OK, enough with the skiing is so dangerous and deadly crap. It's not.

[cali]

Something like 40 skiiers/boarders a year die in accidents or from, for instance, heart attacks. Something like 1000 people a year die in bicycle accidents. Swimmers? Even worse.
http://www.nsaa.org/nsaa/press/facts-ski-snbd-safety.asp

What happened to Natasha Richardson was a tragic, freak accident. Very, very few fatalities happen on the bunny slopes, and most ski fatalities involve young men, not 45 year old women. She could have tripped and fallen on the sidewalk in NY and suffered the same injuries.

[MrSlayer]

1. It's more dangerous than walking down the street in New York.

But less dangerous than bull fighting.

[cali]

2. and swimming, and bicycling and

many other activities that people commonly engage in.

[Squatch]

3. Agreed.

[Eurobabe]

4. WEAR A FUCKING HELMET PEOPLE!!!

I had a bad spill in 1997 and stopped skiing for 11 years. Now I don't go out on the slopes without a helmet. I wouldn't ride a motorcycle without one either.

This is terrible news, I am trying to confirm, is she dead or what? Jesus. :cry:

[Naturyl]

5. I skiied as a kid and absolutely loved it.

As an adult, poverty made skiing out of the question, but those are some good memories.

If I could go again, I'd wear a helmet.

[leftstreet]

6. Who is Natasha Richardson, and why is she against skiing?

Sigh.

Guess I need to turn on the teevee

[Journeyman]

7. As my brother walked to the local tavern, he slipped on the ice, hit his head. . .

and wasn't found until the bleeding in his skull had destroyed large portions of his brain. He's been a quadriplegic for over 26 years

We joke at times that he's a poster child for the dangers of drink, but the truth is, it was simply an accident.

Life's very fragile. Enjoy every moment. My brother would be the first to tell anyone to go skiing, if that's what they wished to do. Plenty of people walk to the tavern every day and nothing bad happens. Not even a hangover. Life's like that. Fragile. Full of wonder.

[GoesTo11]

8. You should use proper caution

Falling on a bunny slope during a lesson is just a freak accident, bad luck. Maybe a helmet would have helped, but it wasn't a hard impact, just must have affected an artery in the wrong way or something.

But when you're really skiing, it can be quite risky if you make it so. Not just fatalities, but injuries ranging from broken bones to concussions to spinal injuries. The problem is, it's just tempting to try stuff you're absolutely not ready for. You wipe out hard, you can be a hazard to yourself and others bombing down a slope, jumping a mogul and losing control. That ain't good, and young men in particular don't have such an easy time really understanding the risks they are taking. I speak from experience, fortunately without the scars to prove it.