We have seen that winter sports have changed dramatically. The development of snowboarding, telemarking and skiboarding has produced a number of interesting differences in injury epidemiology from those of alpine skiing. It is certainly within the purview of our societies to continue to work to identify the differences and attempt to find means of mitigating these problems.
It has been the purpose of the International Society of Skiing Safety to bring th the attention of all those interested in skiing safety that specific research methods must be applied to attain valuable and usable information in ongoing epidemiologic studies. Clearly many of the papers now presented at the meetings and eventually published in STPs show improvement in the knowledge of appropriate epidemiologic methodology. It is only through the use of appropriate techniques that inroads can be made to identify problems present in winter sports and then determine by appropriate interventional methodology that risk of injury can be reduced.
The International Society of Skiing Safety was founded with the primary purpose of providing a forum for discussion and education concerning skiing safety. The Ski Trauma and Ski Safety Congresses have brought together a wide variety of individuals interested in all aspects of skiing safety. These meetings have served as a format for the presentation of a multitude of subjects concerning snow sports, including the means to reduce the risk of injury, improve various aspects of the sport, and treat injuries. Initially the prime subjects of interest revolved around snow skiing including alpine skiing and many variations of cross-country skiing. In recent years with the development of other sports such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, skiboarding, and other hybrid activities the interest of the Society has widened considerably.
Attendees of the symposia on skiing trauma and safety have included representatives of the skiing industry such as binding, boot, and ski manufacturers; engineers from industry, universities, and technical institutions; skiing professionals such as ski instructors and patrolmen; physicians; lawyers; ski area managers; and participants in recreational and professional skiing and riding activities. Interchange of ideas, comments, and critiques are encouraged in formal discussion of the papers. Many of the individuals who attend these meetings are involved in the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards process or those of other national and international standards organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and are members of the International Society of Skiing Safety, but all interested individuals are encouraged to participate.
The International Society Of Skiing Safety was founded as a result of the 1st World Congress on Skiing Safety in Riksgräsen, Sweden in 1974. The organization of the meeting was instigated under the enlightened leadership of Ejnar Eriksson, MD of the Karolinska Hospital of Stockholm, Sweden. The first official meeting of the Society occurred in the Sierra Nevadas of Spain in 1977 and has been held biennially since. The Spanish Meeting was hosted by José M. Figueras, MD.
Subsequent meetings occurred in:
 | Riksgräsen, Sweden hosted by Ejnar Eriksson, MD – 1974 |
| Sierra Nevada, Spain hosted by José M. Figueras, MD – 1977 |
| Queenstown, New Zealand hosted by Michael Lamont, MNZSP – 1979 |
| Boronio, Italy hosted by Max Magi, MD – 1981 |
| Keystone, Colorado hosted by C.D. Mote, PhD & RJ Johnson, MD – 1983 |
| Naiba, Japan hosted by Koreo Kinosita, D.Sc & Kenichi Yahashi, MD – 1985 |
| Chamonix, France hosted by M-H. Binet, MD – 1987 |
| Riksgräsen, Sweden hosted by Ejnar Eriksson, MD – 1989 |
| Thredbo, Australia hosted by John Zelcer, MD – 1991 |
| Kaprun, Austria hosted by Peter Schaff, MD & Wolfhort Hauser, MD – 1993 |
| Voss, Norway hosted by Arne Ekeland, MD – 1995 |
| Whistler, British Columbia, Canada hosted by RJ Johnson, MD & R. Cadman, PhD – 1997 |
| Breuil Cervinia, Italy hosted by Paolo Zucco, MD – 1999 |
| Queenstown, New Zealand hosted by Michael Lamont, MNZSP – 2001 |
| Pontresina, Switzerland hosted by Greog Ahlbäumer, MD - 2003 |
| Aria, Japan hosted by Tsuneo Yamagishi, MD - 2005 |
| Aviemore, Scotland hosted by Michael Langram, MD - 2007 |
The International Society of Skiing Safety was founded with the primary purpose of providing a forum for discussion and education concerning skiing safety. The Ski Trauma and Ski Safety Congresses have brought together a wide variety of individuals interested in all aspects of skiing safety. These meetings have served as a format for the presentation of a multitude of subjects concerning snow sports, including the means to reduce the risk of injury, improve various aspects of the sport, and treat injuries. Initially the prime subjects of interest revolved around snow skiing including alpine skiing and many variations of cross-country skiing. In recent years with the development of other sports such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, skiboarding, and other hybrid activities the interest of the Society has widened considerably.
Attendees of the symposia on skiing trauma and safety have included representatives of the skiing industry such as binding, boot, and ski manufacturers; engineers from industry, universities, and technical institutions; skiing professionals such as ski instructors and patrolmen; physicians; lawyers; ski area managers; and participants in recreational and professional skiing and riding activities. Interchange of ideas, comments, and critiques are encouraged in formal discussion of the papers. Many of the individuals who attend these meetings are involved in the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards process or those of other national and international standards organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and are members of the International Society of Skiing Safety, but all interested individuals are encouraged to participate.
Since 1983 all authors who present papers at the meeting have been encouraged to submit their papers in manuscript form to be considered for publication in the Special Technical Publication (STP) that results from the peer review and editorial process of ASTM. We believe that this ongoing effort has produced the standard for the world assemblage of a relevant body of literature dealing with safety in winter sports as well as the prevention and treatment of injuries sustained by participants in these activities. The fundamental goal of the International Society of Skiing Safety is to improve the sport of skiing and associated activities by reducing the risk of injury and producing better and more enjoyable means of participating in all these winter sports activities.
A major accomplishment of each of the ISSS meetings has been the publication of the proceedings of the presentations given during the congresses. These publications on skiing injuries can be found at the ISSS Publications link.
All of these special technical publications (STPs) are still available to purchase through the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). Information concerning prices and ordering these publications can be obtained through the Customer Service Department of ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, USA. Phone: 610-832-9585 Fax: 610-832-2955 E-mail: service@astm.org.
The interrelationship between the International Society of Skiing Safety and the American Society for Testing and Materials has resulted in a unique method for providing a forum for the discussion of problems of skiing safety and the publication of state-of-the-art books of our proceedings. Clearly the leaders in many fields concerning skiing safety have taken advantage of the opportunity to present papers, discuss paper applications, and to interface with their colleagues at the symposia. Many have also taken the opportunity to contribute to the texts that have been generated from these society meetings since 1983. There can be no doubt that the results of the studies presented in the texts mentioned above resulted in major changes in the skiing industry that have improved skiing safety. The overall skiing injury rate in the early 1970s was over five injuries per thousand skier days and that rate has dropped to below 2.5 per thousand skier days at the present time. The vast majority of the improvement has occurred due to the reduction of injuries to the lower extremity primarily involving fractures and sprains of structures below the knee.
However, during this same period of time we have observed a significant increase in the incidence of severe knee ligament sprains, especially to the anterior cruciate ligament. In spite of our ongoing efforts, we have not made major inroads in solving this problem. It is hoped by continuation of the efforts by all members of the International Society of Skiing Safety that the means of eventually finding a solution to this continuing nemesis of the sport of snow skiing will be found. Although many frustrations have been encountered, the goal of reduction of these knee injuries is still one of our highest priorities.
We have seen that winter sports have changed dramatically. The development of snowboarding, telemarking and skiboarding has produced a number of interesting differences in injury epidemiology from those of alpine skiing. It is certainly within the purview of our societies to continue to work to identify the differences and attempt to find means of mitigating these problems.
It has been the purpose of the International Society of Skiing Safety to bring th the attention of all those interested in skiing safety that specific research methods must be applied to attain valuable and usable information in ongoing epidemiologic studies. Clearly many of the papers now presented at the meetings and eventually published in STPs show improvement in the knowledge of appropriate epidemiologic methodology. It is only through the use of appropriate techniques that inroads can be made to identify problems present in winter sports and then determine by appropriate interventional methodology that risk of injury can be reduced.
It is hoped that individuals who read this information will be stimulated to further support the efforts of all of us to reduce the risk of injury in winter sports. We hope that not only those off us who have been involved with the ISSS for many years but also new investigators will bring their expertise into the ever expanding field of winter sports safety. We challenge all who have the opportunity to read this document to bring their ideas, methods, and expertise into the unique format offered by the ISSS. We invite all those who are interested to join our society and participate in future symposia.
