[Carving skiing].

Abstract

At present there are approximately 4.2 million skiers in Germany with 82 million worldwide. The ski revolution of carving has been on its triumphant march worldwide for around 8 to 9 years. About 80% of all skiers now use carving skis and normal skis are hardly offered in the retail trade or by ski hire companies. The intense and controversial discussion of the past few years on the influence of carving for the risk of injuries in alpine skiing now appear to be answered. There has not been any increase in the risk of injuries. These results are confirmed by studies in other countries. In order to continue to reduce the number of skiing accidents, more attention should be paid to changes in the age structure of skiers and changes in skiing style owing to use of the carving ski, with measures for accident prevention. Specific physical preparation for the skiing season are more important than ever. Special attention must still be focused on observing FIS rules and general care.