Could vanity be your downfall? Skiers warned of selfie injuries
Millions of Brits heading to the mountains to play in the white stuff this winter have been warned that taking an innocuous selfie could ruin their holiday.
A startling 51 per cent of people have injured themselves while trying to photo their exploits – and 28 per cent of these have been carted off by medical services as a result, according to research by travel insurer Columbus Direct.
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Olympic advice
While not urging holiday-makers to refrain from taking photos, four-time skiing Olympian Chemmy Alcott had some sage safety advice for powder hunters. She said:
When you capture a new trick or a fantastic run on your camera or phone, make sure you are visible to other skiers coming down the slope, that you have stopped somewhere safe and you don’t try and retrieve dropped equipment if it’s unsafe.
Meanwhile, Rob Thomas, head of brand at Columbus Direct added: "While it’s fun and thrilling to capture yourself in action with the latest gadgets on the slopes, sport enthusiasts should always prioritise their own safety above all else in order to enjoy an incident free, winter sports holiday.”
The research also revealed the amount of money Brits spend on fancy kit in order to look cool on the pistes.
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Men splurged almost double that of women on equipment, spending an average of £302 each compared with £168 by women. Adding in spend on clothes, British skiers spend an average of £518 each year before they’ve even stumped up for their holiday, flights or lift pass.
Millennials' average spend was devilishly high, £666 on average, while those over 55 were much more frugal, parting with just £156 annually.