommended to take winter sports add-on in their travel insurance policy to protect themselves but also to cover for their winter sports equipment in case of theft, damage or loss. While it’s fun and thrilling to capture yourself in action with the latest gadgets on the slopes, sport enthusiasts should always prioritise their own safety above all else in order to enjoy an incident free, winter sports holiday.”
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