Apr 29, 2025 – For any high-speed sport, risk mitigation is among the biggest tasks facing the respective International Federation. Alpine Skiing is no exception with FIS working tirelessly to not only make the sport safer, but also to retain the excitement and appeal that make it so popular.
FIS continues to find ways to reduce the likelihood of major crashes and serious injuries, in addition to the numerous steps taken over the past decades. One person ideally placed to assess those improvements is Men’s World Cup Chief Race Director Markus Waldner.
“Since I joined FIS in 1997, there have been significant safety advances across multiple areas,” says Waldner. “In equipment, course preparation, and race protocols. One of the most visible changes has been the mandatory use of helmets in all disciplines.
“In the early 1990s, slalom skiers still competed without helmets, relying only on soft headbands or minimal protection. That changed as the risks of head injuries became more evident, especially as skiing technique evolved and skis became increasingly aggressive, generating higher speeds and bigger forces on the athletes.”
“Helmets have undergone extensive development to better absorb impacts while remaining lightweight and aerodynamic. The introduction of FIS-approved helmets with specific safety certification has further improved protection. The next stage of helmet development is the extension of the airbag system over the helmet itself. This project is still in a test phase, but this evolution is a crucial step for head protection.”
While helmets are now compulsory, other proposed initiatives such as smart airbags – which deploy when a crash situation is detected – back protectors and cut-resistant undergarments have not yet been fully adopted due to concerns from members of the Alpine Skiing community over comfort and performance. However, airbags and cut-resistant trousers will be mandatory in Speed disciplines, i.e. Downhill and Super G, at least in World Cup events from next season.
Smart bindings are among planned initiatives for the future.
The goal is to develop bindings that use algorithms – similar to airbag technology – to detect when a racer is in a critical situation. These bindings would release before the athlete fully loses control, preventing them from sliding down the slope with skis still attached, which can lead to severe injuries. Markus Waldner, FIS Chief Race Director World Cup Men Course preparation, equipment and racer advances present notable challenges
Safety equipment has been one of the main areas of improvement for ski racers. However, advances in course preparation – most notably, the advent of technical snow and use of water injection – are something of a double-edged sword.
“In every World Cup race, water injection is used to solidify the surface, creating a denser, more rigid racing track,” explains Waldner. This ensures consistency across runs and fairness for racers, but also increases the physical demands on athletes.
“Additionally, the shift from manual slope preparation to machine-based methods has further contributed to the hardness and uniformity of the surface. At the same time, ski equipment has become heavier and more aggressive, requiring firm conditions to fully maximize the performance of their skis, bindings, and boots.”
Harder slopes combined with high-performance equipment has resulted in faster skiing, requiring FIS to take measures to protect athletes and ensure safety despite the potential for higher impact crashes.
The evolution of the athletes themselves is another factor to take into consideration, says Women’s World Cup Technical Events Race Director Markus Mayr. “We have to control the speed against the development of the racer,” he insists.
The athletes, male and female, are in such good physical shape and people underestimate how good they are. The level of skiing is unbelievably high. And at a Championships, they know they have to be 120% ready and take risks if they want to win. Markus Mayr, FIS Race Director World Cup Women Technical Events Mayr believes that the “general development from snow to ice” is being reversed to some degree to try and reduce those speeds. “Super icy course conditions drove changes in ski development,” he recalls. “The setup of the equipment, the factories and companies adapted in a very intense way and produced more aggressive materials for skiing.
“On the other side, the goal was to make it fairer; to give everyone from start bib 1-50 the same chance, which is simply impossible in an outdoor sport. We’ve learned from that, and we’re coming back to more moderate preparations.”
When it comes to making calls on whether to race in marginal weather conditions, learning from history is key for the race directors. “It’s an ongoing process and we carefully and intensively analyze issues we have week-by-week,” admits Mayr. “It’s not so easy to just say, ‘Stop the race’ or ‘Cancel the race’ because millions of viewers are then lost immediately. There are financial issues for the organizers and everyone but, of course, the safety and wellbeing of the athletes is key.“
The transformation of crash barriers and netting
Safety installations have evolved significantly from the days when straw bales – which could freeze when wet – were used as crash barriers. Innovations such as air fences and dynamic netting (Type A and Type B nets) help dissipate and absorb the energy of any impact.
“Part of our job as race directors is to deliver state-of-the-art safety, course preparation, and installations to the racers,” explains Mayr. “To allow the racers to perform, we need to guarantee this. We rely on the supplier both for the performance of the delivered safety equipment and its maintenance throughout the race days.”
Not one race in the FIS family is allowed to take place on a venue that is not homologated. They are all approved by experts with at least some basic safety installations included. We have safety reports and systems in place which are working very well. Markus Mayr, FIS Race Director World Cup Women Technical Events While FIS speed event race directors set courses for World Cup Downhills, courses for other disciplines are set by randomly selected coaches from different teams. However, race directors – as part of the jury – can insist upon alterations for safety reasons. “Currently, FIS is not the professional course setter for technical races,” says Mayr. “But we have the right as a jury to change the course or to force the course setter, for instance, not to make this turn just 10 meters in front of a big obstacle. It’s a team effort.”
As well as larger-scale installations, gates on the course have also been upgraded over the years. Once upon a time, they were made of wood with contact best avoided. “Gate panels previously could be rigid and posed a risk to racers,” commented Waldner. “Now they are designed to release away easily upon impact, minimizing the risk of injury.
“The introduction of flexible poles with a different fixing system – brushes instead of screws – and softer materials have also made a difference.”
Medical protocols improve outcomes when accidents occur
Despite all of these safety advances, crashes and injuries will still happen. As Mayr says, “If one of the key elements in a sport is to take risks, you cannot make the sport 100% safe. But you can at least work in a direction so as not to be blind to problems.”
In the case of an accident, attending to the stricken athlete in a timely fashion is crucial. “The rescue system has become more advanced and efficient,” said Waldner. “More medical personnel and ski patrollers positioned along the course ensure faster response times.
Coordination between FIS, local race organizers, and helicopter rescue services has also been enhanced, allowing injured athletes to receive immediate and specialized care. Markus Waldner, FIS Chief Race Director World Cup Men Walter O. Frey was Chief Medical Officer for the Swiss Ski Team for a decade before becoming FIS Medical Committee Chair in the middle of last year. As part of his largely advisory role, he provides the inspection checklist which race directors need to sign off on before a race goes ahead.
“With different laws and regulations in each country, we provide minimum standards for each race,” says Frey. “For example, in speed disciplines there must be a helicopter on standby. It must be available for the competition and able to arrive in two minutes rather than 20. Maybe once or twice a winter, a race can’t start because the helicopter is not in place.
“When a crash occurs, the doctors from the local organizer take the lead in terms of how to evacuate the athlete – be that by sled or helicopter – and how best to treat them. As soon as they are in a safe condition, the team doctors join the discussion as to the best solution.
“Sometimes it’s just sufficient that the athlete is brought down from a steep and icy section to the medical facility near the finish area. From there, more decisions can be taken such as transport by car for an MRI scan. In the most serious cases, someone on the ground – often a medically trained ski patroller – can prepare the skier to be taken by helicopter.”
Thanks to advances in a number of areas – such as safety equipment, course preparation and installations, and medical protocols – Alpine Skiing is as safe as it has ever been. While accidents and injuries can never be eliminated, FIS continues to make athlete safety its highest priority.
