So Just How Dangerous is Roller-Skiing?

[Jon]

I just ran across an item about a young rollerskier in Maine who got
killed rollerskiing (I believe it happened last month). At the same
time, I saw a Len Johnson post that Bjorn Dhaelie's ski career was
ended by a rollerski accident. Len makes a convincing case that we
all need breaks and speed reducers (along with helmet and visibility
vest).

I'm curious though, if there is any objective data on how dangerous a
sport rollerskiing is. Seems like I hear about one U.S. death a year.
There just can't be that many people who rollerski regularly, so I'm
not sure that I'm comforted by the idea that that's a low number
compared with byciclists, etc.

Jon

[runcyclexcski]

If you get enough responses here, perhaps, you can come up with your
own statistics?

I would think the risks are comparable to road cycling. I.e. there is
risk of getting but it's not as insane as base jumping.

When I used to rollerski regularly (may be ~4-6 hrs a week?) I would
have about 1-2 crashes per season. Those were only deep bruises, no
bones broken. Most of them have left deep scars. I was a relatively
conservative rollerskier, i.e. no 50 mph decents. Most crashes
occurred while traveling ~10 - 15 mph and were caused by stumbling on
a rock or catching my own pole.

Sure, people get killed, and we sure hear about it. People also get
killed road cycling, m.biking etc. Many road cyclists' careers were
destroyed/delayed by crashes.

[runcyclexcski]

btw I concur with Len on the necessity of helmets. Speeds reducers
help in hilly terrain and I think work best with inflatable wheels.
For rail-to-trails flatland rollerskiing (or slightly hilly terrain in
an area which I am very well familiar with) I like lighter weight
rollerskis with no speed reducers.

[Johnny Twelve-Point presented by JFT]

On Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:25:13 -0700 (PDT), Jon <jon...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Len makes a convincing case that we
>all need breaks and speed reducers (along with helmet and visibility
>vest).

Yeah, Daelhie hurt his back, so a helmet is important.

[Johnny Twelve-Point presented by JFT]

On Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:00:18 -0700 (PDT), runcyclexcski
<runcyc...@yahoo.com> wrote:

>When I used to rollerski regularly (may be ~4-6 hrs a week?) I would
>have about 1-2 crashes per season. Those were only deep bruises, no
>bones broken. Most of them have left deep scars. I was a relatively
>conservative rollerskier, i.e. no 50 mph decents. Most crashes
>occurred while traveling ~10 - 15 mph and were caused by stumbling on
>a rock or catching my own pole.
>
>Sure, people get killed, and we sure hear about it. People also get
>killed road cycling, m.biking etc. Many road cyclists' careers were
>destroyed/delayed by crashes.

In terms of minor injuries, I am doubtful cycling is anywhere nearly
as dangerous. Apart from racing, I almost never crash or hurt myself
-- maybe not in ten or more years of riding 500+ hours a year. And
maybe one crash every two or three years of 40 races/year.

I'm certainly a much more skilled cyclist than rollerskier, but on a
bike there is all sorts of stuff that is non-issue that is tricky to
ski over: small rocks, gravel etc.

[cjcra...@idcomm.com]

I skate rollerski with the slowest wheels possible on a relatively
flat 2 mile park loop closed to road traffic. No speed reducers but I
never get faster than 10 mph. I don't wear a helmet but based on the
times I've fallen due to trip-ups or the occasional unseen small
obstacle, I do wear armored shorts that protect the coccyx and the
hips and I do wear elbow pads. These are areas I've landed on in the
past.

Chris

[Jon]

That's a good point about Minor/Medium-Minor injuries being the main
problem. I still haven't overcome a wrist injury from roller-skiing
that prevents me from playing tennis (happened 10 years ago).

I forgot to ask specifically about Jenex's brakes (i.e., does anyone
have experience with them? Heavy?). I can see, theoretically, that
being able to stop quickly could avoid a catastrophic collision, but
most of my close calls have been when a small stone causes a fall (by
instantly locking up the front wheel) during a ski with traffic.
(This happened to me on the roads around Waterville Valley, which seem
to becoming more popular for rollerskiing, even though they seem
dangerous, in terms of traffic, to me. Ditto to the road in the Mtn.
Washington Valley.)

[ge...@none.net]

Short of someone in vehicle or on bicyle not paying attention or
deliberately coming after you, rollerskiing is usually as dangerous as
you make it. I've found the most dangerous places to rollerski are
shared trails with bikes and rollerbladers, since typically more than
50% of cyclists don't call out or make dangerous silent passes,
sometimes without even cutting their speed. I say trails because
rollerskiers tend to choose less traveled roads and be extra cautious
and aware on any road. In addition, trails can be cleared along the
way and speed adjusted (In the Twin Cities, there was a shared hill
trail I often swept before starting). Still, there are distracted or
sun-blinded drivers traveling too fast for conditions, and those we
sometimes read about.

The key is to choose terrain, wheel speed and trail/road type and
traffic to match your abilities, nerves and training needs. Brakes are
helpful where they are needed. Helmets are most helpful when and where
the chance of landing on one's head in an accident is highest. That
could be a fall or being hit. Most skin-cut injuries are to fingers,
elbows, hands, knees and rear/hips. Probably as many if not more
injuries are internal - elbows, wrists, shoulders, back.

Gene

[ge...@none.net]

I should have said that rollerskis with brakes are helpful if you choose
terrain or streets where they are needed. I've avoided such terrain for
the past several years and learned to control speed by stopping or
slowing before the downhill, using the snowplow, standing up to
increase resistance, learning to stop with a telemark type stance on the
side of the trail, and to break up a scary downhill when a side road
offers bail out (or walk).

Gene

[Edgar]

On Aug 30, 9:52 pm, g...@none.net wrote:
> I should have said that rollerskis with brakes are helpful if you choose
> terrain or streets where they are needed.  I've avoided such terrain for
> the past several years and learned to control speed by stopping or
> slowing before the downhill, using the snowplow, standing up to
> increase resistance, learning to stop with a telemark type stance on the
> side of the trail, and to break up a scary downhill when a side road
> offers bail out (or walk).
>
> Gene
>
> On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:46:48 -0600
>

A risk reduction tip I picked up at an XC Oregon camp is to roll on a
park path next to a grass lawn. If you have to bail because a rock
lock-up or not being able to slow, you can run/jog off onto the grass
with your skis slowing to a standing stop. And if you don't stay
upright, grass is a lot more forgiving than pavement.

Edgar

[highpeaksnordic]

On Aug 30, 12:04 pm, Jon <jonl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I forgot to ask specifically about Jenex's brakes (i.e., does anyone
> have experience with them?  Heavy?).  

I have them on my V2 Aero 125's and love them. They are not too
heavy, they do not cause the front wheel to dip down. Mine are the
older, single lever type - the newer ones have a squared off U shape
which works easier and resists bending. They will almost stop you on
steep downhills and give me a great deal of confidence on the
different routes I ski on.

- Bob

[dardruba]

Jon wrote:

> There just can't be that many people who rollerski regularly, so I'm
> not sure that I'm comforted by the idea that that's a low number
> compared with byciclists, etc.
>
> Jon

You cant compare rollski activities to bike activities nor can you
compare the injuries gained.
I've got patches of skin on my arms and thighs which never get sun
burned due to gravel rash injuries when road cycling as a youngster.
That never happened to me when rollerskiing.

But once on a solo rollerski day tour I failed to cope with a hairpin
and sat on the tarmac as if I was on skis. Hitting granite edging blocks
at slow speed stopped me from dropping onto the boulder filled dry
stream bed, but it was thought I'd broken a small bone in my coccyx.
At my office desk I'd to sit on a blown up beach ring much to everyones
amusement. I did the same injury on a ski loipe when sitting and
landing on chunks of ice between the two ski tracks.
You don't get this sort of accident from cycling.

Here in the UK they have developed several excellent tracks in a well
maintained parkland environment for rollerski tuition training and
racing, which can also be used for some community cycle events.
Thats come too late in life for me but I believe thats the correct way
forward, it enables speed with safety.