| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Skiing and Snowboard Film Launched at Blue Mountain
Ski Resort
The Launch of the 2006 National Ski Week at Ontario’s
Blue Mountain Ski Resort included the airing of the 20-minute film designed
to instruct young skiers, snowboarders, coaches, trainers, teachers, and
parents about being safe while having fun skiing and snowboarding.
Audience response is often the measure of a good film. The sponsors and
producers should be pleased with the fifty attentive and enthusiastic
class of Grade 5 students from Brandon Gate Elementary School in Mississauga,
Ontario. Not only did they see the humour indicated by their laughter,
they also responded to a series of questions at the end of the film demonstrating
they understood the more important safety components.
The leading cause of serious injury in skiing and snowboarding is traumatic
brain injury. snowboarders are at an increased risk of head and neck injury,
in comparison to skiers. Approximately 95% of traumatic injuries are preventable.Many
adult skiers would be advised to also pay attention to this informative
film.
A Little Respect/Think First was produced by the ThinkFirst Foundation
of Canada a national non-profit injury prevention organization, endorsed
by the Canadian Congress of Neurological Sciences, the Canadian Association
of Neuroscience Nurses and the Canadian Spine Society.
A Little Respect: ThinkFirst! is a comprehensive safety
program, in the form of a 20-minute DVD/VHS, which educates young skiers
and snowboarders about the risks of injuries and how to ski and snowboard
safely. This program is suitable for skiers, snowboarders, coaches, trainers,
teachers, parents, school field trips, as well as for use by ski schools
and resorts. This program is targeted towards ages 6-12.
With the help of skiing experts such as JEN ASHTON and HUGO HARRISON,
the message of safety and injury prevention while skiing and snowboarding
is effectively communicated. This program emphasizes, skill, respect,
responsibility, equipment, and more! Accompanying this DVD/VHS is a CD
that consists of an instructional booklet, available in English
and French,
and a
bilingual safety brochure. This booklet provides information on equipment
use, responsibilities of those involved to prevent serious injuries, skiing
and snowboarding specific injuries, and general first aid.
In the brochure, there is a skiing/ snowboarding helmet fitting checklist,
the Alpine Responsibility Code/ Mountain Code of Conduct, and a safety
I.D. card. This program was successfully created by a committee with representatives
from the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors, Ministère
de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (Québec Government),
Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance, Whistler Blackcomb, Association des
stations de ski du Québec, Canada West Ski Areas Association, Intrawest,
Canadian Ski Patrol, and the ThinkFirst Foundation of Canada. Copies of
the program can be obtained from ThinkFirst Canada and Ontario Ministry
of Tourism and Recreation, Ontario Snow Resorts Association, Intrawest
and various Ski and Snowboard Organizations in the rest of Canada.
|
Click
here or more information on Tourism
and Travel in Ontario North
of Toronto
|
