Mulled wine, beer, schnapps and jägertee: for many skiers, alcohol is inherently linked to winter sports. But even small amounts of alcohol can impair reaction and coordination. It sparks a discussion that is as old as winter sports itself: should there be an alcohol limit on the slopes?
“Then we won’t go anymore. Yes really. Then the fun is over,” Dico is certain. “The drunken descent is the most fun of the day, isn’t it guys?” Friend Jan agrees. “We always drink a jägertee first to get into it. What our day looks like? At half past 11 we are on the slopes and then on to the restaurant, which is less than five minutes away. We have been here for a while,” he says around noon. “And we will probably only do the valley descent today. We don’t do much else. Yes, drinking beer.”
Ski huts
“A drink is part of winter sports,” Michel also believes. “An alcohol limit is not the solution either, perhaps better accessibility to the ski huts is. Take the Seppi’s here in Gerlos. You can only come and leave there on skis. That’s a bit of a catch-all.”
Winter sports are still increasing in popularity. This causes more accidents, according to the annual winter sports research by the Eurocross emergency center with the LUMC Trauma Center. Broken bones, knee injuries and concussions: every year the emergency center receives around 1,600 reports of accidents on the slopes.
However, it is unknown in how many cases alcohol plays a role in this. The number of people who indicated in the study that they had consumed alcohol is too small to make a connection. The question is whether this question has been answered honestly in all cases.
Insurer
Another study, by insurer Allianz Direct, shows that 35% still have to leave the slopes after consuming alcohol. It also appears that many others have an opinion about this. 63% of winter sports enthusiasts indicate that they consider it irresponsible to strap on their skis after drinking alcohol.
“An alcohol limit may not be pleasant, but it would be better for many people,” think friends and colleagues Diana Galama and Cindy Kok. “Especially for people who don’t have much experience, but drink a lot.” The women themselves also have a drink on the slopes, they honestly admit. “But we keep it within limits. We will take two at most,” says Diana. “We absolutely take it into account,” confirms Cindy.
Responsiveness
Consuming alcohol when you still have to ski can affect your performance. “Alcohol causes certain receptors in your brain to be blocked, which reduces your reaction time,” says doctor Floriana Luppino of Eurocross. But muscle weakness is also a consequence of drinking alcohol. “If you unexpectedly encounter a bump or ice sheet while skiing that you have to react quickly to, then the muscle reaction is also delayed. That may only be a fraction of a second, but it can make the difference.”
Luppino is also a fanatic winter sports fan himself. “Then I see schnapps, wine and half liters of beer being passed around before lunch. I’m always amazed at how much alcohol is consumed by some skiers.” However, the doctor is not in favor of a ban. “I would rather appeal to people’s sense of responsibility. I understand that young people in particular see life as one big party. And I don’t want to take that away from them, but do pay attention.”
Limit in Italy
In many countries there are no laws regarding serving and consuming alcohol on the slopes. Italy is the first country to change this. Since January 1, 2022, a limit of 0.5 per mille applies, the same as that for road users.
Austria does not have such a law, but it does have the ten piste rules. According to the FIS rules, winter sports enthusiasts must behave in such a way that they do not endanger themselves or others. Although these are not official laws, they can be cited in court after a skiing accident. In many cases you are also not insured if you cause an accident (partly) due to the use of alcohol. Rightly so, says winter sports enthusiast Fenne Rovers. “Even if you fall and break something while drinking, it should be your own responsibility.”
Sliding down
“Oh well, if you can’t ski after a few beers, you just slide down,” says Luuk van der Sangen. He has no limit on the number of drinks, nor does the rest of his group of friends. “That depends on the person. But I’ll be honest: I just as much enjoy sitting here as I do skiing, says brother Koen van der Sangen from the mountain hut. “Ho, ho: normally we have no limit. But now we have our friends with us, who keep us in line,” Luuk adds with a burst of laughter.