Yesterday saw the first LISTEX Summer Session – an opportunity to network and chat about industry matters, as well as get in a few runs in the UK on real snow!

We were delighted to be asked to moderate the forum, which saw two sessions on the Sochi Legacy and Ski Safety.

Here’s 26 snippets from our discussions. The next LISTEX will take place in London in October 2014.

The Sochi Legacy

The Snow Centre had a very successful 5th birthday, with queues of an hour to meet Jenny Jones We loved this great video they created about it The day Jenny Jones won her medal was the busiest ever for the Snow Centre website The following day was the busiest every for calls (in five years of business) There was a 30% increase in adult lessons in March 2014 compared with a year before Freestyle accounts for only 4% of Snow Centre business The Snow Centre is introducing a sponsored riders programme Skiplex has seen a100% increase in activity in Chiswick year on year The Chiswick slope has been running at 95% capacity this winter SkiplexReading has seen a 75% increase this winter Tour operators have not seen any increase in business yet attributable to Sochi ‘Skiing is a holiday not a sport’ – James Cove, Planetski Jenny Jones is putting in a lot of time and working hard to open doors in (her home town) Bristol to create a SnowCamp programme there – Dan Charlish, SnowCamp

Helmets & Ski Safety

14. NSA figures show that although the wearing of helmets has tripled and 70% wear a helmet,there has been no decrease in serious head injuries

15. Many American resorts including Vail make it compulsory for instructors to wear helmet

16. ‘You wouldn’t go on a bike, or a cycle without a helmet – it’s madness not to wear one’ – Peter Hardy

17. There were suggestions that insurance companies will make use of helmets a compulsory requirement of ski insurance

18. Before (Schumacher) helmet sales were up, the week after sales went through the roof and we had to reorder – Inga Taylor, Snow+Rock

19. Wearing helmets may reduce perception of danger on the slopes for guides – Chris Radford, Henry’s Avalanche Talks

20. If you use a GoPro you should not attach it to your helmet: it restricts movement & alters the impact protection offered

21. Almost all avalanche accidents can be traced to a weakness in the group and a lack of preparation – Chris Radford

22. Apps such as Ski Tracks appear to be leading towards more dangerous behaviour on the mountain and more injuries

23. If someone buys an AVS pack, we’ll show them how it works – Inga Taylor

24. More education over the safe use of snowparks is required, as well as backcountry

25. 7% of our staff went home last season due to injuries in parks – Dan Fox, Ski Weekends

And finally…

26. Channel 4’s ‘The Jump’ was viewed as detrimental to the industry as a whole…

By Iain Martin