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Schlemmer P, Schnitzer M. Research note: Ski touring on groomed slopes and the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential trigger for motivational changes. J Outdoor Recreat Tour 2023; 41:100413. [PMID: 37521266 PMCID: PMC9765413 DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2021.100413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Ski touring on groomed slopes is a relatively new outdoor sport that has steadily been gaining interest. So far, little scientific attention has been given to this outdoor activity. Thus, few questions have been asked about the motivation for practising this sport, and even fewer about whether the current COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the frequency of and motivation for ski touring. For this reason, we conducted a large-scale study (n = 6802) in the Austrian Alps. Results revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has not changed the motive structure for ski touring; however, the findings showed that many people have even started to practice this sport. This research note contributes to the existing knowledge by (a) documenting ski tourers' motives using a large sample, (b) giving insights into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this specific outdoor sport, and (c) showing COVID-19-related impacts on practicing ski touring. Management implications •No changes in motivational reasons for ski touring due to COVID-19 pandemic.•Trend towards outdoor sports, especially ski tours on groomed slopes in the alpine region of central Europe. Amplification of the trend due to the pandemic and the associated restrictions.•As an outdoor sport, ski touring on groomed slopes offers versatile added value for ski tourers, but also huge potential for ropeway operators.•This soft slope tourism can also show alternatives to temporary ropeway closures in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and could also promote tourism (especially day tourism) in small circles at the regional level.•The increase in beginners naturally raises the question of whether this group needs special offers or how to deal with beginners on the slopes. On the other hand, this also raises the question of how to deal with the increase in ski slope users in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schlemmer
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Schnitzer
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Niedermeier M, Gatterer H, Pocecco E, Frühauf A, Faulhaber M, Menz V, Burtscher J, Posch M, Ruedl G, Burtscher M. Mortality in Different Mountain Sports Activities Primarily Practiced in the Winter Season-A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 17:ijerph17010259. [PMID: 31905912 PMCID: PMC6981978 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Annually, millions of people engage in mountain sports activities all over the world. These activities are associated with health benefits, but concurrently with a risk for injury and death. Knowledge on death rates is considered important for the categorization of high-risk sports in literature and for the development of effective preventive measures. The death risk has been reported to vary across different mountain sports primarily practiced in the summer season. To complete the spectrum, the aim of the present review is to compare mortality rates across different mountain sports activities primarily practiced in winter. A comprehensive literature search was performed on the death risk (mortality) during such activities, i.e., alpine (downhill) skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski touring, and sledging. With the exception of ski touring (4.4 deaths per 1 million exposure days), the mortality risk was low across different winter sports, with small activity-specific variation (0.3–0.8 deaths per 1 million exposure days). Traumatic (e.g., falls) and non-traumatic (e.g., cardiac death) incidents and avalanche burial in ski tourers were the predominant causes of death. Preventive measures include the improvement of sport-specific skills and fitness, the use of protective gear, well-targeted and intensive training programs concerning avalanche hazards, and sports-medical counseling for elderly and those with pre-existing diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Niedermeier
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
| | - Hannes Gatterer
- Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, EURAC Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy;
| | - Elena Pocecco
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
- Center for Teaching Methodology, Pedagogical University Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anika Frühauf
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
| | - Martin Faulhaber
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
- Austrian Society for Alpine and High-Altitude Medicine, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Verena Menz
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
| | - Johannes Burtscher
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Markus Posch
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
| | - Gerhard Ruedl
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
| | - Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.N.); (E.P.); (A.F.); (M.F.); (V.M.); (M.P.); (G.R.)
- Austrian Society for Alpine and High-Altitude Medicine, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Correspondence:
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Niedermeier M, Ruedl G, Burtscher M, Kopp M. Injury-Related Behavioral Variables in Alpine Skiers, Snowboarders, and Ski Tourers-A Matched and Enlarged Re-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:E3807. [PMID: 31658611 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16203807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral variables might play an important role in explaining the differences in injury rates across winter sport disciplines and injury prevention programs might be more specifically designed based on this knowledge. On ski slopes, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and ski touring are the predominant winter sport disciplines. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate possible differences in injury-related behavioral variables between practitioners of these disciplines. Using a matched re-analysis approach of a cross-sectional survey, 414 winter sport participants (alpine skiers, snowboarders, ski tourers, each n = 138) were analyzed on the differences in sensation seeking, treated injuries, and injury-related behavioral variables. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel and Friedman tests revealed significantly higher sensation seeking, p < 0.001, and a significantly higher percentage of participants reporting to have consumed alcohol in the past five skiing days, p = 0.006, in snowboarders compared to alpine skiers. The participants with treated injuries showed higher sensation seeking, p < 0.050, and a higher percentage of snowboarders, p = 0.020, compared to participants without treated injuries. Injury prevention programs for snowboarders, who remain an important risk group for injury prevention, might benefit from considering a possibly higher percentage of alcohol-consuming participants and from providing information on injury-related risks of sensation seeking.
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Abstract
Background: Ski touring is an outdoor sport with growing popularity in alpine countries.
Information about injuries in ski touring is limited. Purpose: To determine injury rates, mechanisms, causes, and risk factors in ski
touring. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Between November 2015 and May 2016, a total of 191 participants from the Alps
region were prospectively tracked via personalized online questionnaires.
Injury rates were calculated per 1000 hours of sports exposure. Risk factors
were assessed per multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 3900 ski tours were performed, with 10,955 hours and 4,108,503 m
in height ascension (uphill) recorded. The overall injury rate was 2.5
injuries per 1000 hours of ski touring. A total of 27 injury-events were
reported, of which 18 (67%) were classified as mild, 7 (26%) as moderate,
and 2 (7%) as severe. Hands (28%) and knees (16%) were the most commonly
involved anatomic regions. Most injuries were limited to the soft tissue,
such as bruises (31%) and abrasions (18%). Significantly more injuries
happened during the descent (n = 17; 63%) than during the ascent (n = 6;
22%) (odds ratio, 5.96; P = .004), while poor weather
conditions, icy surface, and inattentiveness were the most often reported
reasons for injury. Sidecountry ski touring was identified as the only
significant independent risk factor for injury (P <
.001). Conclusion: In this prospective injury surveillance study, the majority of ski touring
injuries were mild and limited to the soft tissue. Ski touring injuries were
more likely to happen during the descent of a tour, and sidecountry ski
touring was the only significant independent risk factor for injury. Bad
weather, icy surface, and inattentiveness were found to be the leading
causes for an injury-event in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taina Mueller
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Gerhard Ruedl
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthaeus Ernstbrunner
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Plachel
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Fröhlich
- Department of Orthopaedics, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Hoffelner
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Herbert Resch
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Ernstbrunner
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.,Department of Orthopaedics, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Niedermeier M, Pocecco E, Hildebrandt C, Raschner C, Federolf P, Kopp M, Ruedl G. Effects of Visual and Auditory Perturbations on Ski-Specific Balance among Males and Females-A Randomized Crossover Trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019; 16:ijerph16152665. [PMID: 31349677 PMCID: PMC6696226 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16152665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Injuries in skiing show sex-specific differences, especially when visual perception is reduced. Reduced visual perception impairs balance, which plays an important role in avoiding skiing injuries. However, males and females might cope differently with reduced visual perception. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate sex-related effects of environmental perturbations (reduced visual perception and listening to music) on ski-specific balance. Using a crossover design, ski-specific balance was tested in 50 young adults (50% female) in four conditions: with and without listening to music and/or with and without reduced visual perception (ski goggles with occlusion foil). A four × two (condition by sex) mixed ANOVA revealed a significant condition by sex interaction, partial η² = 0.06. Females showed an increase in balance from the condition without music/with normal visual perception to the condition with music/with normal visual perception, while males showed a decrease. Balance was significantly higher in females compared to males, partial η² = 0.31. The findings suggest that balance is affected differently by environmental perturbations in females and males. However, the differences observed were not in line with our initial hypotheses, which might be because the model was too simplistic for how visual/auditory perturbations may affect balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Niedermeier
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Elena Pocecco
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Carolin Hildebrandt
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Raschner
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Peter Federolf
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Kopp
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gerhard Ruedl
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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