Wise Up: Get Winter Sports Insurance

As most skiing enthusiasts already know, winter sports offer a particularly unique thrill that can feel almost addictive. The rush of adrenaline brought on by swooping and swirling down a powder-fresh slope is simply like no other.

However, with the unique ‘ups’ of the sport come some equally unique ‘downs’, which is where winter sports insurance comes in. Skiing, as with most outdoor winter sports, is an expensive hobby.

Fact Checking

A recent study by the ABTA and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) revealed that over a third of travellers heading for the slopes do not check to make sure that they have adequate and appropriate insurance to cover their winter sporting activities. With millions of Britons hitting the slopes every year, that is an astounding number!

More surprisingly, the study revealed that the over-65 age bracket were the worst culprits of failing to check to see if they had a policy that covered winter sports. Travellers aged 25-34 were the most safety-aware, with over 75% of them ensuring that they had appropriate winter sports insurance.

Rather than this fact being due to a more intelligent younger generation, it is more than likely that the older age groups are unaware of how specific and particular winter sports insurance has become over the years. Sadly, in the last 3 years there have been 45 British deaths on the slopes reported to the FCO, with thousands more suffering injuries both on and off-piste. Winter sports-related injuries have their own set of very particular nuances that are rarely found in other events. Very few beach-goers ever require mountainside rescue via helicopter!

Check List

Consequently, before heading off to the piste this winter, refer to this checklist to ensure that you are adequately covered:

1. Take out comprehensive travel insurance with winter sports coverage.
2. Read the fine print and make sure you are aware of any restrictions within the policy.
3. Check the FCO’s travel advice website for any safety information about your destination.
4. Monitor your destination’s weather conditions both before you go and while you are there.

Common Sense Rules

What your winter sports insurance policy may not have mentioned in print is that they do rely on you to take responsibility for your own safety by using basic common sense.

• Follow local rules and laws (they are not merely suggestions).
• Always wear protective gear such as a helmet.
• Do not drink alcohol before hitting the slopes, as most ski resorts’ higher altitudes will incapacitate even the most heavy-weight drinker.
• Do not succumb to an over-inflated sense of confidence when gauging your skill level. There is wisdom in erring on the side of caution – no-one will be impressed by your broken leg when you tackle that black run after being advised to stay on the blue ones!

The Invisible Safety Net

Most adrenaline junkies prefer not to bother themselves with the staid details of insurance policies and lecturing safety advice. However, the most die-hard-adrenaline- seeking badasses will tell you, after their many tales of jaw-dropping adventures, that winter sports insurance and comprehensive travel insurance is the best invisible safety net that gives them that extra dose of confidence to take those epic leaps!