We're tempting fate by saying it out loud, but our family is gearing up for winter sports again. Lotte has been dreaming about it for weeks. Could this be her first mishap-free ski trip? A winter getaway where nothing derails the fun?
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Our youngest, Lotte, has been skiing with us for years and she's genuinely skilled on the slopes. Yet, every single ski holiday has brought some accident or setback. It's uncanny—we've filed travel insurance claims each of the past few years. Still, we've booked another trip this spring. Thankfully, Lotte's resilient and eager. She even asked if this could be the year for a trouble-free winter sports adventure.
Our winter gear—jackets, ski pants, and kids' outfits—is packed and ready. We're rolling the dice once more. Though, honestly, a sunny March beach vacation sounds tempting too. Here's why, based on our real experiences.
It was a few years ago, but Lotte's debut ski holiday was far from accident-free. In fact, it was chaotic—and not from skiing, since she barely got started. On arrival day, she tried a baby slope, but lifts closed early. Parents headed for après-ski drinks while kids sledded.
After two runs with her big brother Luc, Lotte went solo. We were inside, but maternal instinct pulled me out. Jacket off, drink in hand, I watched from the après-ski tent doorway.
I witnessed the crash, heard the thud, and screams followed. Luc raced around; I sprinted up the hill in ski boots. Adrenaline carries you far.
Before I reached her, a local resident rushed out, scooped up Lotte, and handed her over. She was in shock, face contorted, with a deep gash above her eye. But the cries were from leg pain—later diagnosed as broken at the hospital.
I'll skip the gritty details: four days hospitalized, then an ambulance repatriation from Austria to the Netherlands. That was her first winter sports trip.
The second year avoided accidents but ended early. Frank got violently ill—so bad he bathed at midnight to ease chills and pain, to no avail. Sudden, severe flu. I cut the holiday short for proper recovery at home.
We squeezed in a few ski days, but the trip left a sour taste.
Our family ski holiday crumbled again because I couldn't join. Weeks earlier, on a friends' trip, I tore my ACL skiing. Months in a brace followed; family skiing was off-limits.
I tagged along but stayed in the hotel, laptop-bound, while they hit the slopes.
Will this be our accident-free winter sports year? Honestly, I'm anxious about it.
My knee's mostly healed—I can do most activities again, except kneeling. ACL gone, inner ligament repaired, but meniscus still torn. So, gentle skiing only. And my confidence? Black runs are history; blues will be my limit this time. Fingers crossed.
