The Australian skier: his environment, injuries, and some aspects of casualty transport.

Skiing in Australia is not a new phenomenon. Since the early 1890s, when miners in the snowfield regions discovered snowshoeing using wooden palings, the craze has steadily grown in Australia, as in other countries. The Australian winter occurs six months out of phase with the northern winter, but we also have other unique problems in regard to skiing conditions, and therefore possibly ski trauma. This presentation discusses first our local skiing conditions and then presents some statistics from one of our major resorts. Two aids used by our emergency services may also be of interest.